Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

Background
Metrics evaluating the functional quality of red blood cells (RBCs) must consider their role in oxygen delivery. Whereas oxygen-carrying capacity is routinely reported using haemoglobin assays, the rate of oxygen exchange is not measured, yet also important for tissue oxygenation. Since oxygen-unloading depends on the diffusion pathlength inside RBCs, cell geometry offers a plausible surrogate.
Methods
We related the time-constant of oxygen-unloading (τ), measured using single-cell oxygen saturation imaging, with flow-cytometric variables recorded on a haematology analyser. Experiments compared freshly-drawn RBCs with stored RBCs, wherein metabolic run-down and spherical remodelling hinder oxygen unloading.
Findings
Multivariable regression related τ to a ratio of side- and forward-scatter, referred to herein as FlowScore. FlowScore was able to distinguish, with sensitivity and specificity >80%, freshly drawn blood from blood that underwent storage-related kinetic attrition in O2-handling. Moreover, FlowScore predicted τ restoration upon biochemical rejuvenation of stored blood. Since RBC geometry and metabolic state are related, variants of FlowScore estimated [ATP] and [2,3-diphosphoglycerate]. The veracity of FlowScore was confirmed by four blood-banking systems (Australia, Canada, England, Spain). Applying FlowScore to data from the COMPARE study revealed a positive association with the time-delay from sample collection to measurement, which was verified experimentally. The LifeLines dataset revealed age, sex, and smoking among factors affecting FlowScore.
Interpretation
We establish FlowScore as a widely-accessible and cost-effective surrogate of RBC oxygen-unloading kinetics. As a metric of a cellular process that is sensitive to storage and disease, we propose FlowScore as an RBC quality marker for blood-banking and haematology.

Haematology,Erythrocytes,Storage lesion,Assay,Oxygen transport,Transfusion

The volume of oxygen drawn from systemic capillaries down a partial pressure gradient is determined by the oxygen content of red blood cells (RBCs) and their oxygen-unloading kinetics, although the latter is assumed to be rapid and, therefore, not a meaningful factor. Under this paradigm, oxygen transfer to tissues is perfusion-limited. Consequently, clinical treatments to optimize oxygen delivery aim at improving blood flow and arterial oxygen content, rather than RBC oxygen-handling. Whilst the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood is increased with transfusion, previous studies have shown that stored blood undergoes kinetic attrition of oxygen release, which may compromise overall oxygen delivery to tissues, i.e. transport became diffusion-limited. We sought evidence for diffusion-limited oxygen release in viable human kidneys normothermically perfused with stored blood. In a cohort of kidneys that went on to be transplanted, ex-vivo renal respiration correlated inversely with the time-constant of oxygen-unloading from RBCs used for perfusion. Furthermore, the renal respiratory rate did not correlate with arterial O2 delivery unless this factored the rate of oxygen-release from RBCs, as expected from diffusion-limited transport. In kidneys deemed unsuitable for transplantation, perfusion was alternated between stored and rejuvenated RBCs of the same donation to control oxygen-unloading without intervening ischemia and holding all non-RBC parameters constant. Rejuvenated oxygen-unloading kinetics reversibly improved the kidney's oxygen diffusion capacity and increased cortical oxygen partial pressure by 60%. Thus, oxygen delivery to tissues can become diffusion-limited during perfusion with stored blood, which has implications in scenarios such as ex-vivo organ perfusion, major hemorrhage, and pediatric transfusion.

Two decades of research on droplet formation in microchannels have led to the widely accepted view that droplets form through the squeezing mechanism when interfacial forces dominate over viscous forces. The initially surprising finding that the volume of the droplets is insensitive to the relative importance of these two forces is nowadays well understood from the constrained deformation of the droplet interface during formation. In this work, we show a lower limit of the squeezing mechanism for droplets produced in microfluidic cross-junctions. Below this limit, in the leaking regime, which was recently discovered for droplets produced in T-junctions, the volume of the produced droplets strongly depends on the relative importance of interfacial and viscous forces, as captured by the capillary number. We reveal a fundamental difference in the mechanisms at play in the leaking regime between T- and cross-junctions. In cross-junctions, the droplet neck elongates substantially, and unlike the case of the T-junction, the magnitude of this elongation depends strongly on the value of the capillary number. This elongation significantly affects the final droplet volume in a low capillary number regime. Generalizing the classical squeezing law by lifting the original assumptions and incorporating both identified mechanisms of leaking through gutters and neck elongation, we derive a model for droplet formation and show that it agrees with our experiments.

