Active Micromixer Research Articles

Mixing enhancement by biologically inspired convection in a micro-chamber using alternating current galvanotactic control of the Tetrahymena pyriformis

Recently, there has been increasing interest in the swimming behavior of microorganisms and biologically inspired micro-robots. In this study, we investigated biologically induced convection flow with living microorganism using galvanotaxis. We fabricated and evaluated our micro-mixer with motile cells. For the cell based active micro-mixers, two miscible fluids were used to measure the mixing index. Under alternating current (AC) electric fields with varying frequency, a group of motile Tetrahymena pyriformis cells generated reciprocal motion with circulating flows around their pathline, enhancing the mixing ratio.

Active Continuous-Flow Micromixer Using an External Braille Pin Actuator Array

We present a continuous-flow active micromixer based on channel-wall deflection in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip for volume flows in the range up to 2 μL s−1 which is intended as a novel unit operation for the microfluidic Braille pin actuated platform. The chip design comprises a main microchannel connected to a series of side channels with dead ends aligned on the Braille pins. Computer-controlled deflection of the side-channel walls induces chaotic advection in the main-channel, which substantially accelerates mixing in low-Reynolds number flow. Sufficient mixing (mixing index MI below 0.1) of volume flows up to 0.5 μL s−1 could be achieved within residence times ~500 ms in the micromixer. As an application, continuous dilution of a yeast cell sample by a ratio down to 1:10 was successfully demonstrated. The mixer is intended to serve as a component of bio-analytical devices or as a unit operation in the microfluidic Braille pin actuated platform.

Active micromixer using electrokinetic effects in the micro/nanochannel junction

We developed a novel active micromixer that uses a driving electrical voltage and combines a microchannel and nanojunction. The microchannel was fabricated using the general soft lithography process with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The nanojunction was created at a specific position on the microchannel by using the breakdown of PDMS due to the application of high electrical voltage. The proposed micromixer efficiently mixed two fluid streams by the combined effects of bulk electro-osmotic flow and vortical flow created by the non-equilibrium electrokinetic effect near the nanojunction. The proposed micromixer achieved up to 90% mixing of the two fluid streams, and could be easily integrated with other microfluidic components due to its planar structure and simple fabrication process.

Study of Active Micromixer Driven by Electrothermal Force

Biochemical applications of microchips often require a rapid mixing of different fluid samples. At the microscale level, fluid flow is usually a highly ordered laminar flow and diffusion is the primary mechanism for mixing owing to the lack of disturbances, yielding inefficiency for practical biochemical analysis. In this work, we design a prototype active micromixer by employing the electrothermal effect. We apply to the flow microchannel a non-uniform AC electric field, which can generate an electrothermal force on the fluid flow and induce vortex pairs for enhancing mixing efficiency. The performance of this active micromixer is studied and compared, under the same mixing quality, with that of a conventional passive micromixer of the same size with obstacles in the flow channel by three-dimensional finite element simulations. The numerical results show that the pressure drop between the inlet and the outlet for the active micromixer is much less than (only 3000th) that for the passive micro-mixer with the same mixing quality. To obtain an optimal mixing quality, we have systematically studied the mixing quality by varying the geometrical arrangements of the electrodes. An almost complete mixing can be obtained using a specific design. Moreover, the temperature increases around the electrodes are lower than 3 K, which does not adversely affect the biochemical analysis. It is suggested that the prototype active micromixer designed is promising and effective and useful for biochemical analysis.

Study of Active Micromixer Driven by Electrothermal Force

Study of Active Micromixer Driven by Electrothermal Force

Millisecond-order rapid micromixing with non-equilibrium electrokinetic phenomena

We report an active micromixer utilizing vortex generation due to non-equilibrium electrokinetics near micro/nanochannel interfaces. Its design is relatively simple, consisting of a U-shaped microchannel and a set of nanochannels. We fabricated the micromixer just using a two-step reactive ion etching process. We observed strong vortex generation in fluorescent microscopy experiments. The mixing performance was evident in a combined pressure-driven and electroosmotic flows, compared with the case with a pure pressure-driven flow. We characterized the micromixer for several conditions: different applied voltages, ion concentrations, flow rates, and nanochannel widths. The experimental results show that the mixing performance is better with a higher applied voltage, a lower ion concentration, and a wider nanochannel width. We quantified the mixing characteristics in terms of mixing time. The lowest mixing time was 2 milliseconds with the voltage of 230 V and potassium chloride solutions of 0.1 mM. We expect that the micromixer is beneficial in several applications requiring rapid mixing.

