Login (DCU Staff Only)
Login (DCU Staff Only)

DORAS | DCU Research Repository

Explore open access research and scholarly works from DCU

Advanced Search

Siphon-induced droplet break-off for enhanced mixing on a centrifugal platform

Burger, Robert, Kinahan, David J. orcid logoORCID: 0000-0003-1968-2016, Cayron, Hélène, Reis, Nuno orcid logoORCID: 0000-0001-7500-8910, Fonseca, João and Ducrée, Jens orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-0366-1897 (2019) Siphon-induced droplet break-off for enhanced mixing on a centrifugal platform. Inventions, 5 (1). ISSN 2411-5134

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 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.
Metadata
Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:Lab-on-a-Chip; centrifugal microfluidics; Lab-on-a-Disc; mixing; siphon valves
Subjects:UNSPECIFIED
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Engineering and Computing > School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science and Health > School of Physical Sciences
Research Initiatives and Centres > Advanced Processing Technology Research Centre (APTRC)
Research Initiatives and Centres > Water Institute
Research Initiatives and Centres > Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (BDI)
Publisher:MDPI
Official URL:https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/inventions5010001
Copyright Information:© 2019 The Authors. Open Access (CC BY 4.0)
ID Code:27464
Deposited On:02 Aug 2022 11:52 by Thomas Murtagh . Last Modified 02 Aug 2022 11:52
Documents

Full text available as:

[thumbnail of inventions-05-00001-v2.pdf]
Preview
PDF - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
3MB
Downloads

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Archive Staff Only: edit this record