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10 pages, 2903 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study of Bubble Formation from a Micro-Tube in Non-Newtonian Fluid

by Georgia Kontaxi, Yorgos G. Stergiou and Aikaterini A. Mouza

Micromachines 2021, 12(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12010071 - 11 Jan 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2119

Over the last few years, microbubbles have found application in biomedicine. In this study, the characteristics of bubbles formed when air is introduced from a micro-tube (internal diameter 110 μm) in non-Newtonian shear thinning fluids are studied. The dependence of the release time [...] Read more.

Over the last few years, microbubbles have found application in biomedicine. In this study, the characteristics of bubbles formed when air is introduced from a micro-tube (internal diameter 110 μm) in non-Newtonian shear thinning fluids are studied. The dependence of the release time and the size of the bubbles on the gas phase rate and liquid phase properties is investigated. The geometrical characteristics of the bubbles are also compared with those formed in Newtonian fluids with similar physical properties. It was found that the final diameter of the bubbles increases by increasing the gas flow rate and the liquid phase viscosity. It was observed that the bubbles formed in a non-Newtonian fluid have practically the same characteristics as those formed in a Newtonian fluid, whose viscosity equals the asymptotic viscosity of the non-Newtonian fluid, leading to the assumption that the shear rate around an under-formation bubble is high, and the viscosity tends to its asymptotic value. To verify this notion, bubble formation was simulated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The simulation results revealed that around an under-formation bubble, the shear rate attains a value high enough to lead the viscosity of the non-Newtonian fluid to its asymptotic value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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11 pages, 3130 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stamping Nanoparticles onto the Electrode for Rapid Electrochemical Analysis in Microfluidics

by Jiyoung Son, Edgar C. Buck, Shawn L. Riechers and Xiao-Ying Yu

Micromachines 2021, 12(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12010060 - 06 Jan 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2516

Abstract

Electrochemical analysis is an efficient way to study various materials. However, nanoparticles are challenging due to the difficulty in fabricating a uniform electrode containing nanoparticles. We developed novel approaches to incorporate nanoparticles as a working electrode (WE) in a three-electrode microfluidic electrochemical cell. [...] Read more.

Electrochemical analysis is an efficient way to study various materials. However, nanoparticles are challenging due to the difficulty in fabricating a uniform electrode containing nanoparticles. We developed novel approaches to incorporate nanoparticles as a working electrode (WE) in a three-electrode microfluidic electrochemical cell. Specifically, conductive epoxy was used as a medium for direct application of nanoparticles onto the electrode surface. Three approaches in this work were illustrated, including sequence stamping, mix stamping, and droplet stamping. Shadow masking was used to form the conductive structure in the WE surface on a thin silicon nitride (SiN) membrane. Two types of nanomaterials, namely cerium oxide (CeO₂) and graphite, were chosen as representative nanoparticles. The as-fabricated electrodes with attached particles were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Electrochemical analysis was performed to verify the feasibility of these nanoparticles as electrodes. Nanomaterials can be quickly assessed for their electrochemical properties using these new electrode fabrication methods in a microfluidic cell, offering a passport for rapid nanomaterial electrochemical analysis in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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15 pages, 4527 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scale-Up Studies for Co/Ni Separations in Intensified Reactors

by Dimitrios Tsaoulidis, Milan Mamtora, Marta Mayals Gañet, Eduardo Garciadiego-Ortega and Panagiota Angeli

Micromachines 2020, 11(12), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11121106 - 15 Dec 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3088

Abstract

In this paper, the effect of the scalability of small-scale devices on the separation of Co(II) from a binary Co(II)/Ni(II) mixture in a nitric acid solution by an organic Cyanex 272/TBP/kerosene (Exxsol D80) phase is studied. In particular, circular channels with diameters of [...] Read more.

