• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 2016

In this paper, a novel flexible microfluidic metamaterial absorber is proposed for remote chemical sensor applications. The proposed metamaterial absorber consists of a periodic of split-ring-cross resonators(SRCRs) and a microfluidic channel. The SRCR patterns are inkjet-printed using silver nanoparticle inks on paper. The microfluidic channels are laser-etched on polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) material. The proposed absorber can detect change of the effective permittivity at different liquids. Therefore, the absorber can be used for a remote chemical sensor by detecting change of the resonant frequencies. The performance of the proposed absorber is demonstrated with full-wave simulation and measurement results. The experimental results shows that the resonant frequency is 10.49 GHz at the empty channel. When ethanol and DI-water are injected into the channel, the resonant frequencies are 10.04 GHz and 8.9 GHz, respectively.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2022

Microfluidic radioimmunoassay (RIA) platform called µ-RIA spends less reagent and shorter reaction time for the analysis compared to the conventional tube-based radioimmunoassay. This study reported the design of µ-RIA chips optimized for the gamma counter which could measure the small samples of radioactive materials automatically. Compared with the previous study, the µ-RIA chips developed in this study were designed to be compatible with conventional RIA test tubes. And, the automatic gamma counter could detect radioactivity from the ¹²⁵I labeled anti-PSA attached to the chips. Effects of the multi-layer microchannels and two-phase flow in the µ-RIA chips were investigated in this study. The measured radioactivity from the ¹²⁵I labeled anti-PSA was linearly proportional to the number of stacked chips, representing that the radioactivity in µ-RIA platform could be amplified by designing the chips with multi-layers. In addition, we designed µ-RIA chip to generate liquid-gas plug flow inside the microfluidic channel. The plug flow can promote binding of the biomolecules onto the microfluidic channel surface with recirculation in the liquid phase. The ratio of liquid slug and air slug length was 1 : 1 when the ¹²⁵I labeled anti-PSA and the air were injected at 1 and 35 µL/min, respectively, exhibiting 1.6 times higher biomolecule attachment compared to the microfluidic chip without the air injection. This experimental result indicated that the biomolecular reaction was improved by generating liquid-gas slugs inside the microfluidic channel. In this study, we presented a novel µ-RIA chips that is compatible with the conventional gamma counter with automated sampler. Therefore, high-throughput radioimmunoassay can be carried out by the automatic measurement of radioactivity with reduced radiowaste generation. We expect the µ-RIA platform can successfully replace conventional tube-based radioimmunoassay in the future.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2009

The prediction of pressure drop for a droplet flow in a confined micro channel is presented using FE-FTM (Finite Element - Front Tracking Method). A single droplet is passing through 5:1:5 contraction - straight narrow channel - expansion flow domain. The pressure drop is investigated especially when the droplet flows in the straight narrow channel. We explore the effects of droplet size, capillary number (Ca), viscosity ratio ($\chi$) between droplet and medium, and fluid elasticity represented by the Oldroyd-B constitutive model on the excess pressure drop (${\Delta}p^+$) against single phase flow. The tightly fitted droplets in the narrow channel are mainly considered in the range of $0.001{\leq}Ca{\leq}1$ and $0.01{\leq}{\chi}{\leq}100$. In Newtonian droplet/Newtonian medium, two characteristic features are observed. First, an approximate relation ${\Delta}p^+{\sim}{\chi}$ observed for ${\chi}{\geq}1$. The excess pressure drop necessary for droplet flow is roughly proportional to $\chi$. Second, ${\Delta}p^+$ seems inversely proportional to Ca, which is represented as ${\Delta}p^+{\sim}Ca^m$ with negative m irrespective of $\chi$. In addition, we observe that the film thickness (${\delta}_f$) between droplet interface and channel wall decreases with decreasing Ca, showing ${\delta}_f{\sim}Ca^n$ Can with positive n independent of $\chi$. Consequently, the excess pressure drop (${\Delta}p^+$) is strongly dependent on the film thickness (${\delta}_f$). The droplets larger than the channel width show enhancement of ${\Delta}p^+$, whereas the smaller droplets show no significant change in ${\Delta}p^+$. Also, the droplet deformation in the narrow channel is affected by the flow history of the contraction flow at the entrance region, but rather surprisingly ${\Delta}p^+$ is not affected by this flow history. Instead, ${\Delta}p^+$ is more dependent on ${\delta}_f$ irrespective of the droplet shape. As for the effect of fluid elasticity, an increase in ${\delta}_f$ induced by the normal stress difference in viscoelastic medium results in a drastic reduction of ${\Delta}p^+$.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.10-14
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• 2014

In this study, we fabricate an integrated microfluidic chip with a planar Hall effect (PHE) sensor for single magnetic bead detection. The PHE sensor was constructed with a junction size of $10{\mu}m{\times}10{\mu}m$ using a trilayer structure of Ta(3 nm)/NiFe(10 nm)/Cu(1.2 nm)/IrMn(10 nm)/Ta(3 nm). The sensitivity of the PHE sensor was 19.86 ${\mu}V/Oe$. A diameter of 8.18 ${\mu}m$ magnetic beads was used, of which the saturation magnetization was ~2.1 emu/g. The magnetic susceptibility ${\chi}$ of these magnetic beads was calculated to be ~0.14. The diluted magnetic beads solution was introduced to the microfluidic channel attributing a single bead flow and simultaneously the PHE sensor voltage was measured to be 0.35 ${\mu}V$. The integrated microchip was able to detect a magnetic moment of $1.98{\times}10^{-10}$ emu.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1015-1021
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• 2004

