Lattice Boltzmann simulations of droplet formation in a T-shaped microchannel

Studying surfactant mass transport through dynamic interfacial tension measurements: A review of the models, experiments, and the contribution of microfluidics

Surfactant mass transport towards an interface plays a critical role during formation of emulsions, foams and in industrial processes where two immiscible phases coexist. The understanding of these mechanisms as experimentally observed by dynamic interfacial tension measurements, is crucial. In this review, theoretical models describing both equilibrated systems and surfactant kinetics are covered. Experimental results from the literature are analysed based on the nature of surfactants and the tensiometry methods used. The innovative microfluidic techniques that have become available to study both diffusion and adsorption mechanisms during surfactant mass transport are discussed and compared with classical methods. This review focuses on surfactant transport during formation of droplets or bubbles; stabilisation of dispersed systems is not discussed here.

Functional microfluidics: theory, microfabrication, and applications

Microfluidic devices are composed of microchannels with a diameter ranging from ten to a few hundred micrometers. Thus, quite a small (10−9–10−18 l) amount of liquid can be manipulated by such a precise system. In the past three decades, significant progress in materials science, microfabrication, and various applications has boosted the development of promising functional microfluidic devices. In this review, the recent progress on novel microfluidic devices with various functions and applications is presented. First, the theory and numerical methods for studying the performance of microfluidic devices are briefly introduced. Then, materials and fabrication methods of functional microfluidic devices are summarized. Next, the recent significant advances in applications of microfluidic devices are highlighted, including heat sinks, clean water production, chemical reactions, sensors, biomedicine, capillaric circuits, wearable electronic devices, and microrobotics. Finally, perspectives on the challenges and future developments of functional microfluidic devices are presented. This review aims to inspire researchers from various fields—engineering, materials, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and more—to collaborate and drive forward the development and applications of functional microfluidic devices, specifically for achieving carbon neutrality.

Exploring Carbonate Rock Dissolution Dynamics and the Influence of Rock Mineralogy in CO2 Injection

Understanding geochemical dissolution in porous materials is crucial, especially in applications such as geological CO2 storage. Accurate estimation of reaction rates enhances predictive modeling in geochemical-flow simulations. Fractured porous media, with distinct transport time scales in fractures and the matrix, raise questions about fracture-matrix interface dissolution rates compared to bulk dissolution rate and the scale-dependency of reaction rate averaging. Our investigation delves into these factors, studying the impact of flow rate and mineralogy on interface dissolution patterns. By injecting carbonated water into carbonate rock samples containing a central channel (mimicking fracture hydrodynamics), our study utilized μCT X-ray imaging at 3.3 μm spatial resolution to estimate the reaction rate and capture the change in pore morphology. Results revealed dissolution rates significantly lower (up to 4 orders of magnitude) than batch experiments. Flow rate notably influenced fracture profiles, causing uneven enlargement at low rates and uniform widening at higher ones. Ankerite presence led to a dissolution-altered layer on the fracture surface, showing high permeability and porosity without greatly affecting the dissolution rate, unlike clay-rich carbonates. This research sheds light on controlling factors influencing dissolution in subsurface environments, critical for accurate modeling in diverse applications.

Droplet microreactor for high-throughput fluorescence-based measurements of single catalyst particle acidity

The particles of heterogeneous catalysts differ greatly in size, morphology, and most importantly, in activity. Studying these catalyst particles in batch typically results in ensemble averages, without any information at the level of individual catalyst particles. To date, the study of individual catalyst particles has been rewarding but is still rather slow and often cumbersome¹. Furthermore, these valuable in-depth studies at the single particle level lack statistical relevance. Here, we report the development of a droplet microreactor for high-throughput fluorescence-based measurements of the acidities of individual particles in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) equilibrium catalysts (ECAT). This method combines systematic screening of single catalyst particles with statistical relevance. An oligomerization reaction of 4-methoxystyrene, catalyzed by the Brønsted acid sites inside the zeolite domains of the ECAT particles, was performed on-chip at 95 °C. The fluorescence signal generated by the reaction products inside the ECAT particles was detected near the outlet of the microreactor. The high-throughput acidity screening platform was capable of detecting ~1000 catalyst particles at a rate of 1 catalyst particle every 2.4 s. The number of detected catalyst particles was representative of the overall catalyst particle population with a confidence level of 95%. The measured fluorescence intensities showed a clear acidity distribution among the catalyst particles, with the majority (96.1%) showing acidity levels belonging to old, deactivated catalyst particles and a minority (3.9%) exhibiting high acidity levels. The latter are potentially of high interest, as they reveal interesting new physicochemical properties indicating why the particles were still highly acidic and reactive.

