scholarly journals Separation Microfluidic Device Fabricated by Micromilling Techniques

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Inês Maia Gonçalves ◽  
Miguel Madureira ◽  
Inês Miranda ◽  
Helmut Schütte ◽  
Ana Moita ◽  
...  

The diagnosis of several diseases can be performed by analyzing the blood plasma of a patient. Despite extensive research work, there is still a need to improve current low-cost fabrication techniques and devices for the separation of plasma from blood cells. Microfluidic biomedical devices have great potential for that process. Hence, a microfluidic device made by micromilling and sealed with an oxygen plasma technique was tested by means of two different blood analogue fluids. The device has four microchannels with similar geometries but different channel depths. A high-speed video microscopy system was used for the visualization and acquisition of the flow of the analogue fluids throughout the microchannels of the device. Then, the separation of particles and plasma was evaluated with the ImageJ software by measuring and comparing the grey values at the entrance and the exit of the channel. The device showed a significant reduction of the amount of cells between the entrance and the exit of the microchannels. The depth of the channels and the size of the particles were not found to exert any major influence on the separation process. However, it was found that the flow rate affected the separation results, as the best results were obtained for a flow rate of 100 μL/min. Though these results are promising, further analyses and optimizations of microfluidic devices, as well as comparisons between devices sealed using different methods such as the solvent bonding technique, will be conducted in future works.

Author(s):  
Akashdeep Bhardwaj

This article describes how the rise of fog computing to improve cloud computing performance and the acceptance of smart devices is slowly but surely changing our future and shaping the computing environment around us. IoT integrated with advances in low cost computing, storage and power, along with high speed networks and big data, supports distributed computing. However, much like cloud computing, which are under constant security attacks and issues, distributed computing also faces similar challenges and security threats. This can be mitigated to a great extent using fog computing, which extends the limits of Cloud services to the last mile edge near to the nodes and networks, thereby increasing the performance and security levels. Fog computing also helps increase the reach and comes across as a viable solution for distributed computing. This article presents a review of the academic literature research work on the Fog Computing. The authors discuss the challenges in Fog environment and propose a new taxonomy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akashdeep Bhardwaj

This article describes how the rise of fog computing to improve cloud computing performance and the acceptance of smart devices is slowly but surely changing our future and shaping the computing environment around us. IoT integrated with advances in low cost computing, storage and power, along with high speed networks and big data, supports distributed computing. However, much like cloud computing, which are under constant security attacks and issues, distributed computing also faces similar challenges and security threats. This can be mitigated to a great extent using fog computing, which extends the limits of Cloud services to the last mile edge near to the nodes and networks, thereby increasing the performance and security levels. Fog computing also helps increase the reach and comes across as a viable solution for distributed computing. This article presents a review of the academic literature research work on the Fog Computing. The authors discuss the challenges in Fog environment and propose a new taxonomy.


Author(s):  
Waheed Ur Rehman ◽  
Guiyun Jiang ◽  
Yongqin Wang ◽  
Nadeem Iqbal ◽  
Shafiq Ur Rehman ◽  
...  

The current research work presents a low cost, efficient and innovative active aerostatic thrust bearing which is controlled through a combination of the Arduino board, feedback transducers and high-speed valves. The purpose is to make low cost, compact active aerostatic thrust bearing with overall small dimensions and compact size. A prototype design is done in solid works with small dimensions and components are produced with the help of the high precision machining process. There are two high-speed electropneumatic valves which  are controlled through pulse width modulation techniques. These high-speed electro-pneumatic valves modify the supply pressure of aerostatic bearing to achieve desired air height gap. There are two novel pressure sensors which provide a feedback signal for control. The test bench to perform experiments has been explained. The performance of the proposed aerostatic bearing is checked both in open loop and closed loop configuration with respect to static and dynamic conditions. 


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilhoon Jang ◽  
David S. Dandy ◽  
Brian J. Geiss ◽  
Charles Henry ◽  
Hyunwoong Kang ◽  
...  

Capillary-driven microfluidic devices are of significant interest for on-site analysis because they do not require external pumps and can be made from inexpensive materials. Among capillary-driven devices, those made from paper and polyester film are among the most common and have been used in a wide array of applications. However, since capillary forces are the only driving force, flow is difficult to control, and passive flow control methods such as changing the geometry must be used to accomplish various analytical applications. This study presents several new flow control methods that can be utilized in a laminate capillary-driven microfluidic device to increase available functionality. First, we introduce push and burst valve systems that can stop and start flow. These valves can be opened by either pressing the channel or inflowing other fluids to the valve region. Next, we propose flow control methods for Y-shaped channels that enable more functions. In one example, we demonstrate the ability to accurately control concentration and in a second example, flow rate in the main channel is controlled by adjusting the geometry of the inlet channel. Finally, the flow rate in the Y-shaped device as a function of channel height and fluid properties such as viscosity and surface tension was examined. As in previous studies on capillary-driven channels, the flow rate was affected by each parameter. The fluidic control tools presented here will enable new designs and functions for low cost point of need assays across a variety of fields.