In this paper, the effect of the scalability of small-scale devices on the separation of Co(II) from a binary Co(II)/Ni(II) mixture in a nitric acid solution by an organic Cyanex 272/TBP/kerosene (Exxsol D80) phase is studied. In particular, circular channels with diameters of 1, 2, and 3.2 mm are considered. The results were compared against those from a confined impinging-jets (CIJ) cell with a main channel diameter of 3.2 mm. The effects of total flowrate, residence time, Cyanex 272 concentration, and flowrate ratio on the mass transfer performance were investigated. It was found that at increased channel size, the throughputs were also increased but the extraction percentages remained the same. Higher extraction percentages were obtained by using the CIJ configuration at short residence times. However, for longer residence times, the mass transfer coefficients were similar and capillary channels should be preferred over the CIJ because of the ease of separation of the two phases at the end of the unit. The overall mass transfer coefficients ranged between 0.02 and 0.14 s⁻¹ for the capillary channels during plug flow and between 0.05 and 0.45 s⁻¹ for the CIJ cells during dispersed flow. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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13 pages, 1391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Push/Pull Inequality Based High-Speed On-Chip Mixer Enhanced by Wettability

by Toshio Takayama, Naoya Hosokawa, Chia-Hung Dylan Tsai and Makoto Kaneko

Micromachines 2020, 11(10), 950; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11100950 - 21 Oct 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2100

Abstract

In this paper, a high-speed on-chip mixer using two effects is proposed, i.e., push/pull inequality and wettability. Push/pull inequality and wettability are effective for generating a rotational fluid motion in the chamber and for enhancing the rotational speed by reducing the viscous loss [...] Read more.

In this paper, a high-speed on-chip mixer using two effects is proposed, i.e., push/pull inequality and wettability. Push/pull inequality and wettability are effective for generating a rotational fluid motion in the chamber and for enhancing the rotational speed by reducing the viscous loss between the liquid and channel wall, respectively. An on-chip mixer is composed of three components, a microfluidic channel for making the main fluid flow, a circular chamber connected to the channel for generating a rotational flow, and an actuator connected at the end of the channel allowing a push/pull motion to be applied to the liquid in the main channel. The flow patterns in the chamber under push/pull motions are nonreversible for each motion and, as a result, produce one-directional torque to the fluid in the circular chamber. This nonreversible motion is called push/pull inequality and eventually creates a swirling flow in the chamber. Using hydrophilic treatments, we executed the experiment with a straight channel and a circular chamber to clarify the mixing characteristics at different flow speeds. According to the results, it is confirmed that the swirling velocity under appropriately tuned wettability is 100 times faster than that without tuning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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17 pages, 3360 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Easy Method for Pressure Measurement in Microchannels Using Trapped Air Compression in a One-End-Sealed Capillary

by Feng Shen, Mingzhu Ai, Jianfeng Ma, Zonghe Li and Sen Xue

Micromachines 2020, 11(10), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11100914 - 30 Sep 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2896

Abstract

Pressure is one basic parameter involved in microfluidic systems. In this study, we developed an easy capillary-based method for measuring fluid pressure at one or multiple locations in a microchannel. The principal component is a commonly used capillary (inner diameter of 400 μm [...] Read more.

Pressure is one basic parameter involved in microfluidic systems. In this study, we developed an easy capillary-based method for measuring fluid pressure at one or multiple locations in a microchannel. The principal component is a commonly used capillary (inner diameter of 400 μm and 95 mm in length), with one end sealed and calibrated scales on it. By reading the height (h) of an air-liquid interface, the pressure can be measured directly from a table, which is calculated using the ideal gas law. Many factors that affect the relationship between the trapped air volume and applied pressure (p_applied) have been investigated in detail, including the surface tension, liquid gravity, air solubility in water, temperature variation, and capillary diameters. Based on the evaluation of the experimental and simulation results of the pressure, combined with theoretical analysis, a resolution of about 1 kPa within a full-scale range of 101.6–178 kPa was obtained. A pressure drop (Δp) as low as 0.25 kPa was obtained in an operating range from 0.5 kPa to 12 kPa. Compared with other novel, microstructure-based methods, this method does not require microfabrication and additional equipment. Finally, we use this method to reasonably analyze the nonlinearity of the flow-pressure drop relationship caused by channel deformation. In the future, this one-end-sealed capillary could be used for pressure measurement as easily as a clinical thermometer in various microfluidic applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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13 pages, 3254 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Direct Comparison between the Lateral Magnetophoretic Microseparator and AdnaTest for Isolating Prostate Circulating Tumor Cells

by Hyungseok Cho, Jae-Seung Chung and Ki-Ho Han

Micromachines 2020, 11(9), 870; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11090870 - 19 Sep 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2788

