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 (see Figure 1). 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. It is possible to control the droplet size and droplet formation speed, by alternating both the oil flow as the water flow.

Figure 1. 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

Song H, Chen DL, Ismagilov RF. Reactions in droplets in microfluidic channels. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2006;45:7336–7356

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.

Song H, Chen DL, Ismagilov RF. Reactions in droplets in microfluidic channels. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2006;45:7336–7356