Microfluidics,Cross-junction,Flow-focusing device,Droplet formation,Two-phase flow,Scaling law,Squeezing regime

We present a novel microfluidic system that produces the required concentration of a reagent in a single droplet or that produces a sequence of droplets with a defined periodic distribution of concentrations. We use digital algorithms that, through a series of simple operations, such as merging and splitting droplets, ensure superior precision, repeatability and flexibility in concentration setting. Unlike Digital microfluidic (DMF) systems based on electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) commonly used to implement digital algorithms in the droplet world, our approach is based on much more available channel-based microfluidics operated by programmable syringe pumps. Furthermore, the small footprint of our system makes it easy to integrate with other structures of microfluidic networks. Thus, this technique is a comprehensive component that can be built into the microfluidic networks executing laboratory analytical tasks in chemistry or biology to enrich their performance and offer new functionalities.

droplet-based microfluidics, microfluidic traps, droplet manipulation, concentration tuning, concentration gradient

Stored red blood cells (RBCs) incur biochemical and morphological changes, collectively termed the storage lesion. Functionally, the storage lesion manifests as slower oxygen unloading from RBCs, which may compromise the efficacy of transfusions where the clinical imperative is to rapidly boost oxygen delivery to tissues. Recent analysis of large real-world data linked longer storage with increased recipient mortality. Biochemical rejuvenation with a formulation of adenosine, inosine, and pyruvate can restore gas-handling properties, but its implementation is impractical for most clinical scenarios. We tested whether storage under hypoxia, previously shown to slow biochemical degradation, also preserves gas-handling properties of RBCs. A microfluidic chamber, designed to rapidly switch between oxygenated and anoxic superfusates, was used for single-cell oxygen saturation imaging on samples stored for up to 49 days. Aliquots were also analyzed flow cytometrically for side-scatter (a proposed proxy of O2 unloading kinetics), metabolomics, lipidomics, and redox proteomics. For benchmarking, units were biochemically rejuvenated at 4 weeks of standard storage. Hypoxic storage hastened O2 unloading in units stored to 35 days, an effect that correlated with side-scatter but was not linked to posttranslational modifications of hemoglobin. Although hypoxic storage and rejuvenation produced distinct biochemical changes, a subset of metabolites including pyruvate, sedoheptulose 1-phosphate, and 2/3 phospho-d-glycerate, was a common signature that correlated with changes in O2 unloading. Correlations between gas handling and lipidomic changes were modest. Thus, hypoxic storage of RBCs preserves key metabolic pathways and O2 exchange properties, thereby improving the functional quality of blood products and potentially influencing transfusion outcomes.

hypoxia, Hemanext, erythrocyte, hemoglobin, oxidative stress, microfluidics

Cell shape dynamics during development is tightly regulated and coordinated with cell fate determination. Triggered by an interplay between biochemical and mechanical signals, epithelia form complex tissues by undergoing coordinated cell shape changes, but how such spatiotemporal coordination is controlled remains an open question. To dissect biochemical signaling from purely mechanical cues, we developed a microfluidic system that experimentally triggers epithelial folding to recapitulate stereotypic deformations observed in vivo. Using this system, we observe that the apical or basal direction of folding results in strikingly different mechanical states at the fold boundary, where the balance between tissue tension and torque (arising from the imposed curvature) controls the spread of folding-induced calcium waves at a short timescale and induces spatial patterns of gene expression at longer timescales. Our work uncovers that folding-associated gradients of cell shape and their resulting mechanical stresses direct spatially distinct biochemical responses within the monolayer.

epithelial morphogenesis, epithelial folding, tension, calcium waves, microfluidics, RNAseq

Here, we show the successful implementation of advanced sequential logic in droplet microfluidics, whose principles rely on capillary wells establishing stationary states, where droplets can communicate remotely via pressure impulses, influencing each other and switching the device states. All logic operations perform spontaneously due to the utilization of nothing more than capillary–hydrodynamic interactions, inherent for the confined biphasic flow. Our approach offers integration feasibility allowing to encode unprecedentedly long algorithms, e.g., 1000-droplet counting. This work has the potential for the advancement of liquid computers and thereby could participate in the development of the next generation of portable microfluidic systems with embedded control, enabling applications from single-cell analysis and biochemical assays to materials science.

