• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 한국진공학회 2013년도 제45회 하계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.274.2-274.2
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• 2013

We described a simple and efficient fabrication method for generating microfluidic channels with a circular-cross sectional geometry by exploiting the reflow phenomenon of a thick positive photoresist. Initial rectangular shaped positive photoresist micropatterns on a silicon wafer, which were fabricated by a conventional photolithography process, were converted into a half-circular shape by tuning the temperature to around $105^{\circ}C$. Through optimization of the reflow conditions, we could obtain a perfect circular micropattern of the positive photoresist, and control the diameter in a range from 100 to 400 ${\mu}m$. The resultant convex half-circular photoresist was used as a template for fabricating a concave polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) through a replica molding process, and a circular PDMS microchannel was produced by bonding two half-circular PDMS layers. A variety of channel dimensions and patterns can be easily prepared, including straight, S-curve, X-, Y-, and T-shapes to mimic an in vivo vascular network. To inform an endothelial cell layer, we cultured primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) inside circular PDMS microchannels, and demonstrated successful cell adhesion, proliferation, and alignment along the channel.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 한국진공학회 2013년도 제45회 하계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.274.1-274.1
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• 2013

We report the circumferential alignment of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) in an orthogonally micropatterned circular microfluidic channel to form an in vivo-like smooth muscle cell layer. To realize a biomimetic smooth muscle cell layer which is aligned perpendicular to the axis of blood vessel, we first fabricated a half-circular polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel by soft lithography using a convex PDMS mold. The orthogonally micro wrinkle patterns were generated inside the half-circular microchannel by stretching-releasing operation under UV irradiation. Upon UV treatment with uniaxial 40 % stretch of a PDMS substrate and releasing process, the microwrinkle patterns perpendicular to the axial direction of the circular microchannel were generated, which could guide the circumferential alignment of HASMCs successfully during cultivation. The analysis of orientation angle, shape index, and contractile protein marker expression indicates that the cultured HASMCs revealed the in vivo-like cell phenotype. Finally, we produced circular microchannels by bonding two half-circular microchannels, and cultured the HASMCs circumferentially with high alignment and viability for 5 days. These results are the first demonstration for constructing an in vivo-like 3D smooth muscle cell layer in the circular microfluidic channel which can provide novel bioassay platforms for in-depth study of HASMC biology and vascular function.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.710-716
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• 2006

Micro-PIV system with a high speed CCD camera is used to measure the flow field near the advancing meniscus of a water slug in microchannels. Image shifting technique combined with meniscus detecting technique is proposed to measure the relative velocity of the liquid near the meniscus in a moving reference frame. The proposed method is applied to an advancing front of a slug in microchannels with rectangular cross section. In the case of hydrophilic channel, strong flow from the center to the side wall along the meniscus occurs, while in the case of the hydrophobic channel, the fluid flows in the opposite direction. Further, the velocity near the side wall is higher than the center region velocity, exhibiting the characteristics of a strong shear-driven flow. This phenomenon is explained to be due to the existence of small gaps between the slug and the channel wall at each capillary corner so that the gas flows through the gaps inducing high shear on the slug surface. Simulation of the shape of a static droplet inside a cubic cell obtained by using the Surface Evolver program is supportive of the existence of the gap at the rectangular capillary corners. The flow fields in the circular capillary, in which no such gap exists, are also measured. The results show that a similar flow pattern to that of the hydrophilic rectangular capillary (i.e., center-to-wall flow) is always exhibited regardless of the wettability of the channel wall, which is also indicative of the validity of the above-mentioned assertion.

• 한국가시화정보학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국가시화정보학회 2005년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.85-88
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• 2005

Experimental study has been conducted to evaluate characteristics of particle laden flows at the ratio of channel diameter to particle diameter (B = 14.9, 21.6 and 55). Particle velocities and radial concentrations are obtained using a microscope Nd:YAG laser and cooled CCD camera. Results show that there are relative velocities between the fluid and the particles at B = 14.9. It is also observed that the particles are accumulated at r=$0.5\∼0.82R$, with R being tile tube radius, and particle migration occurs at small Reynolds number, by comparing with the results obtained in macro scale. This gives optimal factors for designing microfluidic channels for cell or Particle separation, particle focusing, and so on.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.69-77
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• 2011

A peristaltic micropump with lightweight piezo-composite actuator (LIPCA) membrane valves is presented. The micropump contained three cylinder chambers that were connected by microchannels and two active membrane valves. A circular miniature LIPCA was developed and manufactured to be used as actuating diaphragms. The LIPCA diaphragm acted as an active membrane valve that alternate between open and closed positions at the inlet and outlet in order to produce high pumping pressure. In this LIPCA, a lead zirconium titanate ceramic with a thickness of 0.1 mm was used as an active layer. The results confirmed that the actuator produced a large out-of-plane deflection. During the design process, a coupled field analysis was conducted in order to predict the actuating behavior of the LIPCA diaphragm; the behavior of the actuator was investigated from both a theoretical and experimental perspective. The active membrane valve concept was introduced as a means for increasing pumping pressure, and microelectromechanical system techniques were used to fabricate the peristaltic micropump. The pumping performance was analyzed experimentally in terms of the flow rate, pumping pressure and power consumption.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• 제33권12호
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• pp.939-946
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• 2009

Wettability is a critical parameter in micro-scale two-phase system. Several previous results indicate that wettability has influential affect on two-phase flow pattern in a microchannel. However, previous studies conducted using circular microtube, which was made by conventional fabrication techniques. Although most applications for micro thermal hydraulic system has used a rectangular microchannel, data for the rectangular microchannel is totally lack. In this study, a hydrophilic rectangular microchannel was fabricated using a photosensitive glass. And a hydrophobic rectangular microchannel was prepared using silanization of glass surfaces with OTS (octa-dethyl-trichloro-siliane). Experiments of two-phase flow in the hydrophilic and the hydrophobic rectangular microchannels were conducted using water and nitrogen gas. Visualization of twophase flow pattern was carried out using a high-speed camera and a long distance microscope. Visualization results show that the wettability was important for two-phase flow pattern in rectangular microchannel. In addition, two-phase frictional pressure drop was highly related with flow patterns. Finally, Two-phase frictional pressure drop was analyzed with flow patterns.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.320-329
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• 2007

Electrokinesis and dielectrophoresis are important transport phenomena produced by external electric field applied to a microchannel containing a conductive fluid. We developed a CFD code to predict electrokinetic and dielectrophoretic flows in a microchannel with a uniform circular post array. Using the code, we calculated particle velocities driven by electrokinesis and dielectrophoresis, and conducted Monte Carlo simulations to visualize the particle motions. The code was validated by comparing the results with those from previous studies in literature. At a low electric field, electrokinesis and diffusion is the dominant transport mechanism. At a moderate electric field, dielectrophoresis is balanced with electrokinesis and diffusion, resulting in flowing filaments of particles in the microchannels. However, dielectrophoresis overwhelms the flow at a high electric field and traps particles locally. These results provide useful insight for optimizing design parameters of a microfluidic chip for biochemical analysis, especially for development of on-chip sample pretreatment techniques using electrokinetic and dielectrophoretic effects.