Generation of uniform-size droplets by multistep hydrodynamic droplet division in microfluidic circuits |
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Authors: | Tatsuru Moritani Masumi Yamada Minoru Seki |
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Affiliation: | (1) Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan; |
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Abstract: | A microfluidic system is presented to generate multiple daughter droplets from a mother droplet, by the multistep hydrodynamic
division of the mother droplet at multiple branch points in a microchannel. A microchannel network designed based on the resistive
circuit model enables us to control the distribution ratio of the flow rate, which dominates the division ratios of the mother
droplets. We successfully generated up to 15 daughter droplets from a mother droplet with a variation in diameter of less
than 2%. In addition, we examined factors affecting the division ratio, including the average fluid velocity, interfacial
tension, fluid viscosity, and the distribution ratio of volumetric flow rates at a branch point. Additionally, we actively
controlled the volume of the mother droplets and examined its influence on the size of the daughter droplets, demonstrating
that the size of the daughter droplets was not significantly influenced by the volume of the mother droplet when the distribution
ratio was properly controlled. The presented system for controlling droplet division would be available as an innovative means
for preparing monodisperse emulsions from polydisperse emulsions, as well as a technique for making a microfluidic dispenser
for digital microfluidics to analyze the droplet compositions. |
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Keywords: | |
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