In the present paper, we provide evidence of the vital impact of inertia on the flow in microfluidic networks, which is disclosed by the appearance of nonlinear velocity–pressure coupling. The experiments and numerical analysis of microfluidic junctions within the range of moderate Reynolds number (1 < Re < 250) revealed that inertial effects are of high relevance when Re > 10. Thus, our results estimate the applicability limit of the linear relationship between the flow rate and pressure drop in channels, commonly described by the so-called hydraulic resistance. Herein, we show that neglecting the nonlinear in their nature inertial effects can make such linear resistance-based approximation mistaken for the network operating beyond Re < 10. In the course of our research, we investigated the distribution of flows in connections of three channels in two flow modes. In the splitting mode, the flow from a common channel divides between two outputs, while in the merging mode, streams from two channels join together in a common duct. We tested a wide range of junction geometries characterized by parameters such as: (1) the angle between bifurcating channels (45°, 90°, 135° and 180°); (2) angle of the common channel relative to bifurcating channels (varied within the available range); (3) ratio of lengths of bifurcating channels (up to 8). The research revealed that the inertial effects strongly depend on angles between the channels. Additionally, we observed substantial differences between the distributions of flows in the splitting and merging modes in the same geometries, which reflects the non-reversibility of the motion of an inertial fluid. The promising aspect of our research is that for some combinations of both lengths and angles of the channels, the inertial contributions balance each other in such a way that the equations recover their linear character. In such an optimal configuration, the dependence on Reynolds number can be effectively mitigated.

While shear emulsification is a well understood industrial process, geometrical confinement in microfluidic systems introduces fascinating complexity, so far prohibiting complete understanding of droplet formation. The size of confined droplets is controlled by the ratio between shear and capillary forces when both are of the same order, in a regime known as jetting, while being surprisingly insensitive to this ratio when shear is orders of magnitude smaller than capillary forces, in a regime known as squeezing. Here, we reveal that further reduction of—already negligibly small—shear unexpectedly re-introduces the dependence of droplet size on shear/capillary-force ratio. For the first time we formally account for the flow around forming droplets, to predict and discover experimentally an additional regime—leaking. Our model predicts droplet size and characterizes the transitions from leaking into squeezing and from squeezing into jetting, unifying the description for confined droplet generation, and offering a practical guide for applications.

We present a novel type of microfluidic bifurcating junctions which fixes the droplet's route. Unlike in regular junctions, where a droplet chooses one of two outputs depending on the (often instantaneous) flow distribution, our modifications direct droplets only to one preferred outlet. As we show, this solution works properly regardless of the variations of flow distribution in a wide range of its amplitude. Such modified junctions allow for the encoding of the droplet's traffic in the geometry of the device. We compare in a series of experiments different junctions having channels of uniform square cross section. Our observations revealed that a small, local modification of the junction in the form of an additional shallow slit imposes a significant consequence for the flow of droplets at an entire microfluidic network's scale. Another interesting and helpful feature of these new junctions is that they keep the integrity of long droplets, unlike regular junctions, which tend to split long droplets. Our experimental investigations revealed a complex transformation of the long droplet during its transfer through the modified junction. We show that this transformation resembles the Baker's transform and can be used for the enhancement of mixing inside the droplets. Finally, we show two examples of microfluidic devices where the deterministic character of these modified junctions is utilized to obtain new, non-trivial functionalities. This approach can be used for the engineering of microfluidic devices with embedded procedures replacing active elements like valves or magnetic/electric fields.

droplet, microfluidics, two-phase, manipulations

Herein, we describe a novel method for the assessment of droplet viscosity moving inside microfluidic channels. The method allows for the monitoring of the rate of the continuous growth of bacterial culture. It is based on the analysis of the hydrodynamic resistance of a droplet that is present in a microfluidic channel, which affects its motion. As a result, we were able to observe and quantify the change in the viscosity of the dispersed phase that is caused by the increasing population of interacting bacteria inside a size-limited system. The technique allows for finding the correlation between the viscosity of the medium with a bacterial culture and its optical density. These features, together with the high precision of the measurement, make our viscometer a promising tool for various experiments in the field of analytical chemistry and microbiology, where the rigorous control of the conditions of the reaction and the monitoring of the size of bacterial culture are vital.

