• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.233-233
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• 2015

We report on a simple method for inducing physical and chemical property-gradient on nanoimprinted patterns by intensity-regulated plasma treatment under caved sample stage. As for the size gradient, a line pattern having a linewidth of 294.9 nm was etched to have gradually varying width from 277.4 nm to 147.9 nm. Modified pattern was proven to be adaptable to replica stamp for reversal patterning. To investigate the wettability gradient, imprinted nanopatterns were coated with fluoroalkylsilane to increase the hydrophobicity, and the surface was modified to have gradually varying wettability from hydrophobic to hydrophilic (contact angle was ${\sim}160^{\circ}$ to ${\sim}5^{\circ}$ on a single chip). This method is expected to be applicable to the selective adsorption of biological entities and hydrodynamic manipulation of liquid droplets for the pumpless microfluidics.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.167-172
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• 2010

To meet on going challenges in nano-biomedical technology, the convergence of "spintronics", "biomedical" technology is a major break through in imaging, diagnosis and therapy, high-throughput genomic analysis. Especially magnetic bioassay is one of crucial devices for early diagnosis of specific analytes, point-of-care and U-health care application. In this paper, current status on high resolution magnetic sensors for bioassay and on-chip magnets for biomolecule transportation will be reviewed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2010

In this paper, we propose a novel chaotic micromixer of which mixing mechanism is based upon magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) multi-vortical flow generation in a simple straight microchannel. In the microchannel of the micromixer has electrodes patterned on two side walls and bottom wall. Lorentz forces are variously induced by changing applied voltages at the patterned electrodes in order to pump and mix conductive fluids in the microchannel. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations were conduced to characterize mixing behaviors inside the MHD micromixer. The mixing efficiencies were also evaluated for the various flow conditions.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 2007

The control of surface properties and spatial presentation of functional molecules within a microfluidic channel is important for the development of diagnostic assays, microreactors, and for performing fundamental studies of cell biology and fluid mechanics. Here, we present soft lithographic methods to create robust microchannels with patterned microstructures inside the channel. The patterned regions were protected from oxygen plasma by controlling the dimensions of the poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS) mold as well as the sequence of fabrication steps. The approach was used to pattern a non-biofouling polyethylene glycol(PEG)-based copolymer or the polysaccharide hyaluronic acid(HA) within microfluidic channels. These non-biofouling patterns were then used to fabricate arrays of fibronectin(FN) and bovine serum albumin(BSA) as well as mammalian cells.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.1.1-1.8
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• 2010

Microdevices have been used as effective experimental tools for the rapid and multiplexed analysis of individual cells in single-cell assays. Technological advances for miniaturizing such systems and the optimization of delicate controls in micron-sized space homing cells have motivated many researchers from diverse fields (e.g., cancer research, stem cell research, therapeutic agent development, etc.) to employ microtools in their scientific research. Microtools allow high-throughput, multiplexed analysis of single cells, and they are not limited by the lack of large samples. These characteristics may significantly benefit the study of immune cells, where the number of cells available for testing is usually limited. In this review, I present an overview of several microtools that are currently available for single-cell analyses in two popular formats: microarrays and microfluidic microdevices. Then, I discuss the potential to study human immunology on the single-cell level, and I highlight several recent examples of immunoassays performed with single-cell microdevice assays. Finally, I discuss the outlook for the development of optimized assay platforms to study human immune cells. The development and application of microdevices for studies on single immune cells presents novel opportunities for the qualitative and quantitative characterization of immune cells and may lead to a comprehensive understanding of fundamental aspects of human immunology.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2004

It is of great interest to enhance mixing performance in a microchannel in which the flow is usually characterized as a low Reynolds number (Re) so that good mixing is quite difficult to be achieved in this laminar flow regime. In this regard, we present a new chaotic passive micromixer, named Barrier Embedded Micromixer (BEM), of which the mixing mechanism is based on chaotic flows. In BEM, chaotic flow is induced by periodic perturbation of the velocity field due to periodically inserted barriers along the channel wall while a helical type of flow is obtained by slanted grooves on the bottom surface of the channel in the pressure driven flow. To experimentally compare the mixing performance, a T-microchannel and a microchannel with only slanted grooves were also fabricated. All microchannels were made of PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) from SU-8 masters that were fabricated by conventional photolithography. Mixing performance was experimentally characterized with respect to an average mixing intensity by means of color change of phenolphthalein as pH indicator. It was found that mixing efficiency decreases as Re increases for all three micromixers. Experimental results obviously indicate that BEM has better mixing performance than the other two. Chaotic mixing mechanism, suggested in this study, can be easily applied to integrated microfluidic systems , such as Micro-Total-Analysis-System, Lab-on-a-chip and so on.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.141-153
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• 2014

Droplet based microfluidic systems have been developed for the application of biological and chemical research field. A picoliter droplet in microfluidic device provides a compartmentalized and well-defined reactor in miniaturized system. The microfluidic system with small droplets can reduce reagent cost and enhance efficiency through automated high-throughput screening system. In this review, we summarize the functionality of droplet based microfluidic system including droplet generation, precise droplet control, and various applications. In addition, this article reviews current applications in chemistry and biology, and discuss advantages of droplet based microfluidics compared with conventional manner.

• 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 B
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.644-654
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• 2003

An analytical solution for a vertically stratified viscous flow in a microchannel with a rectangular cross-section is constructed, assuming fully developed laminar flow where the interfaces between the fluid layers are flat. Although the solution is for n-layer flow, restricted results to symmetrical three-layer flow are presented to investigate the effects of the viscosity and thickness ratios of the fluid layers and the aspect ratio of the microchannel on the flow field. Relations between the flow rate and thickness ratios of the fluid layers with varying viscosity distributions are found, considering the cross -sectional velocity profiles which vary noticeably with the three parameters and differ significantly from the velocity profiles of the flow between infinite parallel plates. Interfacial instability induced by the viscosity stratification in the microchannel is discussed referring to previous studies on the instability analysis for plane multilayer flow. Exact solution derived in the present study can be used for examining a diffusion process and three -dimensional stability analysis. More works are needed to formulate the equations including the effects of interfacial' tension between immiscible liquids and surface wettability which are important in microscale transport phenomena.