scholarly journals High diversity droplet microfluidic libraries generated with a commercial liquid spotter

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse Q. Zhang ◽  
Christian A. Siltanen ◽  
Ata Dolatmoradi ◽  
Chen Sun ◽  
Kai-Chun Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Synthesis ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Droplet Microfluidics ◽  
Droplet Generator ◽  
Manual Operation ◽  
Multiplexed Pcr ◽  
User Intervention ◽  
High Diversity

AbstractDroplet libraries consisting of many reagents encapsulated in separate droplets are necessary for applications of microfluidics, including combinatorial chemical synthesis, DNA-encoded libraries, and massively multiplexed PCR. However, existing approaches for generating them are laborious and impractical. Here, we describe an automated approach using a commercial array spotter. The approach can controllably emulsify hundreds of different reagents in a fraction of the time of manual operation of a microfluidic device, and without any user intervention. We demonstrate that the droplets produced by the spotter are similarly uniform to those produced by microfluidics and automate the generation of a ~ 2 mL emulsion containing 192 different reagents in ~ 4 h. The ease with which it can generate high diversity droplet libraries should make combinatorial applications more feasible in droplet microfluidics. Moreover, the instrument serves as an automated droplet generator, allowing execution of droplet reactions without microfluidic expertise.

scholarly journals Interfacial Tension Measurements in Microfluidic Quasi-Static Extensional Flows

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 272
Author(s):  
Doojin Lee ◽  
Amy Q. Shen
Keyword(s):  
Interfacial Tension ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Extensional Flow ◽  
Immiscible Fluids ◽  
Droplet Microfluidics ◽  
Channel Height ◽  
Deformation Model ◽  
Droplet Deformation ◽  
Extensional Flows ◽  
2D Model

Droplet microfluidics provides a versatile tool for measuring interfacial tensions between two immiscible fluids owing to its abilities of fast response, enhanced throughput, portability and easy manipulations of fluid compositions, comparing to conventional techniques. Purely homogeneous extension in the microfluidic device is desirable to measure the interfacial tension because the flow field enables symmetric droplet deformation along the outflow direction. To do so, we designed a microfluidic device consisting of a droplet production region to first generate emulsion droplets at a flow-focusing area. The droplets are then trapped at a stagnation point in the cross junction area, subsequently being stretched along the outflow direction under the extensional flow. These droplets in the device are either confined or unconfined in the channel walls depending on the channel height, which yields different droplet deformations. To calculate the interfacial tension for confined and unconfined droplet cases, quasi-static 2D Darcy approximation model and quasi-static 3D small deformation model are used. For the confined droplet case under the extensional flow, an effective viscosity of the two immiscible fluids, accounting for the viscosity ratio of continuous and dispersed phases, captures the droplet deformation well. However, the 2D model is limited to the case where the droplet is confined in the channel walls and deforms two-dimensionally. For the unconfined droplet case, the 3D model provides more robust estimates than the 2D model. We demonstrate that both 2D and 3D models provide good interfacial tension measurements under quasi-static extensional flows in comparison with the conventional pendant drop method.

scholarly journals Negative Pressure Provides Simple and Stable Droplet Generation in a Flow-Focusing Microfluidic Device

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 662
Author(s):  
Nikita A. Filatov ◽  
Anatoly A. Evstrapov ◽  
Anton S. Bukatin
Keyword(s):  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Negative Pressure ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Control Valve ◽  
Droplet Microfluidics ◽  
Droplet Generation ◽  
Electric Signal ◽  
Absolute Pressure ◽  
Flow Focusing ◽  
Wide Range

Droplet microfluidics is an extremely useful and powerful tool for industrial, environmental, and biotechnological applications, due to advantages such as the small volume of reagents required, ultrahigh-throughput, precise control, and independent manipulations of each droplet. For the generation of monodisperse water-in-oil droplets, usually T-junction and flow-focusing microfluidic devices connected to syringe pumps or pressure controllers are used. Here, we investigated droplet-generation regimes in a flow-focusing microfluidic device induced by the negative pressure in the outlet reservoir, generated by a low-cost mini diaphragm vacuum pump. During the study, we compared two ways of adjusting the negative pressure using a compact electro-pneumatic regulator and a manual airflow control valve. The results showed that both types of regulators are suitable for the stable generation of monodisperse droplets for at least 4 h, with variations in diameter less than 1 µm. Droplet diameters at high levels of negative pressure were mainly determined by the hydrodynamic resistances of the inlet microchannels, although the absolute pressure value defined the generation frequency; however, the electro-pneumatic regulator is preferable and convenient for the accurate control of the pressure by an external electric signal, providing more stable pressure, and a wide range of droplet diameters and generation frequencies. The method of droplet generation suggested here is a simple, stable, reliable, and portable way of high-throughput production of relatively large volumes of monodisperse emulsions for biomedical applications.