Abstract

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are important biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. However, because of their extreme rarity, a more precise technique for isolating CTCs is required to gain deeper insight into the characteristics of cancer. This study compares the [...] Read more.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are important biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. However, because of their extreme rarity, a more precise technique for isolating CTCs is required to gain deeper insight into the characteristics of cancer. This study compares the performance of a lateral magnetophoretic microseparator (“CTC-μChip”), as a representative microfluidic device, and AdnaTest ProstateCancer (Qiagen), as a commercially available specialized method, for isolating CTCs from the blood of patients with prostate cancer. The enumeration and genetic analysis results of CTCs isolated via the two methods were compared under identical conditions. In the CTC enumeration experiment, the number of CTCs isolated by the CTC-μChip averaged 17.67 CTCs/mL, compared to 1.56 CTCs/mL by the AdnaTest. The number of contaminating white blood cells (WBCs) and the CTC purity with the CTC-μChip averaged 772.22 WBCs/mL and 3.91%, respectively, whereas those with the AdnaTest averaged 67.34 WBCs/mL and 1.98%, respectively. Through genetic analysis, using a cancer-specific gene panel (AR (androgen receptor), AR-V7 (A\androgen receptor variant-7), PSMA (prostate specific membrane antigen), KRT19 (cytokeratin-19), CD45 (PTPRC, Protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type, C)) with reverse transcription droplet digital PCR, three genes (AR, AR-V7, and PSMA) were more highly expressed in cells isolated by the CTC-μChip, while KRT19 and CD45 were similarly detected using both methods. Consequently, this study showed that the CTC-μChip can be used to isolate CTCs more reliably than AdnaTest ProstateCancer, as a specialized method for gene analysis of prostate CTCs, as well as more sensitively obtain cancer-associated gene expressions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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11 pages, 1842 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using a Dielectrophoretic Microfluidic Biochip Enhanced Fertilization of Mouse Embryo in Vitro

by Hong-Yuan Huang, Wei-Lun Kao, Yi-Wen Wang and Da-Jeng Yao

Micromachines 2020, 11(8), 714; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11080714 - 23 Jul 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2986

Abstract

Droplet microfluidics has appealed to many interests for its capability to epitomize cells in a microscale environment and it is also a forceful technique for high-throughput single-cell epitomization. A dielectrophoretic microfluidic system imitates the oviduct of mammals with a microchannel to achieve fertilization [...] Read more.

Droplet microfluidics has appealed to many interests for its capability to epitomize cells in a microscale environment and it is also a forceful technique for high-throughput single-cell epitomization. A dielectrophoretic microfluidic system imitates the oviduct of mammals with a microchannel to achieve fertilization in vitro (IVF) of an imprinting control-region (ICR) mouse. We applied a microfluidic chip and a positive dielectrophoretic (p-DEP) force to capture and to screen the sperm for the purpose of manipulating the oocyte. The p-DEP responses of the oocyte and sperm were exhibited under applied bias conditions (waveform AC 10 V_pp, 1 MHz) for trapping 1 min. The insemination concentration of sperm nearby the oocyte was increased to enhance the probability of natural fertilization through the p-DEP force trapping. A simulation tool (CFDRC-ACE+) was used to simulate and to analyze the distribution of the electric field. The DEP microfluidic devices were fabricated using poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and ITO (indium tin oxide)-glass with electrodes. We discuss the requirement of sperm in a DEP microfluidic chip at varied concentrations to enhance the future rate of fertilization in vitro for an oligozoospermia patient. The result indicates that the rate of fertility in our device is 17.2 ± 7.5% (n = 30) at about 3000 sperms, compatible with traditional droplet-based IVF, which is 14.2 ± 7.5% (n = 28). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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16 pages, 6817 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mixing Performance of a Cross-Channel Split-and-Recombine Micro-Mixer Combined with Mixing Cell

by Makhsuda Juraeva and Dong Jin Kang

Micromachines 2020, 11(7), 685; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11070685 - 15 Jul 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2948

