Team:TU Eindhoven/Microfluidics/Droplet Device

Droplet Device

To answer the questions mentioned at the introduction, a droplet device with a single oil inlet and a single water inlet is used (Figure 3). Both channels will end in a so called flow-focusing cross junction, where the droplets will be formed. The fluids will first pass a filter to minimize blockage at the cross junction nozzle. The curved channels just before the cross junction are fluid resistors and will create a laminar flow [1]. It is possible to control the droplet size and droplet formation frequency, by alternating the rates of the oil phase and the water phase.

For an AutoCAD design of this microfluidic droplet device, download here. Design by Leroy Tan, Boris Arts & Rafiq Lubken.

Figure 3. A droplet device with 1 oil inlet (top), 1 water inlet (middle) and an outlet (bottom). Number 1 is the filter and number 2 is the flow focusing cross junction where the droplets are formed.

Bibliography

[1] Mazutis, L., Gilbert, J., Ung. W.L., Weitz, D.A., Griffiths, A.D. & Heyman J.A. (2013). Single-cell analysis and sorting using droplet-based microfluidics. Nature, 8(5), pp. 870-91.