Lattice Boltzmann model for freezing of French fries

In this paper we present a Lattice Boltzmann model for food freezing, using the enthalpy method. Simulations are performed using the case study of freezing par-fried french fries. The action of par-frying leads to moisture removal from the crust region, which was treated via the initial conditions for the freezing model. Simulations show that under industrial-relevant freezing conditions, the crust region remains either unfrozen or only partially frozen. This result is important for the practical quality problem of dust, which is the phenomenon of fracturing of the crust during finish-frying. Next to the insight, the Lattice Boltzmann freezing model rendered for the case study of par-fried french fries, we pose that this freezing application is a comprehensive tutorial problem, via which food scientists can be conveniently introduced to the Lattice Boltzmann method. Commonly, the Lattice Boltzmann method has its value in solving complex fluid flow problems, but the complexity of these problems is possibly withholding food scientists to get familiar with the method. Our freezing is solved in 2D, and on a simple square lattice with only 5 particle velocities (a D2Q5 lattice). We hope via this simple tutorial problem, the Lattice Boltzmann method becomes more accessible.

Effect of Intersection Angle of Input Channels in Droplet Generators

In this paper, we studied the effects of the intersection angle between the inlet channels on the droplet diameter using a COMSOL Multiphysics^® simulation. We employed the level-set method to study the droplet generation process inside a microfluidic flow device. A flow-focusing geometry was integrated into a microfluidics device and used to study droplet formation in liquid–liquid systems. Droplets formed by this flow-focusing technique are typically smaller than the upstream capillary tube and vary in size with the flow rates. Different intersection angles were modeled with a fixed width of continuous and dispersed channels, orifices, and expansion channels. Numerical simulations were performed using the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations for single-phase flow in various flow-focusing geometries. As a result of modeling, when the dispersed flow rate and the continuous flow rate were increased, the flow of the continuous flow fluid interfered with the flow of the dispersed flow fluid, which resulted in a decrease in the droplet diameter. Variations in the droplet diameter can be used to change the intersection angle and fluid flow rate. In addition, it was predicted that the smallest diameter droplet would be generated when the intersection angle was 90°.

Mapping Bubble Formation and Coalescence in a Tubular Cross-Flow Membrane Foaming System

Membrane foaming is a promising alternative to conventional foaming methods to produce uniform bubbles. In this study, we provide a fundamental study of a cross-flow membrane foaming (CFMF) system to understand and control bubble formation for various process conditions and fluid properties. Observations with high spatial and temporal resolution allowed us to study bubble formation and bubble coalescence processes simultaneously. Bubble formation time and the snap-off bubble size (D0) were primarily controlled by the continuous phase flow rate (Qc); they decreased as Qc increased, from 1.64 to 0.13 ms and from 125 to 49 µm. Coalescence resulted in an increase in bubble size (Dcoal>D0), which can be strongly reduced by increasing either continuous phase viscosity or protein concentration-factors that only slightly influence D0. Particularly, in a 2.5 wt % whey protein system, coalescence could be suppressed with a coefficient of variation below 20%. The stabilizing effect is ascribed to the convective transport of proteins and the intersection of timescales (i.e., μs to ms) of bubble formation and protein adsorption. Our study provides insights into the membrane foaming process at relevant (micro-) length and time scales and paves the way for its further development and application.

Comparison of surfactant mass transfer with drop formation times from dynamic interfacial tension measurements in microchannels

Dynamic interfacial tension was studied experimentally during drop formation in a flow-focusing microchannel. A low viscosity silicone oil (4.6 mPa s) was the continuous phase and a mixture of 48% w/w water and 52% w/w glycerol was the dispersed phase. An anionic (sodium dodecylsulfate, SDS), a cationic (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, DTAB) and a non-ionic (Triton™ X-100, TX100) surfactant were added in the dispersed phase, at concentrations below and above the critical micelle concentration (CMC). For SDS and DTAB the drop size against continuous phase flowrate curves initially decreased with surfactant concentration and then collapsed to a single curve at concentrations above CMC. For TX100 the curves only collapsed at surfactant concentrations 8.6 times the CMC. From the collapsed curves a correlation of drop size with capillary number was derived, which was used to calculate the dynamic interfacial tension at times as low as 3 ms. The comparison of the surfactant mass transport and adsorption times to the interface against the drop formation times indicated that surfactant adsorption also contributes to the time required to reach equilibrium interfacial tension. Criteria were proposed for drop formation times to ensure that equilibrium interfacial tension has been reached and does not affect the drop formation.