scholarly journals Precise pooling and dispensing of microfluidic droplets towards micro- to macro-world interfacing

RSC Advances ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (73) ◽  
pp. 38542-38550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Brouzes ◽  
April Carniol ◽  
Tomasz Bakowski ◽  
Helmut H. Strey
Keyword(s):  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Droplet Microfluidics ◽  
Seamless Integration ◽  
Microfluidic Droplets ◽  
Microtiter Plates

We present the design of a microfluidic device that accurately and automatically pools and delivers a precise number of droplets. It will permit the interfacing of the microfluidic world to the macrofluidic world (e.g. microtiter plates) and will allow the seamless integration of droplet microfluidics into already developed robotic workflows.

Quantum-dot-encapsulated core–shell barcode particles from droplet microfluidics

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (44) ◽  
pp. 7257-7262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feika Bian ◽  
Huan Wang ◽  
Lingyu Sun ◽  
Yuxiao Liu ◽  
Yuanjin Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Dot ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Droplet Microfluidics ◽  
Core Shell ◽  
New Class

A new class of QD-encapsulated core–shell barcode particles for biomedical applications were generated using a capillary microfluidic device.

scholarly journals Micro-chemical synthesis of molecular probes on an electronic microfluidic device

2011 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 690-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Y. Keng ◽  
S. Chen ◽  
H. Ding ◽  
S. Sadeghi ◽  
G. J. Shah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Synthesis ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Molecular Probes

scholarly journals An asymmetric flow-focusing droplet generator promotes rapid mixing of reagents

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. I. Belousov ◽  
N. A. Filatov ◽  
I. V. Kukhtevich ◽  
V. Kantsler ◽  
A. A. Evstrapov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Droplet Formation ◽  
Droplet Microfluidics ◽  
Mixing Efficiency ◽  
Generation Process ◽  
Droplet Generator ◽  
Flow Focusing ◽  
Asymmetric Flow ◽  
Rapid Mixing

AbstractNowadays droplet microfluidics is widely used to perform high throughput assays and for the synthesis of micro- and nanoparticles. These applications usually require packaging several reagents into droplets and their mixing to start a biochemical reaction. For rapid mixing microfluidic devices usually require additional functional elements that make their designs more complex. Here we perform a series of 2D numerical simulations, followed by experimental studies, and introduce a novel asymmetric flow-focusing droplet generator, which enhances mixing during droplet formation due to a 2D or 3D asymmetric vortex, located in the droplet formation area of the microfluidic device. Our results suggest that 2D numerical simulations can be used for qualitative analysis of two-phase flows and droplet generation process in quasi-two-dimensional devices, while the relative simplicity of such simulations allows them to be easily applied to fairly complicated microfluidic geometries. Mixing inside droplets formed in the asymmetric generator occurs up to six times faster than in a conventional symmetric one. The best mixing efficiency is achieved in a specific range of droplet volumes, which can be changed by scaling the geometry of the device. Thus, the droplet generator suggested here can significantly simplify designs of microfluidic devices because it enables both the droplet formation and fast mixing of the reagents within droplets. Moreover, it can be used to precisely estimate reaction kinetics.

scholarly journals A recursive microfluidic platform to explore the emergence of chemical evolution

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 1702-1709 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Doran ◽  
Marc Rodriguez-Garcia ◽  
Rebecca Turk-MacLeod ◽  
Geoffrey J T Cooper ◽  
Leroy Cronin
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Origin Of Life ◽  
Chemical Evolution ◽  
Droplet Microfluidics ◽  
Droplet Generator ◽  
Droplet Transfer ◽  
Integration System ◽  
Size Sorting ◽  
The Origin Of Life ◽  
Proof Of Principle

