• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.106-112
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• 2021

Thermoplastic microfluidic devices are used in BioMEMS for medical and biotechnology applications, such as gene extraction, DNA analysis, and virus detection. In this research, a simple fabrication protocol with a commercially available pneumatic hot press is proposed and demonstrated for polycarbonate microfluidic devices. Microfluidic channels with a width of 200 ㎛ and a height of 10 ㎛ were designed and machined onto a brass plate as a mold insert using a CNC milling machine. The resulting microfluidic channels on the mold insert were assessed and found to have an actual width of 198 ㎛ and a height of 10 ± 0.25 ㎛. The microfluidic channels were replicated on a polycarbonate sheet using the proposed replication technique at 146℃ for 20 minutes under a constant load of 2400 kgf. The devices were then naturally cooled to 100℃ while maintaining the same pressure. It was found that the microchannels were successfully replicated in the polycarbonate, with a width of 198 ㎛ and a height of 10.07 ㎛. The proposed replication technique thus offers the rapid mass production of high-quality microfluidic devices at a low cost with a process that, unlike conventional photolithography systems, does not require expensive equipment.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.568-572
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• 2009

We present a ternary microfluidic multiplexer unit, capable to address three flow channels using a pair of control lines with two different threshold pressure valves. The previous binary multiplexer unit addresses only two flow channels using a pair of control line with identical threshold pressure valves, thus addressing $2^{n/2}$ flow channels using n control lines. The present ternary multiplexer addressing three flow channels using a pair of control lines, however, is capable to address $3^{n/2}$ flow channels using n control lines with two different threshold pressure valves. In the experimental study, we characterized the threshold pressure and the response time of the valves used in the ternary multiplexer. From the experimental observation, we also verified that the present ternary multiplexer unit could be operated by two equivalent valve operating conditions: the different static pressures and dynamic pressures at different duty ratio. And then, $3{\times}3$ well array stacking ternary multiplexers in serial is addressed in cross and plus patterns, thus demonstrating the individual flow channel addressing capability of the ternary multiplexer. Thus, the present ternary multiplexer reduces the number of control lines for addressing flow channels, achieving the high well control efficiency required for simple and compact microfluidic systems.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.73-78
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• 2002

Microfluidic lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems have enabled a new generation ofassay technologies in chemical and biomedical sciences. Caliper's microfluidic LOC systems contain a network of microscopic channels through which fluids and chemical are moved in order to perform experiments. The main advantages of these continuous-flow devices are integration and automation of multiple steps in complex analytical procedures to improve the reproducibility of the results, and eliminated the manual labor, time and pipetting errors involved in analyses. The present talk is devoted to give a brief introduction of microfluidic basics and to present in applying continuous-flow microchips to drug screening with model enzyme assays.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.342-347
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• 2022

In-situ analyzation and detection of real-time chemical reactions can be a significant part in interpreting the underlying mechanism in very reactive chemical reactions. To do this, first we have designed a microfluidic device (MFD) pattern for observation of synthesis of hierarchical nanostructures based on graphene oxide (GO), conjugating the well-known coupling reaction by which the solution of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC)-mediated coupling is enhanced in the presence of n-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) to make amide bonding, hereafter called as the EDC coupling. Then, we have manufactured microfluidic devices with multiple tens of micrometer-sized channels that can circulate those nanomaterials to be chemically reacted in the channels. These microfluidic devices were made by negative photo lithography and soft lithography. We showed the possibility of using Raman spectroscopy to reveal the basic mechanism of the energy storage applications.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.240-245
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• 2003

The use of microfabricated microfluidic devices offers significant advantages over current technologies including fast analysis time and small reagent requirements. In the context of proteomic research, the possibility of using affinity-based separations for prefractionation of samples using microfluidic devices has significant potential. We demonstrate the use of microscale devices to achieve affinity separations of proteins using a device fabricated from borosilicate glass wafers. Photolithography and wet etching are used to pattern individual glass wafers and the wafers are fusion bonded at 650$^{\circ}C$ to obtain enclosed channels. A polymer has been successfully polymerized in situ and used either as a frit for packing beads or, when derivatized with Cibacron Blue 3GA, as a separation matrix. Both of these technologies are based on in situ UV photopolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) in channels.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2003