Non-Newtonian Droplet Generation in a Cross-Junction Microfluidic Channel

A two-dimensional CFD model based on volume-of-fluid (VOF) is introduced to examine droplet generation in a cross-junction microfluidic using an open-source software, OpenFOAM together with an interFoam solver. Non-Newtonian power-law droplets in Newtonian liquid is numerically studied and its effect on droplet size and detachment time in three different regimes, i.e., squeezing, dripping and jetting, are investigated. To understand the droplet formation mechanism, the shear-thinning behaviour was enhanced by increasing the polymer concentrations in the dispersed phase. It is observed that by choosing a shear-dependent fluid, droplet size decreases compared to Newtonian fluids while detachment time increases due to higher apparent viscosity. Moreover, the rheological parameters-n and K in the power-law model-impose a considerable effect on the droplet size and detachment time, especially in the dripping and jetting regimes. Those parameters also have the potential to change the formation regime if the capillary number (Ca) is high enough. This work extends the understanding of non-Newtonian droplet formation in microfluidics to control the droplet characteristics in applications involving shear-thinning polymeric solutions.

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Verification of Droplet Generation in Microfluidic Digital PCR Chip

The generation of droplets is one of the most critical steps in the droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) procedure. In this study, the mechanism of droplet formation in microchannel structure and factors affecting droplet formation were studied. The physical field of laminar two-phase flow level was used to simulate the process of droplet generation through microfluidic technology. The effect of the parameters including flow rate, surface tension, and viscosity on the generated droplet size were evaluated by the simulation. After that, the microfluidic chip that has the same dimension as the simulation was then, fabricated and evaluated. The chip was made by conventional SU-8 photolithography and injection molding. The accuracy of the simulation was validated by comparing the generated droplets in the real scenario with the simulation result. The relative error (RE) between experimentally measured droplet diameter and simulation results under different flow rate, viscosity, surface tension and contact angle was found less than 3.5%, 1.8%, 1.4%, and 1.2%, respectively. Besides, the coefficient of variation (CV) of the droplet diameter was less than 1%, which indicates the experimental droplet generation was of high stability and reliability. This study provides not only fundamental information for the design and experiment of droplet generation by microfluidic technology but also a reliable and efficient investigation method in the ddPCR field.

Fabrication of a T-Shaped Microfluidic Channel Using a Consumer Laser Cutter and Application to Monodisperse Microdroplet Formation

The use of micrometer-sized droplets for chemical and biochemical analysis has been widely explored. Photolithography is mainly used to fabricate microfluidic devices, which is often employed to form monodisperse microdroplets. Although photolithography enables precise microfabrication, it is not readily available to biochemists because it requires specialized equipment such as clean room and mask aligners, and expensive consumables such as photoresist and silicon wafers. In this study, we fabricated a microfluidic device using a consumer laser cutter and applied it to droplet formation. Monodisperse microdroplets were formed by using an oil phase for droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as the continuous phase and phosphate-buffered saline or polyethylene glycol solution as the dispersed phase. The droplet size decreased as the flow rate of the continuous phase increased and approached a constant value. The method developed in this study can be used to realize microdroplet-based biochemical analysis with simple devices or to construct artificial cells.

The Importance of Interfacial Tension in Emulsification: Connecting Scaling Relations Used in Large Scale Preparation with Microfluidic Measurement Methods

This paper starts with short descriptions of emulsion preparation methods used at large and smaller scales. We give scaling relations as they are generally used, and focus on the central role that interfacial tension plays in these relations. The actual values of the interfacial tension are far from certain given the dynamic behavior of surface-active components, and the lack of measurement methods that can be applied to conditions as they occur during large-scale preparation. Microfluidic techniques are expected to be very instrumental in closing this gap. Reduction of interfacial tension resulting from emulsifier adsorption at the oil-water interface is a complex process that consists of various steps. We discuss them here, and present methods used to probe them. Specifically, methods based on microfluidic tools are of great interest to study short droplet formation times, and also coalescence behavior of droplets. We present the newest insights in this field, which are expected to bring interfacial tension observations to a level that is of direct relevance for the large-scale preparation of emulsions, and that of other multi-phase products.

