Abstract

Recent Developments in Droplet Based Microfluidic Technologies

Ashok Sinha, Technical Applications Specialist, Dolomite Microfluidics

This article reports on the microfluidics market, identifies technological bottlenecks, and showcases a few successful and fast growing applications. Amongst these are cell encapsulation, droplet generation, high-throughput droplets & particles, double emulsions, nanoparticle synthesis, and droplets on demand. All of these fall under the category of droplet microfluidics involving the handling of picoliter volumes of fluid encapsulated within micrometer sized fluid droplets. The droplets are separated by an immiscible carrier fluid and a variety of surfactants either stabilizes the emulsion, or de-stabilizes the emulsion to release the contents contained within. Microfluidics allows production of highly monodisperse droplets, emulsions, double emulsions, bubbles or particles and is ideal for performing chemical and biochemical reactions in droplets. Droplets from 1µm to 100's of µm's (femto- to nanoliter range) can be generated with exceptionally high control and reproducibility from research to production scale. Droplets are produced via one of three methods – segmented flow, flow focusing, or droplet on demand. Droplets can also be used as microreactors to create complex formulations as samples can be confined, diluted, mixed, split or analysed. Chemical or thermal methods are available to transform the phase of the droplets from solid to liquid, and vice versa. Additionally, chemical reactions are initiated inside droplets and continue to completion while isolated from other surrounding droplets. Proof of concept studies have shown its application to reduce turnaround times and costs for analytical methods, especially in life sciences. Built using cutting edge technology, Dolomite systems corporate micro-prototyping, connectors, pumping, valving, flow control, temperature control of fluids, and production of specialist emulsion stabilizers.