Optimum design of an active micro-mixer using successive Kriging method

In this microfluidic application, microfluidic analysis of an active micro-mixer with an oscillating stirrer in a straight microchannel was performed. The effects of molecular diffusion and disturbance by the stirrer for mixing were examined. The mixing was simulated using the Lattice Boltzmann method incorporating a D2Q9 model. In this study, a time-averaged mixing index was used to estimate the mixing performance of a time-dependent flow. The results revealed that the mixer, using an oscillating stirrer, was much more enhanced and stabilized. In order to predict an effective mixing index, an optimum design for an active micro-mixer with an oscillating stirrer was performed based on successive Kriging method using optimal Latin hypercube sampling, and genetic algorithm. Parameters for the optimal design were determined to be the reduced frequency, and the length and the rotation angle of the stirrer. Optimal design parameters were determined to be 1.46, 0.8D and ±55.8°, respectively. These parameter values in the optimal design improved the mixing index of the initial design by up to 71.79%.

Nano-engineered living bacterial motors for active microfluidic mixing

Active micromixers with rotating elements are attractive microfluidic actuators in many applications because of their mixing ability at a short distance. However, miniaturising the impeller design poses technical challenges including the fabrication and driving means. As a possible solution inspired by macro magnetic bar-stirrers, this study proposes the use of tethered, rotating bacteria as mixing elements. A tethered cell is a genetically engineered, harmless Escherichia coli (E. coli) attached to a surface by a single, shortened flagellum. The tethered flagellum acts as a pivot around which the entire cell body smoothly rotates. Videomicroscopy, image analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are utilised to demonstrate a proof-of-concept for the micro mixing process. Flow visualisation experiments show that a approximately 3 microm long tethered E. coli rotating at approximately 240 rpm can circulate a 1 microm polystyrene bead in the adjacent area at an average speed of nearly 4 microm/s. The Peclet (Peb) number for the stirred bead is evaluated to approximately 4. CFD simulations show that the rotary motion of a tethered E. coli rotating at 240 rpm can generate fluid velocities, up to 37 microm/s bordering the cell envelop. Based on these simulations, the Strouhal number (St) is calculated to about 2. This hybrid bio-inorganic micromxer could be used as a local, disposable mixer.

Use of a Corrugated Plates Heat Exchanger Reactor for Obtaining Biodiesel with Very High Productivity

A corrugated plates heat exchanger reactor showing very high productivity in the transesterification of soybean oil with methanol, in the presence of a homogeneous alkaline catalyst (KOH, sodium methoxide), has recently been tested. The reactor is a small size corrugated plates heat exchanger having a low distance between the plates of 1.5−2 mm. A surprising behavior has been observed according to which the conversion to biodiesel increases by increasing the overall flow rates. This can be explained by examining the fluid dynamic behavior of the system with a step test, at different flow rates, made on single-phase liquid fluid. The observed experimental data for the higher flow rates can roughly be approximated to a plug flow behavior despite the very low Reynolds numbers. This is due to the intervention of a very active micromixing. In this reactor the local turbulence favors the mixing of two immiscible liquid reactants approaching, in the case of biodiesel production, the chemical regime. In this work we have shown that by using corrugated plates heat exchanger reactors (CP-HEX reactors) of opportune geometry we can largely intensify the process of biodiesel production. The micromixing intensity in these reactors is very high, favoring the contact between immiscible reagents such as methanol and oil. Therefore, the reactor could generally also be used for other liquid−liquid reactions and more advantageously for very exothermic or endothermic reactions for the great efficiency of the plates exchangers in removing or supplying heat to the reaction interspace.