Lateral migration of a ferrofluid droplet in a plane Poiseuille flow under uniform magnetic fields

The lateral migration of a two-dimensional (2D) viscous ferrofluid droplet in a plane Poiseuille flow under a uniform magnetic field is studied numerically by using the level set method. Focusing on low droplet Reynolds number flows (Re_{d}≤0.05), several numerical simulations are carried out to analyze the effects of magnetic field direction and strength, droplet size, and viscosity ratio on the lateral migration behavior of the droplet. The results indicate that the magnetic field direction plays a pivotal role in the trajectory of lateral migration of the droplet and the final equilibrium position in the channel. When the magnetic field is parallel to the channel, i.e., α=0^{∘} (the direction of magnetic field), the droplet is found to settle closer to the wall with an increase in magnetic Bond number Bo_{m}, while at α=45^{∘}, the droplet settles closer to the channel center. Varying the initial droplet sizes at a fixed magnetic Bond number Bo_{m} and viscosity ratio λ results in different final equilibrium positions within the channel. Additionally, the effect of different viscosity ratios on the migration behavior of the droplet is examined at variable magnetic Bond numbers Bo_{m}. At α=45^{∘}, a critical steady state of deformation is found for λ=0.5 and 1 where the droplet changes its migration direction and shifts toward the center of the channel, while at λ=0.05, the droplet crosses the center. At α=90^{∘}, the droplet is found to settle exactly at the center of the flow domain irrespective of different magnetic Bond numbers, droplet sizes, and viscosity ratios.

Effects of wall velocity slip on droplet generation in microfluidic T-junctions

The effect of the slip lengths of both continuous and dispersed phases on droplet formation in microfluidic T-junctions is investigated by a volume of fluid method. Results reveal that, in a dripping regime, the droplet size is mainly influenced by the slip length of the continuous phase and increases with it. In a squeezing regime, the droplet size decreases with the slip lengths of both phases. The effects of the slip lengths of both phases on droplet generation are systematically discussed and summarized. The elongation rate of the thread can be decreased with an increase of slip lengths in both dripping and squeezing regimes, which is beneficial to improve droplet monodispersity. The monodispersity of droplets can deteriorate when the slip length of either phase is small and can be improved by increasing the slip length of the other phase.

Lattice-Boltzmann Simulation and Experimental Validation of a Microfluidic T-Junction for Slug Flow Generation

We investigate the interaction of two immiscible fluids in a head-on device geometry, where both fluids are streaming opposite to each other. The simulations are based on the two-dimensional (2D) lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) using the Rothman and Keller (RK) model. We validate the LBM code with several benchmarks such as the bubble test, static contact angle, and layered flow. For the first time, we simulate a head-on device by forcing periodicity and a volume force to induce the flow. From low to high flow rates, three main flow patterns are observed in the head-on device, which are dripping-squeezing, jetting-shearing, and threading. In the squeezing regime, the flow is steady and the droplets are equal. The jetting-shearing flow is not as stable as dripping-squeezing. Moreover, the formation of droplets is shifted downstream into the main channel. The last flow form is threading, in which the immiscible fluids flow parallel downstream to the outlet. In contrast to other studies, we select larger microfluidic channels with 1-mm channel width to achieve relatively high volumetric fluxes as used in chemical synthesis reactors. Consequently, the capillary number of the flow regimes is smaller than 10−5. In conclusion, the simulation compares well to experimental data.

Detection and Automation Technologies for the Mass Production of Droplet Biomicrofluidics

Droplet microfluidics utilizes two immiscible flows to generate small droplets with the diameter of a few to a few hundred micrometers. These droplets are promising tools for biomedical engineering because of the high throughput and the ease to finely tune the microenvironments. In addition to the great success of droplet biomicrofluidics in the proof-of-concept biosensing, regenerative medicine, and drug delivery, few droplet biomicrofluidic devices have a transformative impact on the industrial and clinical applications. The main issues are the low volume throughput and the lack of proper methods for quality control and automation. This review covers the methodologies for the mass production, detection, and automation of droplet generators. Recent advances in droplet mass production using parallelized devices and modified junction structures are discussed. Detection techniques, including optical and electrical detection methods, are comprehensively reviewed in detail. Newly emerged droplet closed-loop control systems are surveyed to highlight the progress in system integration and automation. Overall, with the advances in parallel droplet generation, highly sensitive detection, and robust closed-loop regulation, it is anticipated that the productivity and reliability of droplet biomicrofluidics will be significantly improved to meet the industrial and clinical needs.