Micro-resolution Particle Image Velocimetry(Micro-PIV) was used to measure the flow in a micro-branch(Micro-Bypass). In this paper, effects of particle lump at the tip of a Micro-branch and difficulties of Micro-PIV measurements for microfluidics with branch passage were described. Micro-bypass was composed of a straight channel(200(100)${\mu}$m width ${\times}$ 80${\mu}$m height) and two branches which has 100(50)${\mu}$m width ${\times}$ 80${\mu}$m height. One of branches was straight and the other was curved. Experiments were performed at three regions along streamwise direction(entrance, middle and exit of branch) and five planes along vertical direction (0, ${\pm}$10, ${\pm}$20 ${\mu}$m) for the range of Re=0.24, 1.2, 2.4. Numerical simulation was done to compare with the measurements and understand the effects of particle lump at the tip of branch. And another fluid(3% poly vinyl Alcohol aqueous solution) were adapted for this study, so there were no particle sticking. In this case, we could get velocity difference between straight and curved branches.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.29 no.6 s.237
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• pp.904-912
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• 2005

The flow in a microchannel is usually characterized as a low Reynolds number (Re) so that good mixing is quite difficult to be achieved. In this regard, we developed a novel chaotic micromixer, named Barrier Embedded Kenics Micromixer (BEKM). In the BEKM, the higher level of chaotic mixing can be achieved by combining two general chaotic mixing mechanisms: (i) splitting/reorientation by helical elements inside the microchannel and (ii) stretching/folding via periodically located barriers on the channel wall. The fully three-dimensional geometry of BEKM was realized by a micro-stereolithography technology, in this study, along with a Kenics micromixer and a circular T-pipe. Mixing performances of three micromixers were experimentally characterized in terms of an average mixing color intensity of phenolphthalein. Experimental results show that BEKM has better mixing performance than other two micromixers. Chaotic mixing mechanism, proposed in this study, could be integrated as a mixing component with Micro-Total-Analysis-System, Lab-on-a-chip and so on.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.89-95
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• 2012

In this paper, microchannels for the flow control of two fluids with different volumes have been designed, fabricated, and verified. The dimensions of the inlets were determined based on the Stokes equation in order to realize that the flow of the two fluids meet at the same time, and to maintain a certain configuration when the flows passed through each inlet channel. The designed microchannels were confirmed using computational fluid dynamics simulation for the incompressible, Newtonian, and transient flows. In addition, a microfluidic system containing the designed microchannels was fabricated by soft lithography, and the pressure-driven flows of the two fluids were characterized by microfluidic experiments.

• BioChip Journal
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.317-325
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• 2018

This paper investigated the effects of ionic strength in the medium on a preconcentrator for a protein sample with low concentration. The preconcentration chip was designed and fabricated using a polydimethylsiloxane replica through standard lithophotography. A glass substrate is silanized prior to functionalizing the nanoparticles for self-assembly at a designed region. Due to the overlap of electrical double layers in a nanofluidic channel, a concentration polarization effect can be achieved using an electric field. A nonlinear electrokinetic flow is induced, resulting in the fast accumulation of proteins in front of the induced ionic depletion zone, so called exclusion-enrichment effect. Thus, the protein sample can be driven by electroosmotic flow and accumulated at a specific location. The chip is used to collect fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA) diluted in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) buffer solution. Different concentrations of the buffer media were studied herein. Fluorescence intensity images show that the buffer concentration of 4 mM is more appropriate than all the other ones. The sample of FITC-BSA with an initial concentration of $10{\mu}M$ in the 4 mM PBS solution increases its concentration at the desired region by up to 50 times within 30 min, demonstrating the results in this investigation.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.51 no.9
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• pp.449-454
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• 2002

A rectangular straight microchannel, integrated with the resistance temperature detectors(RTDs) for temperature sensing and a micro-heater for generating the Temperature gradient along the channel, was fabricated. Its dimension is 57${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$(H)$\times$200${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$(W)$\times$48,050${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$(L), and RTDs were placed at the inner-channel wall. Si wafer was used as a substrate. For the fabrication of RTDs, 5300$\AA$ thick Pt/Ti layer was sputtered on a Pyrex glass wafer. Finally, the glass wafer was bonded with Si wafer by anodic bonding, so that the RTDs are located inside the microchannel. Temperature coefficient of resistance(TCR) values of the fabricated Pt-RTDs were 2800~2950ppm$^{\circ}C$ and the variation of TCR value In the range of O~10$0^{\circ}C$ was less than 0.3％. Therefore, it was proved that the fabricated Pt-RTDs without annealing were excellent as temperature sensors. The temperature distribution in the microchannel was investigated as a function of mass flow rate and heating power. The temperature increase rate diminished with decreasing the applied power and increasing the mass flow rate. It was confirmed from the comparison with the simulation results that the temperature measured inside the microchannel is more accurate than measuring the temperature measured at the outer wall. The proposed temperature sensing method and microchannel are expected to be useful in microfluidics researches.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.506-513
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• 2015

In this paper, we proposed a novel ethanol concentration sensor using microfluidic metamaterial absorber. The metamaterial absorber comprises a split-ring-cross resonator(SRCR) and a microfluidic channel. The SRCR can generate LC resonance that is very sensitive to changes in the effective dielectric constant around the capacitive gap. In addition, microfluidic channels can change the effective dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate by using an infinitesimal quantity of a liquid on the order of microliters. The proposed absorber can detect the electrical properties of different concentration of ethanol. The performance of the proposed absorber is demonstrated using the absorption measurements of a fabricated prototype sample with waveguides. In addition, the simulated results and measurement results show good agreement.