EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ON THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN LIQUIDS AND STRUCTURES TO PASSIVELY CONTROL THE SURFACE-DRIVEN CAPILLARY FLOW IN MICROFLUIDIC LAB-ON-A-CHIP SYSTEMS TO SEPARATE THE MICROPARTICLES FOR BIOENGINEERING APPLICATIONS

Abstract

In this research paper, total 246 individual microfluidic devices have been fabricated by maskless lithography, hot embossing lithography and direct bonding technique. The effect of surface area to volume ratio on the surface-driven capillary flow of different liquids has been experimentally investigated in these microfluidic devices fabricated by polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Also, the individual effects of liquid viscosity and surface wettability on the surface-driven capillary flow of different liquids are experimentally investigated. The polystyrene particles of 10[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m diameters have been separated from the aqueous microparticle suspensions in the microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems with 100% separation efficiency. Also, the polystyrene particles of 5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m diameters have been separated from a different set of aqueous microparticle suspensions in the microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems with 100% separation efficiency. The individual designs of the microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems are a novel approach in this research paper. The effect of surface area to volume ratio on the separation time is experimentally investigated as another novel approach of this research paper.