Passive regulation of volume-flow ratio for microfluidic streams with different hydrophilicity and viscosity.
Biochemical solutions have a wide range of hydrophilicity (contact angle and surface tension) and viscosity. A critical challenge is that microfluidic systems typically need expensive or complex pumps to control the various parallel biochemical streams. In this study, without using any pumps, we present a simple scheme that controls the ratio of the volumetric flow rate (VFR) of the parallel streams that have highly different hydrophilicity and viscosity. We accomplish this process by using capillarity to drive and merge two streams, and by regulating relative flow resistance to control the VFR ratio. Our results will significantly simplify the control of the VFR ratio for the various biochemical solutions that are used in microfluidic applications.
Kim
Sung-Jin
SJ
BioMEMS Group, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea.
Lim
Yong Taik
YT
Yang
Haesik
H
Kim
Kyuwon
K
Kim
Youn Tae
YT
D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry*; D014783:Viscosity
D012996:Solutions