droplet microfluidics, cell growth, viscosity, rheology, Escherichia coli

Emerging microfluidic technology has introduced new precision controls over reaction conditions. Owing to the small amount of reagents, microfluidics significantly lowers the cost of carrying a single reaction. Moreover, in two-phase systems, each part of a dispersed fluid can be treated as an independent chemical reactor with a volume from femtoliters to microliters, increasing the throughput. In this work, we propose a microfluidic device that provides continuous recirculation of droplets in a closed loop, maintaining low consumption of oil phase, no cross-contamination, stabilized temperature, a constant condition of gas exchange, dynamic feedback control on droplet volume, and a real-time optical characterization of bacterial growth in a droplet. The channels (tubing) and junction cubes are made of Teflon fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) to ensure non-wetting conditions and to prevent the formation of biofilm, which is particularly crucial for biological experiments. We show the design and operation of a novel microfluidic loop with the circular motion of microdroplet reactors monitored with optical sensors and precision temperature controls. We have employed the proposed system for long term monitoring of bacterial growth during the antibiotic chloramphenicol treatment. The proposed system can find applications in a broad field of biomedical diagnostics and therapy.

microfluidic loop, bacteria cultures, screening, antibiotic treatment, Escherichia coli

Multiple pipetting is a standard laboratory procedure resulting in the compartmentalisation of a liquid sample. Microfluidics offers techniques which can replace this process by the use of tiny droplets. Passive manipulation on droplets is an interesting and promising approach for the design of microfluidic devices which on one hand are easy-to-use and on the other, execute complex laboratory procedures. We present a comprehensive study of the geometry of microfluidic components which encode different operations on droplets into the structure of the device. The understanding of hydrodynamic interactions between the continuous flow and a droplet travelling through confined space of nontrivial microfluidic geometries is crucial for a rational and efficient design of new generation of modular microfluidic processors with embedded instructions.

microfluidics, two-phase flows, droplets

Conducting reactions in droplets in microfluidic chips offers several highly attractive characteristics, among others, increased yield and selectivity of chemical syntheses. The use of droplet microfluidic systems in synthetic chemistry is, however, hampered by the intrinsically small throughput of micrometric channels. Here, we verify experimentally the potential to increase throughput via an increase of the scale of the channels.We use the results of these experiments characterizing the processes of (1) generation of droplets, (2) mixing in droplets, (3) inter-phase extraction, and (4) the yield of synthesis of pyrrole, to postulate a number of guidelines for scaling up the throughput of microfluidic droplet systems. In particular, we suggest the rules for maximizing the throughput via an increase of the size of the channels and via parallelization to optimize the throughput of synthesis against the cost of fabrication of the chips and against the kinetic requirements of specific reactions.

flow chemistry, microfluidics, synthesis, emulsions, droplets

The adsorption of carboxymethylcellulose polymers on molybdenite was studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy imaging with two polymers of differing degrees of carboxyl group substitution and at three different electrolyte conditions: 1 × 10–2 M KCl, 2.76 × 10–2 M KCl, and simulated flotation process water of multicomponent electrolyte content, with an ionic strength close to 2.76 × 10–2 M. A higher degree of carboxyl substitution in the adsorbing polymer resulted in adsorbed layers that were thinner and with more patchy coverage; increasing the ionic strength of the electrolyte resulted in increased polymer layer thickness and coverage. The use of simulated process water resulted in the largest layer thickness and coverage for both polymers. The effect of the adsorbed polymer layer on bubble–particle attachment was studied with single bubble–surface collision experiments recorded with high-speed video capture and image processing and also with single mineral molybdenite flotation tests. The carboxymethylcellulose polymer with a lower degree of substitution resulted in almost complete prevention of wetting film rupture at the molybdenite surface under all electrolyte conditions. The polymer with a higher degree of substitution prevented rupture only when adsorbed from simulated process water. Molecular kinetic theory was used to quantify the effect of the polymer on the dewetting dynamics for collisions that resulted in wetting film rupture. Flotation experiments confirmed that adsorbed polymer layer properties, through their effect on the dynamics of bubble–particle attachment, are critical to predicting the effectiveness of polymers used to prevent mineral recovery in flotation.