Electrokinetic droplet transport from electroosmosis to electrophoresis

Droplet transport in microfluidic channels by electrically induced flows often entails the simultaneous presence of electroosmosis and electrophoresis. Here we make use of coupled lattice-Boltzmann/molecular dynamics simulations to compute the mobility of a droplet in a microchannel under the effect of an external electric field. By varying the droplet solvation free energy of the counterions released at the channel walls, we observe the continuous transition between the electroosmotic and electrophoretic regime. We show that it is possible to describe the mobility of a droplet in a unified, consistent way, by combining the theoretical description of the electroosmotic flow with, in this case, the Hückel limit of electrophoresis, modified in order to take into account the Hadamard-Rybczynski droplet drag.

Simulation of immiscible liquid-liquid flows in complex microchannel geometries using a front-tracking scheme

The three-dimensional two-phase flow dynamics inside a microfluidic device of complex geometry is simulated using a parallel, hybrid front-tracking/level-set solver. The numerical framework employed circumvents numerous meshing issues normally associated with constructing complex geometries within typical computational fluid dynamics packages. The device considered in the present work is constructed via a module that defines solid objects by means of a static distance function. The construction combines primitive objects, such as a cylinder, a plane, and a torus, for instance, using simple geometrical operations. The numerical solutions predicted encompass dripping and jetting, and transitions in flow patterns are observed featuring the formation of drops, 'pancakes', plugs, and jets, over a wide range of flow rate ratios. We demonstrate the fact that vortex formation accompanies the development of certain flow patterns, and elucidate its role in their underlying mechanisms. Experimental visualisation with a high-speed imaging are also carried out. The numerical predictions are in excellent agreement with the experimental data.

Capillary film and breakup mechanism in the squeezing to dripping transition regime at the mesoscale between micro and milli-fluidics

We report a study of droplet generation in two phase flows of non-miscible fluids in a T-shaped array of circular channels, at the mesoscale between micro- and milli-fluidics. Our experiments show that the balance between the different types of forces (capillary forces, shear viscous forces, etc.) may differ significantly from that found by previous authors in smaller, microfluidics channels. The results may, therefore, be applied to practical systems in which droplets act as small chemical reactors or help enhance mixing. We suggest a possible interesting extension to the generation of drops inside porous media. We report experiments in which the length of the droplets and the residual thickness of the surrounding fluid film are systematically measured as a function of the respective flow rates of the two fluids: These results are carefully compared to theoretical models taking into account in different ways the capillary and viscous effects and to results obtained by other authors for smaller channels. Several dimensionless control variables are tested (capillary number, ratio of the flow rates of the two fluids, etc.). Capillary film thickness is shown to be a useful variable to identify the different regimes of formation. Testing of the theoretical models with the experimental data showed that the change from one formation regime to the other is accompanied by a change in the role of viscous effects. Two models of breakup mechanisms were tested: on the one hand, the pressure buildup mechanism and, on the other hand, a second mechanism corresponds to the balance of tangential shear stresses and interfacial tension. According to the formation regimes, both models have provided satisfactory predictions of the experimental results. However, at this mesoscale, the experimental data were better described by the models dependent on the capillary number, as previously reported in systems with a low degree of confinement.

Examining the Effect of Flow Rate Ratio on Droplet Generation and Regime Transition in a Microfluidic T-Junction at Constant Capillary Numbers

The focus of this work is to examine the effect of flow rate ratio (quotient of the dispersed phase flow rate over the continuous phase flow rate) on a regime transition from squeezing to dripping at constant capillary numbers. The effect of the flow rate ratio on the volume of droplets generated in a microfluidic T-junction is discussed, and a new scaling law to estimate their volume is proposed. Existing work on a regime transition reported by several researchers focuses on the effect of the capillary number on regime transition, and the results that are presented in this paper advance the current understanding by indicating that the flow rate ratio is another parameter that dictates regime transition. In this paper, the transition between squeezing and dripping regimes is reported at constant capillary numbers, with a transition region identified between squeezing and dripping regimes. Dripping is observed at lower flow rate ratios and squeezing at higher flow rate ratios, with a transition region between the two regimes at flow rate ratios between 1 and 2. This is presented in a flow regime map that is constructed based on the observed mechanism. A scaling model is proposed to characterise droplet volume in terms of flow rate ratio and capillary number. The effect of flow rate ratio on the non-dimensional droplet volume is presented, and lastly, the droplet volume is expressed in terms of a range of parameters, such as the viscosity ratio between the dispersed and the continuous phase, capillary number, and the geometrical characteristics of the channels.

