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Inventions
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Microfluidic Devices
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Microfluidic Devices

A special issue of Inventions (ISSN 2411-5134). This special issue belongs to the section "Inventions and Innovation in Energy and Thermal/Fluidic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2020) | Viewed by 19855

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Lung-Ming Fu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering Science, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Interests: microfluidic systems; microfluidic paper-based devices; mems fabrication technologies; micro-sensor and computational fluid dynamics simulations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microfluidic devices deal with fluid flows in geometries of micro scales. New phenomena unique to these small scales bring exciting research interests in the past two decades. Practical applications can be found in the analysis of analytical chemistry, chemical engineering, biomedical devices, micro-thermal technologies, etc.

In this Special Issue, we invite contributions that report the state-of-the-art developments in the fields of microfluidics devices including, but not limited to, micromixer, micropump, droplet, micro-reactor, microfluidic paper-based devices, biomedical devices, manipulation of micro-molecules, biomicrofluidics, lab-on-a-chip, micro total analysis, point-of-care devices, energy conversion, etc. Practical devices that demonstrate capabilities to solve real-world problems are of particular interest.

Prof. Dr. Lung-Ming Fu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Inventions is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microfluidics
  • electrokinetics
  • lab-on-a-chip
  • energy conversion
  • biomicrofluidics

Published Papers (4 papers)