Abstract

A new cross-channel split-and-recombine (CC-SAR) micro-mixer was proposed, and its performance was demonstrated numerically. A numerical study was carried out over a wide range of volume flow rates from 3.1 μL/min to 826.8 μL/min. The corresponding Reynolds number ranges from 0.3 to 80. [...] Read more.

A new cross-channel split-and-recombine (CC-SAR) micro-mixer was proposed, and its performance was demonstrated numerically. A numerical study was carried out over a wide range of volume flow rates from 3.1 μL/min to 826.8 μL/min. The corresponding Reynolds number ranges from 0.3 to 80. The present micro-mixer consists of four mixing units. Each mixing unit is constructed by combining one split-and-recombine (SAR) unit with a mixing cell. The mixing performance was analyzed in terms of the degree of mixing and relative mixing cost. All numerical results show that the present micro-mixer performs better than other micro-mixers based on SARs over a wide range of volume flow rate. The mixing enhancement is realized by a particular motion of vortex flow: the Dean vortex in the circular sub-channel and another vortex inside the mixing cell. The two vortex flows are generated on the different planes perpendicular to each other. They cause the two fluids to change their relative position as the fluids flow into the circular sub-channel of the SAR, eventually promoting violent mixing. High vorticity in the mixing cell elongates the flow interface between two fluids, and promotes mixing in the flow regime of molecular diffusion dominance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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13 pages, 24136 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Annealing on the Thermoelectricity Properties of the WRe26-In₂O₃ Thin Film Thermocouples

by Bian Tian, Yan Liu, Zhongkai Zhang, Zhaojun Liu, Libo Zhao, Qijing Lin, Peng Shi, Qi Mao, Dejiang Lu and Zhuangde Jiang

Micromachines 2020, 11(7), 664; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11070664 - 07 Jul 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2235

Abstract

WRe26-In₂O₃ (WRe26 (tungsten-26% rhenium) and In₂O₃ thermoelectric materials) thin film thermocouples (TFTCs) have been fabricated based on magnetron sputtering technology, which can be used in temperature measurement. Many annealing processes were studied to promote the sensitivity of [...] Read more.

WRe26-In₂O₃ (WRe26 (tungsten-26% rhenium) and In₂O₃ thermoelectric materials) thin film thermocouples (TFTCs) have been fabricated based on magnetron sputtering technology, which can be used in temperature measurement. Many annealing processes were studied to promote the sensitivity of WRe26-In₂O₃ TFTCs. The optimal annealing process of the thermocouple under this kind of RF magnetron sputtering method was proposed after analyzing the properties of In₂O₃ films and the thermoelectric voltage of TFTCs at different annealing processes. The calibration results showed that the WRe26-In₂O₃ TFTCs achieved a thermoelectric voltage of 123.6 mV at a temperature difference of 612.9 K, with a sensitivity of up to 201.6 µV/K. Also, TFTC kept a stable thermoelectric voltage output at 973 K for 20 min and at 773 K for two hours. In general, the WRe26-In₂O₃ TFTCs developed in this work have great potential for practical applications. In future work, we will focus on the thermoelectric stability of TFTCs at higher temperatures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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13 pages, 3435 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Batch Fabrication of Silicon Nanometer Tip Using Isotropic Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching

by Lihao Wang, Meijie Liu, Junyuan Zhao, Jicong Zhao, Yinfang Zhu, Jinling Yang and Fuhua Yang

Micromachines 2020, 11(7), 638; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11070638 - 29 Jun 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4535

Abstract

This work reports a batch fabrication process for silicon nanometer tip based on isotropic inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching technology. The silicon tips with nanometer apex and small surface roughness are produced at wafer-level with good etching homogeneity and repeatability. An ICP etching [...] Read more.