Numerical Study of Surfactant Dynamics during Emulsification in a T-Junction Microchannel

Microchannel emulsification requires large amounts of surfactant to prevent coalescence and improve emulsions lifetime. However, most numerical studies have considered surfactant-free mixtures as models for droplet formation in microchannels, without taking into account the distribution of surfactant on the droplet surface. In this paper, we investigate the effects of nonuniform surfactant coverage on the microfluidic flow pattern using an extended lattice-Boltzmann model. This numerical study, supported by micro-particle image velocimetry experiments, reveals the likelihood of uneven distribution of surfactant during the droplet formation and the appearance of a stagnant cap. The Marangoni effect affects the droplet breakup by increasing the shear rate. According to our results, surfactant-free and surfactant-rich droplet formation processes are qualitatively different, such that both the capillary number and the Damköhler number should be considered when modeling the droplet generation in microfluidic devices. The limitations of traditional volume and pressure estimation methods for determining the dynamic interfacial tension are also discussed on the basis of the simulation results.

Reconfigurable Microfluidic Droplets Stabilized by Nanoparticle Surfactants

Interfacial assemblies of nanoparticles can stabilize liquid-liquid interfaces. Due to the interactions between functional groups on nanoparticles dispersed in one liquid and polymers having complementary end-functionality dissolved in a second immiscible fluid, the anchoring of a well-defined number of polymer chains onto the nanoparticles leads to the formation of NP-surfactants that assemble at the interface and reduce the interfacial energy. We have developed droplet interfaces covered with elastic, responsive monolayers of NP-surfactants. Due to the presence of an elastic layer at the interface, the droplets offer a greater resistance to coalescence and can prevent the exchange of materials across interfaces. Our results show the successful encapsulation of nanoparticles, dyes, and proteins with diameters in the 2.4-30 nm range. Further, we show that stable water-in-oil droplets can be generated for various combinations of polymer ligands and nanoparticles bearing complementary functionalities. These NP-surfactant-stabilized microfluidic emulsions would enable applications requiring liquid-liquid interfaces that can adapt and respond to external stimuli and whose mechanical properties can be easily tailored.

Capillary-based integrated digital PCR in picoliter droplets

The droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is becoming more and more popular in diagnostic applications in academia and industry. In commercially available ddPCR systems, after they have been made by a generator, the droplets have to be transferred manually to modules for amplification and detection. In practice, some of the droplets (∼10%) are lost during manual transfer, leading to underestimation of the targets. In addition, the droplets are also at risk of cross-contamination during transfer. By contrast, in labs, some chip-based ddPCRs have been demonstrated where droplets always run in channels. However, the droplets easily coalesce to large ones in chips due to wall wetting as well as thermal oscillation. The loss of droplets becomes serious when such ddPCRs are applied to absolutely quantify rare mutations, such as in early diagnostics in clinical research or when measuring biological diversity at the cell level. Here, we propose a capillary-based integrated ddPCR system that is used for the first time to realize absolute quantification in this way. In this system, a HPLC T-junction is used to generate droplets and a long HPLC capillary connects the generator with both a capillary-based thermocycler and a capillary-based cytometer. The performance of the system is validated by absolute quantification of a gene specific to lung cancer (LunX). The results show that this system has very good linearity (0.9988) at concentrations ranging from NTC to 2.4 × 10^-4 copies per μL. As compared to qPCR, the all-in-one scheme is superior both in terms of the detection limit and the smaller fold changes measurement. The system of ddPCR might provide a powerful approach for clinical or academic applications where rare events are mostly considered.

Numerical Simulation of the Droplet Formation in a T-Junction Microchannel by a Level-Set Method

To satisfy the increasingly high demands in many applications of microfluidics, the size of the droplet needs accurate control. In this paper, a level-set method provides a useful method for studying the physical mechanism and potential mechanism of two-phase flow. A detailed three-dimensional numerical simulation of microfluidics was carried out to systematically study the generation of micro-droplets and the effective diameter of droplets with different control parameters such as the flow rate ratio, the continuous phase viscosity, the interfacial tension, and the contact angle. The effect of altering the pressure at the x coordinate of the main channel during the droplet formation was analysed. As the simulation results show, the above control parameters have a great influence on the formation of droplets and the size of the droplet. The effective droplet diameter increases when the flow rate ratio and the interfacial tension increase. It decreases when the continuous phase viscosity and the contact angle increase.