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13 pages, 3477 KiB  
Article
Using a Digital Microfluidic System to Evaluate the Stretch Length of a Droplet with a L-DEP and Varied Parameters
by Hsiang-Ting Lee, Ying-Jhen Ciou and Da-Jeng Yao
Inventions 2020, 5(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions5020021 - 05 Jun 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2762
Abstract
Digital microfluidics has become intensively explored as an effective method for liquid handling in lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems. Liquid dielectrophoresis (L-DEP) has many advantages and exciting prospects in driving droplets. To fully realize the potential benefits of this technique, one must know the droplet [...] Read more.
Digital microfluidics has become intensively explored as an effective method for liquid handling in lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems. Liquid dielectrophoresis (L-DEP) has many advantages and exciting prospects in driving droplets. To fully realize the potential benefits of this technique, one must know the droplet volume accurately for its distribution and manipulation. Here we present an investigation of the tensile length of a droplet subjected to a L-DEP force with varied parameters to achieve precise control of the volume of a droplet. Liquid propylene carbonate served as a driving liquid in the L-DEP experiment. The chip was divided into two parts: an electrode of width fixed at 0.1 mm and a total width fixed at 1 mm. Each had a variation of six electrode spacings. The experimental results showed that the stretching length decreased with decreasing electrode width, but the stretching length did not vary with an increased spacing of the electrode. When the two electrodes were activated, the length decreased because of an increase in electrode spacing. The theory was based on the force balance on a droplet that involved the force generated by the electric field, friction force, and capillary force. The theory was improved according to the experimental results. To verify the theoretical improvement through the results, we designed a three-electrode chip for experiments. The results proved that the theory is consistent with the results of the experiments, so that the length of a droplet stretched with L-DEP and its volume can be calculated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidic Devices)
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11 pages, 2041 KiB  
Article
An Electroporation Device with Microbead-Enhanced Electric Field for Bacterial Inactivation
by Sanam Pudasaini, A. T. K. Perera, Syed. S. U. Ahmed, Yong Bing Chong, Sum Huan Ng and Chun Yang
Inventions 2020, 5(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions5010002 - 27 Dec 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6202
Abstract
This paper presents an electroporation device with high bacterial inactivation performance (~4.75 log removal). Inside the device, insulating silica microbeads are densely packed between two mesh electrodes that enable enhancement of the local electric field strength, allowing improved electroporation of bacterial cells. The [...] Read more.
This paper presents an electroporation device with high bacterial inactivation performance (~4.75 log removal). Inside the device, insulating silica microbeads are densely packed between two mesh electrodes that enable enhancement of the local electric field strength, allowing improved electroporation of bacterial cells. The inactivation performance of the device is evaluated using two model bacteria, including one Gram-positive bacterium (Enterococcus faecalis) and one Gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli) under various applied voltages. More than 4.5 log removal of bacteria is obtained for the applied electric field strength of 2 kV/cm at a flowrate of 4 mL/min. The effect of microbeads on the inactivation performance is assessed by comparing the performance of the microbead device with that of the device having no microbeads under same operating conditions. The comparison results show that only 0.57 log removal is achieved for the device having no microbeads—eightfold lower than for the device with microbeads. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidic Devices)
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14 pages, 3674 KiB  
Article
Siphon-Induced Droplet Break-Off for Enhanced Mixing on a Centrifugal Platform
by Robert Burger, David J Kinahan, Hélène Cayron, Nuno Reis, João Fonseca and Jens Ducrée
Inventions 2020, 5(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions5010001 - 22 Dec 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4980
Abstract
We present a powerful and compact batch-mode mixing and dilution technique for centrifugal microfluidic platforms. Siphon structures are designed to discretize continuous flows into a sequence of droplets of volumes as low as 100 nL. Using a passive, self-regulating 4-step mechanism, discrete volumes [...] Read more.
We present a powerful and compact batch-mode mixing and dilution technique for centrifugal microfluidic platforms. Siphon structures are designed to discretize continuous flows into a sequence of droplets of volumes as low as 100 nL. Using a passive, self-regulating 4-step mechanism, discrete volumes of two fluids are alternatingly issued into a common intermediate chamber. At its base, a capillary valve acts as a fluidic shift register; a single droplet is held in place while two or more droplets merge and pass through the capillary stop. These merged droplets are advectively mixed as they pass through the capillary valve and into the receiving chamber. Mixing is demonstrated for various combinations of liquids such as aqueous solutions as well as saline solutions and human plasma. The mixing quality is assessed on a quantitative scale by using a colorimetric method based on the mixing of potassium thiocyanate and iron(III) chloride, and in the case of human plasma using a spectroscopic method. For instance, volumes of 5 µL have been mixed in less than 20 s. Single-step dilutions up to 1:5 of plasma in a standard phosphate buffer solution are also demonstrated. This work describes the preliminary development of the mixing method which has since been integrated into a commercially available microfluidic cartridge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidic Devices)
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10 pages, 1714 KiB  
Patent Summary
Chronometric Quantitation of Analytes in Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices (MicroPADs) via Enzymatic Degradation of a Metastable Biomatrix
by Aditya R. Jangid, E. Brandon Strong, Emiliano Escamilla, Brittany A. Lore, Nicholas J. Tod, Robert Thiel, Andres W. Martinez and Nathaniel W. Martinez
Inventions 2019, 4(3), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions4030048 - 21 Aug 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5196
Abstract
The following article summarizes United States Patent Application No. US20180052155A1, titled ‘Assay Devices and Methods’ (filed 16 August 2016, published 22 February 2018). While lateral flow assays (LFAs) have revolutionized point-of-care diagnostics by enabling accurate, inexpensive, and rapid detection of biomarkers, they typically [...] Read more.
The following article summarizes United States Patent Application No. US20180052155A1, titled ‘Assay Devices and Methods’ (filed 16 August 2016, published 22 February 2018). While lateral flow assays (LFAs) have revolutionized point-of-care diagnostics by enabling accurate, inexpensive, and rapid detection of biomarkers, they typically do not provide quantitative results. Hence, there is a significant need for quantitative assays at the point of care. This patent summary describes a novel method of chronometric biomarker quantitation via enzymatic degradation of a metastable gelatin-based biomatrix, principally suited for use in paper-based microfluidic devices (microPADs). This new quantitation mechanism was designed to meet the ASSURED criteria for point-of-care diagnostic devices laid forth by the World Health Organization and may ultimately provide increased access to healthcare, at a significantly reduced cost, around the world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidic Devices)
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