A novel micro-mixer with a quasi-active rotor: fabrication and design improvement

In the present paper, a novel micro-mixer with a quasi-active rotor for micro-plant applications is proposed and design considerations for the improvement of the mixing performance of the proposed micro-mixer are derived. The proposed micro-rotor mixer combines an active micro-mixer with a passive micro-mixer. The micro-rotor, which is a moving part of an active micro-mixer, is added to the micro-chamber of a passive micro-mixer. The micro-rotor was rotated by inflows tangential to the chamber, causing strong perturbations. Two models of the micro-rotor mixer were fabricated with six layers of photosensitive glass which were individually fabricated and thermally bonded together. Improvement in the design of the micro-rotor mixer was achieved after the fabrication and experimental testing of the first model. In the design of the second model, the channel width and the rotor diameter were diminished and the number of rotor blades was increased from four to five. Through these design improvements, the micro-rotor started rotating at a lower Reynolds number; the rotor rotated at Re 1000 in the first model, whereas it did so at Re 200 in the second model. The mixing efficiency values of the micro-mixers were measured using an image analysis method. In the results, the mixing performance was dominated by molecular diffusion in the low Reynolds number region. On the other hand, convection flows such as twisted flows and Coanda flows dominated the mixing performance in the higher Reynolds number region. In the upper Reynolds number region, the micro-rotor was rotated and strong perturbations were induced. The mixing efficiency values of the micro-rotor mixers were found to exceed 90% when the rotor was rotated.

준 능동형 로터를 이용한 마이크로 혼합기의 제작 및 혼합특성

Abstract A micro-mixer with a quasi-active rotor was fabricated, and mixing characteristics were evaluated. The proposed micro-mixer combines an active type micro-mixer with a passive type micro-mixer. The micro-rotor, which is a moving part of an active type micro-mixer, is added in a micro-chamber of a passive type vortex micro-mixer. The rotor rotated by inflows tangent to a chamber, causing strong perturbations. The micro-mixers were fabricated using photosensitive glass. Mixing efficiency of the micro-mixers was measured using an image analysis method. Mixing efficiency and characteristics of the micro-rotor mixer were compared with the vortex micro-mixer without a rotor. Mixing efficiency was reduced as Reynolds number increased at a low Reynolds number due to decrease of residence time. Mixing efficiency at higher Reynolds number, on the other hand, was improved even though residence time decreased since the contact surface between fluids increased by twisted flow. The perturbation induced by rotating rotor at greater than Re 200 improved the efficiency of the rotor mixer.

Au/PPy Actuators for Active Micromixing and Mass Transport Enhancement

This study documents our efforts towards a novel design of an active micromixing device that employs Gold/Polypyrrole (Au/PPy) actuators. The devices were manufactured by the sequential deposition of a polyimide layer, a thermal evaporation of gold, and electrodeposition of PPy layer on top of the gold electrodes. Several types of mixers ranging in size from 10 by 1 mm to 380 by 38 µm were successfully actuated at frequencies up to 3 Hz. Mass transport in the solution was studied in a series of chronoamperometric experiments with a Redox sensor placed in close proximity to the actuators. Differential mass transport effects with and without the actuation of micromixers were recorded for several system configurations. In addition, numerical simulations of a biological surface-microreaction (i.e., DNA hybridization) were carried out. Simulation results indicate that compared to passive diffusion-limited transport active micromixing is capable of increasing reaction rates by 30% for sub-mm size actuators and by 100% for mm-size actuators.

A New Active Micro-Mixing Strategy

An active micro-mixing strategy through forcing the flow by synthetic wall jets is proposed. It is based on the interaction of induced streamwise vortices in a specific way. There is a spanwise shift between two quasi-streamwise vortices in such a way that one of them compresses the wall normal vorticity layer created by the other, leading to the generation of new wall normal vortical structures. The latter are subsequently tilted by the shear to give birth to new small-scale longitudinal active structures that are efficient in mixing. The feasibility of this strategy is shown through direct numerical simulations of high spatial and temporal resolution.

