Korean Chemical Engineering Research

The Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers (한국화학공학회)
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Enhancing Production Rate of Emulsion via Parallelization of Flow-Focusing Generators

유동-집속 생성기의 병렬화를 통한 에멀젼 생산속도 향상

  • Jeong, Heon-Ho (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Chonnam National University)
  • 정헌호 (전남대학교 화공생명공학과)
  • Received : 2018.07.10
  • Accepted : 2018.08.31
  • Published : 2018.10.01
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Abstract

Droplet-based microfluidic device has led to transformational new approaches in various applications including materials synthesis and high-throughput screening. However, efforts are required to enhance the production rate to industrial scale because of low production rate in a single droplet generator. In here, we present a method for enhancing production rate of monodisperse droplets via parallelization of flow-focusing generators. For this, we fabricated a three-dimensional monolithic elastomer device (3D MED) that has the 3D channel structures in a single layer, using a double-sided imprinting method. We demonstrated that the production rate of monodisperse droplet is increased by controlling the flow rate of continuous and dispersed phases in 3D MED with 8 droplet generators. Thus, we anticipate that this microfluidic system will be used in wide area including microparticle synthesis and screening system via encapsulation of various materials and cells in monodisperse droplets.

액적-기반 미세유체장치는 물질 합성 및 초고속 대용량 스크리닝 등 다양한 응용분야에서 변형 가능한 새로운 접근법을 이끌어 냈다. 그러나 단일의 액적생성기를 이용한 액적의 생성 속도가 매우 낮기 때문에 이를 상용화 하기 위해서는 생산속도를 높이기 위한 노력이 필요하다. 본 연구는 단일의 유동-집속 생성기를 병렬로 연결하여 단분산성 액적의 생성 속도를 높이는 방법에 관한 것이다. 이러한 액적생성기를 갖는 미세유체장치를 제작하기 위해 본 연구에서는 양면 임프린팅 방법을 이용하여 단층 엘라스토머 조각에3차원의 마이크로 채널을 갖는 3D 모놀리식 탄성중합체 장치(monolithic elastomer device, 3D MED)를 제작 할 수 있다. 이렇게 제작된 8개의 액적생성기가 연결된 3D MED를 이용하여 연속상과 분산상의 유체를 조절하여 단분산성 액적의 형성속도가 향상되었음을 증명하였다. 따라서 본 미세유체시스템을 사용하여 다양한 재료 또는 세포들을 함유하는 단분산성 액적을 형성하여 마이크로입자 제조 및 스크리닝 시스템과 같은 넓은 분야에 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Keywords

References

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