2001 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 762-770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiki Yoshida ◽  
Yoshinobu Tsujimoto ◽  
Dai Kataoka ◽  
Hironori Horiguchi ◽  
Fabien Wahl

A set of 4-bladed inducers with various amounts of cutback was tested with the aim of suppressing the rotating cavitation by applying alternate leading edge cutback. Unsteady cavitation patterns were observed by means of inlet pressure measurements and high-speed video pictures. It was found that the region with the alternate blade cavitation and asymmetric cavitation were enlarged with the increase of the amount of the cutback. As a result, the region with the rotating cavitation was diminished. At low flow rate, two types of alternate blade cavitation were found as predicted theoretically on 4-bladed inducer with smaller uneven blade length. One of them is with longer cavities on longer blades, and the other is with longer cavities on shorter blades. Switch was observed in these alternate blade cavitation patterns depending whether the cavitation number was increased or decreased. For an inducer with larger amount of cutback, the rotating cavitation and cavitation surge were almost suppressed as expected for a wide range of flow rate and cavitation number, although the cavitation performance was deteriorated. However, we should note that an asymmetric cavitation pattern occurs more easily in inducers with alternate leading edge cutback, and that the unevenness due to the cutback causes uneven blade stress.


Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1674
Author(s):  
Rosilah Hassan ◽  
Faizan Qamar ◽  
Mohammad Kamrul Hasan ◽  
Azana Hafizah Mohd Aman ◽  
Amjed Sid Ahmed

With the evolution of the fifth-generation (5G) wireless network, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become a revolutionary technique that enables a diverse number of features and applications. It can able a diverse amount of devices to be connected in order to create a single communication architecture. As it has significantly expanded in recent years, it is fundamental to study this trending technology in detail and take a close look at its applications in the different domains. It represents an enabler of new communication possibilities between people and things. The main asset of this concept is its significant influence through the creation of a new world dimension. The key features required for employing a large-scale IoT are low-cost sensors, high-speed and error-tolerant data communications, smart computations, and numerous applications. This research work is presented in four main sections, including a general overview of IoT technology, a summary of previous correlated surveys, a review regarding the main IoT applications, and a section on the challenges of IoT. The purpose of this study is to fully cover the applications of IoT, including healthcare, environmental, commercial, industrial, smart cities, and infrastructural applications. This work explains the concept of IoT and defines and summarizes its main technologies and uses, offering a next-generation protocol as a solution to the challenges. IoT challenges were investigated to enhance research and development in the fields. The contribution and weaknesses of each research work cited are covered, highlighting eventual possible research questions and open matters for IoT applications to ensure a full analysis coverage of the discussed papers.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilhoon Jang ◽  
David S. Dandy ◽  
Brian J. Geiss ◽  
Charles Henry ◽  
Hyunwoong Kang ◽  
...  

Capillary-driven microfluidic devices are of significant interest for on-site analysis because they do not require external pumps and can be made from inexpensive materials. Among capillary-driven devices, those made from paper and polyester film are among the most common and have been used in a wide array of applications. However, since capillary forces are the only driving force, flow is difficult to control, and passive flow control methods such as changing the geometry must be used to accomplish various analytical applications. This study presents several new flow control methods that can be utilized in a laminate capillary-driven microfluidic device to increase available functionality. First, we introduce push and burst valve systems that can stop and start flow. These valves can be opened by either pressing the channel or inflowing other fluids to the valve region. Next, we propose flow control methods for Y-shaped channels that enable more functions. In one example, we demonstrate the ability to accurately control concentration and in a second example, flow rate in the main channel is controlled by adjusting the geometry of the inlet channel. Finally, the flow rate in the Y-shaped device as a function of channel height and fluid properties such as viscosity and surface tension was examined. As in previous studies on capillary-driven channels, the flow rate was affected by each parameter. The fluidic control tools presented here will enable new designs and functions for low cost point of need assays across a variety of fields.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1587
Author(s):  
Fiorency Santoso ◽  
Viacheslav V. Krylov ◽  
Agnes L. Castillo ◽  
Ferry Saputra ◽  
Hong-Ming Chen ◽  
...  

