METHOD FOR OPTIMIZATION OF DROPLET FORMATION RATE USING DRIPPING/JETTING TO CO-FLOW TRANSITION OF VACUUM-DRIVEN MICROFLUIDIC FLOW-FOCUSING DEVICE WITH RECTANGULAR MICROCHANNELS

摘要

Microfluidics is becoming a more popular mainstream technology across many multidisciplinary fields for its clinical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological applications. As such, more convenient methods of droplet dispersion are desired such as a vacuum-driven system. Regardless of the simplicity of the setup, every operating parameter must be carefully selected and engineered to suit the needs of each experiment. The present invention reports a method for optimization of droplet formation rates for microfluidic flow-focusing devices with rectangular microchannels. More specifically, the method uses the effects of channel dimensions on droplet formation and dripping/jetting to co-flow transitions of two-phase, flow-focusing devices at different pressures for vacuum-driven systems to target a certain desired rate that maximizes intended output.