flotation, bubble, adsorption

We report automated generation of arbitrary sequences of multiple microdroplets with online and individual control over the number of cores and volumes of all the constituents (cores and shells) of each of the multiple droplets. We show that a given sequence of volumes of the cores always folds to the same final three-dimensional architecture. The method presents the first proof-of-concept for the ability to design the three-dimensional structure of multiple droplets. We discuss the potential use of the technique in the formulation of predetermined distribution of drug release capsules and for automated generation of functional chemical microdroplet networks.

multiple droplets, microfluidics

We present microfluidic modules (traps) that allow us to lock, shift, dose and merge micro-aliquots of liquid precisely. The precision is hard-wired into the geometry of the device: small values of the capillary number guarantee reproducibility of operation over a range of rates of flow that need not be controlled precisely. The modules can be integrated into systems that perform complicated protocols on micro-droplets while not requiring precision in forcing the flow.

microfluidics, droplets

This report provides practical guidelines for the use of inexpensive electromagnetic valves characterized by large dead volumes (tens to hundreds of μL) for the generation of small (nL) droplets on demand in microfluidic chips. We analyze the role of the ratio of resistances and of the elastic capacitance of the fluidic connectors between the reservoir of the liquid, the valve and the microfluidic chip in the reliable and precise formation of micro droplets on demand. We also demonstrate and examine the use of conventional electromagnetic squeeze valves in the generation of small droplets on demand with a similar set of design rules.

microfluidics, droplets

We demonstrate a strategy for construction of high-throughput microfluidic systems generating gradations of chemistry in micro-droplets. The productivity of the systems that we propose is limited only by the maximum rate of the droplet formation, and does not need to be limited by the rate of mixing. Multilayer polycarbonate chips transform two miscible input streams A and B into N streams of droplets, containing mixtures [A]i, [B]i. Exemplary devices generate linear ([B]i ∝ i) and logarithmic gradations (ln[B]i ∝ i). We also analyze the use of the same strategy for the generation of concentration gradation in the streams of droplets comprising mixtures of liquids of different viscosities. The devices preserve the required distribution of compositions, while allowing the volume of the droplets to be tuned over almost two orders of magnitude (i.e. between 3 and 80 nL).

Microfluidics, Generation of gradients, Droplet, Viscosity

We introduce a novel type of droplet generator that produces droplets of a volume set by the geometry of the droplet generator and not by the flow rates of the liquids. The generator consists of a classic T-junction with a bypass channel. This bypass directs the continuous fluid around the forming droplets, so that they can fill the space between the inlet of the dispersed phase and the exit of the bypass without breaking. Once filled, the dispersed phase blocks the exit of the bypass and is squeezed by the continuous fluid and broken off from the junction. We demonstrate the fixed-volume droplet generator for (i) the formation of monodisperse droplets from a source of varying flow rates, (ii) the formation of monodisperse droplets containing a gradation of solute concentration, and (iii) the parallel production of monodisperse droplets.

droplet generator, droplets, microfluidics

Even at moderate values of Reynolds number [e.g., Re=O(1) ] a curved interface between liquids can induce an abrupt transition between topologically different configurations of laminar flow. Here we show for the first time direct evidence of a sharp transition in the speed of flow of a droplet upon a small increase of the value of the capillary number above a threshold and the associated change of topology of flow. The quantitative results on the dependence of the threshold capillary number on the contrast of viscosities and on the direction of transition cannot be explained by any of the existing theories and call for a new description.

speed of droplets, microfluidics, droplets

Microfluidic droplet-on-demand systems allow the controllable construction of multiple droplets of previously unattainable morphologies. Guided by the diagrams of the possible topologies of double droplets we investigate in detail the vistas to control the morphology of Janus droplets. We also explore and control new morphologies of multiple Janus droplets, i.e., arbitrarily long chains of alternating immiscible segments. Theoretical calculations together with the control offered by the use of automation allow the design of both the topology and the geometry (e.g. curvatures of the interfaces) of the multiple droplets. The ability to rationally design convex–convex, convex–concave and concave–convex segments may be useful in material science, while the ability to tune the distances between the interfaces in the chains of droplets may have applications in designing artificial biochemical signalling networks.