Microfluidic mixing under low frequency vibration

In the laminar flow regime which characterizes the operation of most microfluidic systems, mixing is governed primarily by molecular diffusion. An increase in the interfacial surface between the fluids contained in the system facilitates the mixing process. This can be obtained by active external perturbation, requiring complex systems and complex operation, or passively by clever design over the geometrical constraints. Here, we describe an active micromixer technique based on the excitation of vortices in proximity to sharp corners of junctions, as a result of simple low frequency vibration of the device. Results showing the working principle in both static and fluid through conditions are presented.

AC Electrokinetic Phenomena Generated by Microelectrode Structures

The field of AC electrokinetics is rapidly growing due to its ability to perform dynamic fluid and particle manipulation on the micro- and nano-scale, which is essential for Lab-on-a-Chip applications. AC electrokinetic phenomena use electric fields to generate forces that act on fluids or suspended particles (including those made of dielectric or biological material) and cause them to move in astonishing ways1, 2. Within a single channel, AC electrokinetics can accomplish many essential on-chip operations such as active micro-mixing, particle separation, particle positioning and micro-pattering. A single device may accomplish several of those operations by simply adjusting operating parameters such as frequency or amplitude of the applied voltage. Suitable electric fields can be readily created by micro-electrodes integrated into microchannels. It is clear from the tremendous growth in this field that AC electrokinetics will likely have a profound effect on healthcare diagnostics3-5, environmental monitoring6 and homeland security7. In general, there are three AC Electrokinetic phenomena (AC electroosmosis, dielectrophoresis and AC electrothermal effect) each with unique dependencies on the operating parameters. A change in these operating parameters can cause one phenomena to become dominant over another, thus changing the particle or fluid behavior. It is difficult to predict the behavior of particles and fluids due to the complicated physics that underlie AC electrokinetics. It is the goal of this publication to explain the physics and elucidate particle and fluid behavior. Our analysis also covers how to fabricate the electrode structures that generate them, and how to interpret a wide number of experimental observations using several popular device designs. This video article will help scientists and engineers understand these phenomena and may encourage them to start using AC Electrokinetics in their research.

AC Electrokinetic Phenomena Generated by Microelectrode Structures

The field of AC electrokinetics is rapidly growing due to its ability to perform dynamic fluid and particle manipulation on the micro- and nano-scale, which is essential for Lab-on-a-Chip applications. AC electrokinetic phenomena use electric fields to generate forces that act on fluids or suspended particles (including those made of dielectric or biological material) and cause them to move in astonishing ways. Within a single channel, AC electrokinetics can accomplish many essential on-chip operations such as active micro-mixing, particle separation, particle positioning and micro-pattering. A single device may accomplish several of those operations by simply adjusting operating parameters such as frequency or amplitude of the applied voltage. Suitable electric fields can be readily created by micro-electrodes integrated into microchannels. It is clear from the tremendous growth in this field that AC electrokinetics will likely have a profound effect on healthcare diagnostics, environmental monitoring and homeland security. In general, there are three AC Electrokinetic phenomena (AC electroosmosis, dielectrophoresis and AC electrothermal effect) each with unique dependencies on the operating parameters. A change in these operating parameters can cause one phenomena to become dominant over another, thus changing the particle or fluid behavior. It is difficult to predict the behavior of particles and fluids due to the complicated physics that underlie AC electrokinetics. It is the goal of this publication to explain the physics and elucidate particle and fluid behavior. Our analysis also covers how to fabricate the electrode structures that generate them, and how to interpret a wide number of experimental observations using several popular device designs. This video article will help scientists and engineers understand these phenomena and may encourage them to start using AC Electrokinetics in their research.