This work reports a batch fabrication process for silicon nanometer tip based on isotropic inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching technology. The silicon tips with nanometer apex and small surface roughness are produced at wafer-level with good etching homogeneity and repeatability. An ICP etching routine is developed to make silicon tips with apex radius less than 5 nm, aspect ratio greater than 5 at a tip height of 200 nm, and tip height more than 10 μm, and high fabrication yield is achieved by mask compensation and precisely controlling lateral etch depth, which is significant for large-scale manufacturing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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11 pages, 2439 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Fluorescent Sensor-Assisted Paper-Based Competitive Lateral Flow Immunoassay for the Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Ampicillin in Hospital Wastewater

by Honggui Lin, Feixiang Fang, Jiahui Zang, Jianlong Su, Qingyuan Tian, Ranjith Kumar Kankala and Xuexia Lin

Micromachines 2020, 11(4), 431; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11040431 - 20 Apr 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2796

Abstract

In this study, a convenient assay method has been developed based on labeled functional nucleic acids (H-DNA) and a competitive fluorescent lateral flow immunoassay (CF-LFI) for ampicillin (AMP) detection. Herein, we designed the tunable AMP probes for AMP detection based on the AMP [...] Read more.

In this study, a convenient assay method has been developed based on labeled functional nucleic acids (H-DNA) and a competitive fluorescent lateral flow immunoassay (CF-LFI) for ampicillin (AMP) detection. Herein, we designed the tunable AMP probes for AMP detection based on the AMP aptamer, and the secondary DNA fragment. The probes can generate tunable signals on the test line (T line) and control line (C line) according to the concentration of AMP. The accuracy of detection was improved by optimizing the tunable AMP probes. Under the optimal conditions, the linear concentration of AMP detection is ranged from 10 to 200 ng/L with a limit of quantitation (LOQ) value of 2.71 ng/L, and the recovery is higher than 80.5 %. Moreover, the developed method shows the potential application for AMP detection in the hospital wastewater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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13 pages, 3294 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A Performance-Enhanced Liquid Metal-Based Microheater with Parallel Ventilating Side-Channels

by Lunjia Zhang, Pan Zhang, Ronghang Wang, Renchang Zhang, Zhenming Li, Wei Liu, Qifu Wang, Meng Gao and Lin Gui

Micromachines 2020, 11(2), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11020133 - 24 Jan 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2678

Abstract

Gallium-based liquid metal can be used as a material for microheaters because it can be easily filled into microchannels and electrified to generate Joule heat, but the liquid metal-based microheater will suffer breakage induced by voids forming within the liquid metal when the [...] Read more.

Gallium-based liquid metal can be used as a material for microheaters because it can be easily filled into microchannels and electrified to generate Joule heat, but the liquid metal-based microheater will suffer breakage induced by voids forming within the liquid metal when the temperature normally gets higher than 100 °C. To resolve this problem, a novel liquid metal-based microheater with parallel ventilating side-channels is presented. It consists of a liquid-metal heating channel and two parallel ventilating side-channels. The heating channel is connected with the side-channels by small gaps between polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) posts. Experimental results show that this novel microheater can be heated up to 200 °C without damage. To explain its excellent performance, an experiment is performed to discover the development of the voids within the liquid-metal heating channel, and two reasons are put forward in this work on the basis of the experiment. Afterward pressing and bending tests are conducted to explore the mechanical stability of the novel microheaters. Finally, the microheaters are applied to warm water to show their good flexibility on non-flat surfaces. In consequence, the novel liquid metal-based microheater is believed to be widely applicable to soft micro-electro-mechanical system(MEMS) heating devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro Process-Devices)

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