We propose that a chemically agnostic approach to explore the origin of life, using an automated recursive platform based on droplet microfluidics, could be used to induce artificial chemical evolution by iterations of growth, speciation, selection, and propagation. To explore this, we set about designing an open source prototype of a fully automated evolution machine, comprising seven modules. These modules are a droplet generator, droplet transfer, passive and active size sorting, splitter, incubation chamber, reservoir, and injectors, all run together via a LabVIEWTM program integration system. Together we aim for the system to be used to drive cycles of droplet birth, selection, fusion, and propagation. As a proof of principle, in addition to the working individual modules, we present data showing the osmotic exchange of glycylglycine containing and pure aqueous droplets, showing that the fittest droplets exhibit higher osomolarity relative to their neighbours, and increase in size compared to their neighbours. This demonstrates the ability of our platform to explore some different physicochemical conditions, combining the efficiency and unbiased nature of automation with our ability to select droplets as functional units based on simple criteria.

scholarly journals Microfluidic Device for Droplet Pairing by Combining Droplet Railing and Floating Trap Arrays

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1076
Author(s):  
Margaux Duchamp ◽  
Marion Arnaud ◽  
Sara Bobisse ◽  
George Coukos ◽  
Alexandre Harari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aqueous Phase ◽  
Droplet Size ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Microfluidic Chip ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Droplet Microfluidics ◽  
Trapping Efficiency ◽  
Unique Combination ◽  
Chip Design ◽  
Single Droplets

Droplet microfluidics are characterized by the generation and manipulation of discrete volumes of solutions, generated with the use of immiscible phases. Those droplets can then be controlled, transported, analyzed or their content modified. In this wide droplet microfluidic toolbox, no means are available to generate, in a controlled manner, droplets co-encapsulating to aqueous phases. Indeed, current methods rely on random co-encapsulation of two aqueous phases during droplet generation or the merging of two random droplets containing different aqueous phases. In this study, we present a novel droplet microfluidic device to reliably and efficiently co-encapsulate two different aqueous phases in micro-droplets. In order to achieve this, we combined existing droplet microfluidic modules in a novel way. The different aqueous phases are individually encapsulated in droplets of different sizes. Those droplet populations are then filtered in order to position each droplet type towards its adequate trapping compartment in traps of a floating trap array. Single droplets, each containing a different aqueous phase, are thus paired and then merged. This pairing at high efficiency is achieved thanks to a unique combination of floating trap arrays, a droplet railing system and a droplet size-based filtering mechanism. The microfluidic chip design presented here provides a filtering threshold with droplets larger than 35 μm (big droplets) being deviated to the lower rail while droplets smaller than 20 μm (small droplets) remain on the upper rail. The effects of the rail height and the distance between the two (upper and lower) rails were investigated. The optimal trap dimensions provide a trapping efficiency of 100% for small and big droplets with a limited double trapping (both compartments of the traps filled with the same droplet type) of 5%. The use of electrocoalescence enables the generation of a droplet while co-encapsulating two aqueous phases. Using the presented microfluidic device libraries of 300 droplets, dual aqueous content can be generated in less than 30 min.

scholarly journals Development of Microdroplet Generation Method for Organic Solvents Used in Chemical Synthesis

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (22) ◽  
pp. 5360
Author(s):  
Shohei Hattori ◽  
Chenghe Tang ◽  
Daiki Tanaka ◽  
Dong Hyun Yoon ◽  
Yoshito Nozaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Synthesis ◽  
Organic Solvents ◽  
Chemical Reactions ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Continuous Phase ◽  
Immiscible Liquid ◽  
Droplet Generation ◽  
Scaling Effects ◽  
Reaction Field

Recently, chemical operations with microfluidic devices, especially droplet-based operations, have attracted considerable attention because they can provide an isolated small-volume reaction field. However, analysis of these operations has been limited mostly to aqueous-phase reactions in water droplets due to device material restrictions. In this study, we have successfully demonstrated droplet formation of five common organic solvents frequently used in chemical synthesis by using a simple silicon/glass-based microfluidic device. When an immiscible liquid with surfactant was used as the continuous phase, the organic solvent formed droplets similar to water-in-oil droplets in the device. In contrast to conventional microfluidic devices composed of resins, which are susceptible to swelling in organic solvents, the developed microfluidic device did not undergo swelling owing to the high chemical resistance of the constituent materials. Therefore, the device has potential applications for various chemical reactions involving organic solvents. Furthermore, this droplet generation device enabled control of droplet size by adjusting the liquid flow rate. The droplet generation method proposed in this work will contribute to the study of organic reactions in microdroplets and will be useful for evaluating scaling effects in various chemical reactions.

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