A new method is introduced to build up organic/organic multilayer films composed of cationic poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and negatively charged poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) using the spinning process. The adsorption process is governed by both the viscous force induced by fast solvent elimination and the electrostatic interaction between oppositely charged species. On the other hand, the centrifugal and air shear forces applied by the spinning process significantly enhances desorption of weakly bound polyelectrolyte chains and also induce the planarization of the adsorbed polyelectrolyte layer. The film thickness per bilayer adsorbed by the conventional dipping process and the spinning process was found to be about 4 ${\AA}$ and 24 ${\AA}$, respectively. The surface of the multilayer films prepared with the spinning process is quite homogeneous and smooth. Also, a new approach to create multilayer ultrathin films with well-defined micropatterns in a short process time is Introduced. To achieve such micropatterns with high line resolution in organic multilayer films, microfluidic channels were combined with the convective self-assembly process employing both hydrogen bonding and electrostatic intermolecular interactions. The channels were initially filled with polymer solution by capillary pressure and the residual solution was then removed by the .spinning process.

• BioChip Journal
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.257-267
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• 2018

Inertial microfluidics has attracted significant attention in recent years due to its superior benefits of high throughput, precise control, simplicity, and low cost. Many inertial microfluidic applications have been demonstrated for physiological sample processing, clinical diagnostics, and environmental monitoring and cleanup. In this review, we discuss the fundamental mechanisms and principles of inertial migration and Dean flow, which are the basis of inertial microfluidics, and provide basic scaling laws for designing the inertial microfluidic devices. This will allow end-users with diverse backgrounds to more easily take advantage of the inertial microfluidic technologies in a wide range of applications. A variety of recent applications are also classified according to the structure of the microchannel: straight channels and curved channels. Finally, several future perspectives of employing fluid inertia in microfluidic-based cell sorting are discussed. Inertial microfluidics is still expected to be promising in the near future with more novel designs using various shapes of cross section, sheath flows with different viscosities, or technologies that target micron and submicron bioparticles.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.280-284
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• 2023

In this study, a prototype micro-scale photomask and microfluidic channel mold were fabricated using the thermal shrinkage of the polymer. A polystyrene (PS) sheet was used as the heat-shrink polymer, and the patterns of the photomask and microchannel are interdigitated electrodes. Patterns were formed on the PS sheets using a commercial laser printer. The contraction ratio of the PS sheet was approximately 60% at a temperature of 150 ℃, and the transmittance was reduced by approximately 0% at a wavelength of 365 nm. The microfluidic channel had a round shape. The proposed technique is simple, facile, and inexpensive for fabricating a micro-scale photomask and microfluidic channel mold and does not involve the use of any harmful materials. Thus, this technique is well-suited for fabricating diverse micro-scale patterns and channels for prototype devices, including sensors.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.865-884
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• 2016

We have previously demonstrated a microfluidic elastomer, which changes apparent color and could have potential applications in smart windows. The practical use of such functional microfluidic systems requires rapid and uniform fluid displacement throughout the channel network with minimal amount of liquid supply. The goal of this simulation study is to design various microfluidic networks for similar applications including, but not limited to, the color-switching windows and compare the liquid displacement speed and efficiency of the designs. We numerically simulate and analyze the liquid displacement in the microfluidic networks with serpentine, parallel and lattice channel configurations, as well as their modified versions with wide or tapered distributor and collector channels. The data are analyzed on the basis of numerical criteria defined to evaluate the performance of the corresponding functional systems. We found that the lattice channel network geometry with the tapered distributors and collectors provides most rapid and uniform fluid displacement with minimum liquid waste. The simulation results could give an important guideline for efficient liquid supply/displacement in emerging functional systems with embedded microfluidic networks.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06c
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• pp.47-52
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• 2001

Micro-injection molding and microfluidic devices with the help of MEMS technologies including the LIGA process are expected to play important roles in. micro-system industries, in particular the bioapplication industry, in the near future. Understanding fluid flows in micro-channels is important since micro-channels are typical geometry in various microfluidic devices and mold inserts for micro-injection molding. In the present study, both experimental and numerical studies have been carried out to understand the detailed flow phenomena in micro-channel filling process. Three sets of micro-channels of different thickness were fabricated and a flow visualization system was also developed to observe the filling flow into the micro-channels. Experimental flow observations were extensively made to find the effects of channel width and thickness, and effects of surface tension and volume flow rate and so on. And a numerical analysis system has been developed to simulate the filling flow into micro-channels with the surface tension effect taken into account. Discussed are the flow visualization experimental observations along with the predictability of the numerical analysis system.