multiple droplets, microfluidics

The analysis of the TEM images of indium tin oxide (ITO) clusters in ink solutions deposited from ink dispersions reveals that their geometry arises from a diffusion limited cluster aggregation (DLCA) process. We model films of ITO clusters as built through deposition of DLCA clusters made of primary spherical nanoparticles of 13 nm in diameter.
The deposition is then followed by a further compactification process that imitates sintering. We determine the conductivity of the sintered films by mapping the problem to that of the resistor network in which the contact regions between the touching spheres provide the dominant electric resistance. For a given volume fraction, conductivity of the sintered films is shown to be larger than that for the randomly packed spheres. However, the larger a typical radius of gyration of the clusters the smaller the enhancement. We also provide numerical tests for the routines used in the interpretation of the TEM images.

cluster aggregation, ITO

In this report, experiments mimicking some aspects of cloud-clear-air mixing in a laboratory chamber are discussed. A saturated plume containing small droplets of water (a surrogate of an atmospheric cloud) is mixed with unsaturated environmental air in order to study effect of evaporative cooling at the interfaces between cloudy and clear air filaments on small-scale turbulence. Two components of the turbulent velocity at a small scale are determined using particle imaging velocimetry of the cloud droplets. Enhanced velocity fluctuations between the Kolmogorov (η ≈ 0.8 mm) and Taylor (λ ≈ 8 mm) microscales are observed.
The characteristic feature of these microscales is anisotropy with a preferred vertical direction. A straightforward dependence of the observed effects on the relative humidity of the environment indicates the importance of buoyancy production by evaporative cooling. This conclusion is in agreement with previous numerical experiments described in the literature and suggests that, under certain conditions, effects similar to the above may influence the smallest scales of turbulence in natural clouds.

Small-scale turbulence, Atmospheric turbulence, Evaporative cooling, Cloud-clear-air mixing

Oscillations of the input rates of flow have a significant impact on the dynamics of formation of droplets in microfluidic systems and on the quality of generated emulsions.

microfluidics, T-junction, droplet generation, syringe pump

We report a microfluidic technique for high-throughput generation of droplets of nanolitre volume in parallel channels with online control of the volumes, volume fraction and distribution of droplet volumes with the use of two external valves.

microfluidics, droplet generation, droplets

Droplet microfluidic techniques offer an attractive compromise between the throughput (of i.e. reactions per second) and the number of input/output controls needed to control them. Reduction of the number of controls follows from the confinement to essentially one-dimensional flow of slugs in channels which—in turn—relies heavily on the speed of flow of droplets. This speed is a complicated function of numerous parameters, including the volume of droplets (or length L of slugs), their viscosity μd, viscosity μc and rate of flow of the continuous phase, interfacial tension and geometry of the cross-section of the channel. Systematic screens of the impact of these parameters on the speed of droplets remain an open challenge. Here we detail an automated system that screens the speeds of individual droplets at a rate of up to 2000 experiments per hour, with high precision and without human intervention. The results of measurements in channels of square cross-section (of width w = 360 μm) for four different values of the contrast of viscosities λ = μd/μc = 0.3, 1, 3, and 33, wide ranges of values of the capillary number Ca ∈ (10−4, 10−1), and wide ranges of lengths of droplets l = L/w ∈ (0.8, 30) show that the speed of droplets depends significantly both on l and on λ. The dependence on Ca is very strong for λ > 1, while it is less important both for λ ≤ 1 and for λ ≫ 1.

microfluidics, capillary flow, droplets

Electrostatic forces are the strongest interactions in soft matter physics, yet they are usually screened by ions present in the solutions. Here we demonstrate that the extent of ionic polarization of liquid-liquid interfaces can be dynamically controlled via appropriate choice of the strength and frequency of the external electric field. Results of microfluidic experiments on electro-coalescence of droplets of aqueous solutions of salt provide guidelines for optimization of the process.

electro-coalescence, droplets, microfluidics

We demonstrate a new droplet on demand (DOD) technique and an integrated system for scanning of arbitrary combinations of 3 miscible solutions in ∼1.5 μL droplets at 3 Hz. The DOD system uses standard electromagnetic valves that are external to the microfluidic chip. This feature makes up for modularity, simplicity of assembly and compatibility with virtually any microfluidic chip and yields an on-chip footprint of less than 1 mm2. A novel protocol for formation of DOD enables generation of an arbitrarily large range of volumes of droplets at a maximum operational frequency of ∼30 Hz. The integrated system that we demonstrate can be used to scan up to 10000 conditions of chemical and biochemical reactions per hour using ∼10 mL of solutions in total.