Water fleas are a good model for ecotoxicity studies, and were proposed for this purpose by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, due to their easy culture, body transparency, and high sensitivity to chemical pollution. Cardiovascular function parameters are usually used as an indicator of toxicity evaluation. However, due to the nature of the heart and blood flow, and the speed of the heartbeat, it is difficult to perform precise heartbeat and blood flow measurements with a low level of bias. In addition, the other cardiovascular parameters, including stroke volume, cardiac output, fractional shortening, and ejection fraction, have seldom been carefully addressed in previous studies. In this paper, high-speed videography and ImageJ-based methods were adopted to analyze cardiovascular function in water fleas. The heartbeat and blood flow for three water flea species, Daphnia magna, Daphnia silimis, and Moina sp., were captured by high-speed videography and analyzed using open-source ImageJ software. We found the heartbeat is species-dependent but not size-dependent in water fleas. Among the three water fleas tested, D. magna was identified as having the most robust heartbeat and blood flow rate, and is therefore suitable for the ecotoxicity test. Moreover, by calculating the diameter of the heart, we succeeded in measuring other cardiovascular parameters. D. magna were challenged with temperature changes and a pesticide (imidacloprid) to analyze variations in its cardiovascular function. We found that the heartbeat of D. magna was temperature-dependent, since the heartbeat was increasing with temperature. A similar result was shown in the cardiac output parameter. We also observed that the heartbeat, cardiac output, and heartbeat regularity are significantly reduced when exposed to imidacloprid at a low dose of 1 ppb (parts per billion). The blood flow rate, stroke volume, ejection fraction, and fractional shortening, on the contrary, did not display significant changes. In conclusion, in this study, we report a simple, highly accurate, and cost-effective method to perform physiological and toxicological assessments in water fleas.


2011 ◽  
Vol 277 ◽  
pp. 36-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashid Azrin Hani Abdul ◽  
Ahmad Roslan ◽  
Mariatti Jaafar ◽  
Mohd Nazrul Roslan ◽  
Saparudin Ariffin

The utilization of coconut fibers as reinforcement in polymer composites has been increase significantly due to their low cost and high specification of mechanical properties. Whereas kevlar fibers has widely used as the core material in flexible body armors due to its great mechanical properties, such as high strength, light weight, good chemical resistance and thermal stability. The research work is concerned with the evaluation of high speed impact and flexural test of hybrid textile reinforced epoxy composites. Samples were prepared from coir yarn, kevlar yarn, interlaced of coir and kevlar yarn with different warp/weft orientation and pure epoxy as control specimen. The woven samples were produced using handloom and the composites specimens were prepared using hand lay-up technique. From the results obtained, it was found that woven kevlar composites samples displayed the highest impact properties while it exhibits the lowest flexural properties. Results also showed that the composite plate for woven coir yarn (warp) and kevlar yarn (weft) has the flexural strength and impact strength of 17 MPa and 67 kJ/m², which presented as the nearest properties to woven Kevlar composite respectively. These results indicate that coir as a natural fiber can be used as a potential reinforcing material for high impact resistance such as body armors in order to reduce the usage of synthetic materials whilst utilizing the natural resources.


TAPPI Journal ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-25
Author(s):  
JUNMING SHU ◽  
ARTHAS YANG ◽  
PEKKA SALMINEN ◽  
HENRI VAITTINEN

The Ji’an PM No. 3 is the first linerboard machine in China to use multilayer curtain coating technology. Since successful startup at the end of 2011, further development has been carried out to optimize running conditions, coating formulations, and the base paper to provide a product with satisfactory quality and lower cost to manufacture. The key challenges include designing the base board structure for the desired mechanical strength, designing the surface properties for subsequent coating operations, optimizing the high-speed running of the curtain coater to enhance production efficiency, minimizing the amount of titanium dioxide in the coating color, and balancing the coated board properties to make them suitable for both offset and flexographic printing. The pilot and mill scale results show that curtain coating has a major positive impact on brightness, while smoothness is improved mainly by the blade coating and calendering conditions. Optimization of base board properties and the blade + curtain + blade concept has resulted in the successful use of 100% recycled fiber to produce base board. The optical, mechanical, and printability properties of the final coated board meet market requirements for both offset and flexographic printing. Machine runnability is excellent at the current speed of 1000 m/min, and titanium dioxide has been eliminated in the coating formulations without affecting the coating coverage. A significant improvement in the total cost of coated white liner production has been achieved, compared to the conventional concept of using virgin fiber in the top ply. Future development will focus on combining low cost with further quality improvements to make linerboard suitable for a wider range of end-use applications, including frozen-food packaging and folding boxboard.


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