Oblique interface shearing (OIS): single-step microdroplet generation and on-demand positioning
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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Capillary-based Centrifugal Microfluidic Device for Size-controllable Formation of Monodisperse Microdroplets
Published on: February 22, 2016
Fangsheng Huang1, Ye Niu, Zhiqiang Zhu
1Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China. xu.202@osu.edu.
Abstract:
A new process for simultaneous generation and positioning of microdroplets within a single step named oblique interface shearing (OIS) is reported based on the observation that liquid microdroplets generated by vibrating a thin capillary across the air-liquid interface at an oblique angle exhibit notable lateral displacements. An analytical model is established to describe the lateral droplet displacement induced by the Stokes drift effect. The dependency of the lateral displacement on typical operating parameters allows for on-demand droplet positioning while they are produced. The efficacy of the process is validated through delivering microdroplets with the same size to different positions as well as size-dependent positioning of these microdroplets.
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