microfluidics, automation, droplet on demand, droplet

Small-scale mixing between cloudy air and unsaturated clear air is investigated in numerical simulations and in a laboratory cloud chamber. Despite substantial differences in physical conditions and some differences in resolved scales of motion, results of both studies indicate that small-scale turbulence generated through cloud–clear air interfacial mixing is highly anisotropic. For velocity fluctuations, numerical simulations and cloud chamber observations demonstrate that the vertical velocity variance is up to a factor of two larger than the horizontal velocity variance. The Taylor microscales calculated separately for the horizontal and vertical directions also indicate anisotropy of turbulent eddies. This anisotropy is attributed to production of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) by buoyancy forces due to evaporative cooling of cloud droplets at the cloud–clear air interface. Numerical simulations quantify the effects of buoyancy oscillations relative to the values expected from adiabatic and isobaric mixing, standardly assumed in cloud physics. The buoyancy oscillations result from microscale transport of liquid water due to the gravitational sedimentation of cloud droplets. In the particular modeling setup considered here, these oscillations contribute to about a fifth of the total TKE production.

laboratory cloud formation, TKE of cloud air, microscale cloud turbulence

mikroprzepływy, eksperymentalna mechanika płynów

Turbulent flow of water in an 1 mm long and 0.4 mm high gap of an emulsifier is investigated experimentally using micro-PIV technique and compared with numerical predictions. The purpose of the investigations is to develop a procedure for well-controlled generation of mono-disperse suspension of micro-droplets. The micro-flow measurements are based on epi-fluorescence illumination and high-speed imaging. The experimental data are compared with the numerical results obtained using direct simulation and turbulent flow model. From the turbulent modelling (k−ε) was found that, the maximum of turbulent energy dissipation rate takes place mainly in the micro-channel gap. However, measured and directly simulated (DNS) velocity fields indicate that flow turbulization is delayed and develops shortly behind the gap. Experimental and numerical results are used to predict droplet dimension of two different oil emulsions. Very low amount of oil-phase fraction in investigated emulsions justifies us to use flow characteristics evaluated for pure water to predict mean diameter of oil droplets. These predictions are validated using experimental data on statistics of droplets size.

Micro-flow, Micro-PIV, Particle Image Velocimetry, Turbulence, Micro-channel, Emulsion

Cloudy air, containing small water droplets, undergoes mixing with the unsaturated environment inside the cloud chamber in the process resembling smallest scales of entrainment and mixing in real clouds. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) applied to images from the chamber interior is used to investigate dynamics of the process in scales from 1.2 mm to few centimeters. A special algorithm, allowing for investigation of droplets motion, is developed, tested and adapted to the experimental data. Two velocity components retrieved in the vertical cross-section through the chamber interior indicate anisotropy of small-scale turbulent motions, with the preferred vertical direction. This result confirms earlier numerical studies, indicating that evaporation of cloud droplets at the cloud – clear air interface may substantially influence the small-scale turbulence in clouds.

Atmospheric turbulence, Turbulence in clouds, Small-scale turbulence, Laboratory investigations of atmospheric turbulence, Particle Image Velocimetry

small-scale turbulence, cloud, cloud droplets, evaporation

he Institute of Fundamental Technological Research's Microfluidic Laboratory
is focused on enhancing the accuracy and practical use of microfluidic methods for chemical
and biological studies, as well as creating tailored microfluidic instruments to address
specific biological research needs. In this document, we present a few of our latest projects.

Micro-, Nano- and Bio-flows, Multi-phase Flows, Droplets

droplet, microfluidics, flow-focusing

microfluidics, droplets

microfluidics, lab on a chip, droplets, T-junction

Techniques operating on droplets and treating them as single reactors are very promising due to their advantage: i) lack of dispersion, ii) fast mixing, iii) superior control on kinetics of reactions, iv) easy to paralelization v) small volume The challenge is to control the size and the content of each droplet simultaneously.
We present concept of microfluidic modules that taking advantage of the capillary back pressure allow to trap, dose and realize precise portion of liquid. The precision is encrypted in the geometry of the device and large mismatch of shear stresses and capillary forces. This mismatch guaranties reproducibility over a wide range of rates of flow that need not be controlled precisely. We also demonstrate that these modules allow to built systems that perform complicated protocols precisely while nor precise control.

microfluidics, droplets