A Microfluidic, Extensional Flow Device for Manipulating Soft Particles

• Main Author: Motagamwala, Ali Hussain
• Other Authors: Ramachandran, Arun
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Microfluidic; particle trapping; extensional flow; tentiometry; 0542
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/43263

A computer-controlled microfluidic extensional flow device is developed for trapping and manipulating micron-sized hard and soft particles. The extensional flow is generated in a diamond-shaped cross-slot that has each corner connected to a pressure-controlled liquid reservoir. By employing an imaging-based control algorithm, a particle can be made to move to an arbitrary position within the slot by adjusting the reservoir pressures and hence the fluid flow rates into/out of the slot. Thus, a soft particle can be trapped indefinitely at a point within the slot, and a known hydrodynamic force can be applied to study the dynamics of stretching and breakup of the particle. Alternatively, adhesion or coalescence dynamics of soft particles may be investigated by effecting a controlled collision between two particles. The device is validated by measuring the low interfacial tension of a compatibilized oil-water interface.