Flexible Particle Focusing and Switching in Continuous Flow via Controllable Thermal Buoyancy Convection

We present a novel approach that utilizes thermal buoyancy convection to achieve flexible particle focusing and switching in continuous flow of a microfluidic system. In this platform, three strip microheaters, A, B, and C, are symmetrically distributed at the bottom of microchannel, and they are isolated from the particle suspension by a thin glass slide. Continual transverse convection flow forms when the microheaters are energized by dc signals. The flow patterns are readily tuned by changing the energization strategies of the microheater array, leading to the modulation of the position of flow stagnation region. Accordingly, microparticles dispersed in fluids are rapidly focused to the flow stagnation region by the Stokes drag and thus form a continuous particle beam. The particle beam can also be switched to different lateral positions by adjusting the control voltages. This particle manipulation method is first demonstrated by respectively energizing these three microheaters and subsequently switching silica particles into different outlets. The lateral position of the particle beam then is flexibly controlled by simultaneously energizing microheaters A and B (or B and C) and adjusting the voltage applied on microheater A (or C). Furthermore, the versatility of this approach is proved by focusing and switching of microsized droplets, that is, oil-in-water and water-in-oil-in-water emulsion droplets. Finally, we use poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate microgels, excellent reactant carriers, as an experimental sample and flexibly manipulate them in this microdevice, demonstrating this strategy's applicability for the cargo delivery. Therefore, this technique can be attractive for many particle preprocessing applications.