Micro flow cytometry utilizing a magnetic bead-based immunoassay for rapid virus detection

The current study presents a new miniature microfluidic flow cytometer integrated with several functional micro-devices capable of viral sample purification and detection by utilizing a magnetic bead-based immunoassay. The magnetic beads were conjugated with specific antibodies, which can recognize and capture target viruses. Another dye-labeled anti-virus antibody was then used to mark the bead-bound virus for the subsequent optical detection. Several essential components were integrated onto a single chip including a sample incubation module, a micro flow cytometry module and an optical detection module. The sample incubation module consisting of pneumatic micropumps and a membrane-type, active micromixer was used for purifying and enriching the target virus-bound magnetic beads with the aid of a permanent magnet. The micro flow cytometry module and the optical detection module were used to perform the functions of virus counting and collection. Experimental results showed that virus samples with a concentration of 10 3 PFU/ml can be automatically detected successfully by the developed system. In addition, the entire diagnosis procedure including sample incubation and virus detection took only about 40 min. Consequently, the proposed micro flow cytometry may provide a powerful platform for rapid diagnosis and future biological applications.

Development of a fully integrated microfluidic system for sensing infectious viral disease

An active micromixer system utilizing the magnetic force was developed and examined for its ability to facilitate the mixing of more than two fluid flows. The mixing performance of the active micromixer was evaluated in aqueous–aqueous systems including dyes for visual observation. A complete analytical microfluidic system was developed by integrating various functional modules into a single chip, thus allowing cell lysis, sample preparation, purification of intracellular molecules, and subsequent analysis. Upon loading the cell samples and lysis solution into the mixing chamber, the integrated microfluidic device allows efficient cell disruption by rotation of a micromagnetic disk and control of mixing time using the Teflon‐coated hydrophobic film as a microvalve. This inflow is followed by separating the cell debris and contaminated proteins from the cell lysate sample using the acrylamide (AAm)‐functionalized SPE. The inflow of partially purified cell lysate sample containing the gold binding polypeptide (GBP)‐fusion protein was bound onto the gold micropatterns by means of its metal binding affinity. The GBP‐fusion method allows immobilization of proteins in bioactive forms onto the gold surface without surface modification suitable for studying antigen–antibody interaction. It was used for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), an infectious viral disease, as an example case.

A State-of-the-Art Review of Mixing in Microfluidic Mixers

Microreaction technology is one of the most innovative and rapid developing fields in chemical engineering, synthesis and process technology. Many expectations toward enhanced product selectivity, yield and purity, improved safety, and access to new products and processes are directed to the microreaction technology. Microfluidic mixer is the most important component in microfluidic devices. Based on various principles, active and passive micromixers have been designed and investigated. This review is focused on the recent developments in microfluidic mixers. An overview of the flow phenomena and mixing characteristics in active and passive micromixers is presented, including the types of physical phenomena and their utilization in micromixers. Due to the simple fabrication technology and the easy implementation in a complex microfluidic system, T-micromixer is highlighted as an example to illustrate the effect of design and operating parameters on mixing efficiency and fluid flow inside microfluidic mixers.

Ultrafast active mixer using polyelectrolytic ion extractor

We report on a low voltage, straight/smooth surface, and efficient active micromixer. The mixing principle is based on alternative ion depletion-enrichment using a pair of positively charged polyelectrolytic gel electrodes (pPGEs), which face each other joined by a microchannel. This system has an external AC signal source electrically connected to the pPGEs via the respective 1 M KCl solutions and Ag/AgCl electrodes. When an electric bias is applied between the two pPGEs, anions are extracted through one of the pPGEs to create a local ion-deficient region. Simultaneously, an ion-rich area appears near the other pPGE due to an inward anionic flux. As the direction of the charge flow is periodically reversed by the AC signal source, the ion depletion-enrichment regions are alternately swapped with each other on the 'push-pull' basis. The turmoil between the pPGEs quickly mixes the solutions in the microchannel without any mechanical moving part or specially machined structures. In the proposed system, both AC frequency and current density can be easily and finely controlled so that one can quickly find the optimal conditions for a given sample. The micromixer as made showed a mixing efficiency higher than 90% for sample solutions of 1 mM Rhodamine 6G and PBS at pH 7.4 when the flow rate was under 6 mm s(-1). In addition to the solution-solution mixing, the micromixer can effectively mix suspended microparticles with solution. As a representative example, rapid and efficient lysis of human red blood cells was demonstrated allowing minimal damage of the white blood cells.