A Venturi microregulator array module for distributed pressure control.
Microfluid Nanofluidics
; 9(4-5): 671-680, 2010 Oct 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-20938490
ABSTRACT
Pressure-driven flow control systems are a critical component in many microfluidic devices. Compartmentalization of this functionality into a stand-alone module possessing a simple interface would allow reduction of the number of pneumatic interconnects required for fluidic control. Ideally, such a module would also be sufficiently compact for implementation in portable platforms. In our current work, we show the feasibility of using a modular array of Venturi pressure microregulators for coordinated droplet manipulation. The arrayed microregulators share a single pressure input and are capable of outputting electronically controlled pressures that can be independently set between ±1.3 kPa. Because the Venturi microregulator operates by thermal perturbation of a choked gas flow, this output range corresponds to a temperature variation between 20 and 95°C. Using the array, we demonstrate loading, splitting, merging, and independent movement of multiple droplets in a valveless microchannel network.
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01-internacional
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MEDLINE
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En
Revista:
Microfluid Nanofluidics
Año:
2010
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Article