Abstract
We report a microfluidic droplet generator which can produce single and compound droplets using a 3D axisymmetric co-flow structure. The design considered for the fabrication of the device integrated a user-friendly and cost-effective 3D printing process. To verify the performance of the device, single and compound emulsions of deionized water and mineral oil were generated and their features such as size, generation frequency, and emulsion structures were successfully characterized. In addition, the generation of bio emulsions such as alginate and collagen aqueous droplets in mineral oil was demonstrated in this study. Overall, the monolithic 3D printed axisymmetric droplet generator could offer any user an accessible and easy-to-utilize device for the generation of single and compound emulsions.
Highlights
In recent years, emulsions generated in microfluidics have been exploited extensively in different areas including single-cell analysis [1,2], drug discovery [3,4], therapeutic agent delivery [5], medical diagnostics [6,7], the food industry [8], and nano- and microscale particle synthesis [9–12]
While many general applications of droplets require droplets within the size of 100 μm [16,17], in special applications, such as high-energy-density physics [18], or the fabrication of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets [19], the need for the production of thin-walled droplets with diameters measured in millimeters is playing a significant role
Investigate and measure the considered size of the emulsions, we collected them a phase flowTo rates on the droplet size, we three different flow rates forinthe glass beaker that was with the continuous phase fluid
Summary
Emulsions generated in microfluidics have been exploited extensively in different areas including single-cell analysis [1,2], drug discovery [3,4], therapeutic agent delivery [5], medical diagnostics [6,7], the food industry [8], and nano- and microscale particle synthesis [9–12]. Emulsions can play a significant role in the emerging field of opto-microfluidics. The softness of the droplet surfaces offers a unique structure for trapping light into a so-called Whispering Gallery Mode (WGM) [13,14]. In such a mode, the droplets serve as soft resonators, exhibiting unique optomechanical properties [15]. While many general applications of droplets require droplets within the size of 100 μm [16,17], in special applications, such as high-energy-density physics [18], or the fabrication of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets [19], the need for the production of thin-walled droplets with diameters measured in millimeters is playing a significant role. The generation of single or compound droplets with millimeter-scale diameters is important in various applications
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