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Bubbles in microfluidics: an all-purpose tool for micromanipulation
Yuyang Li1, Xiaoming Liu, Qiang Huang
1Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China. liuxiaoming555@bit.edu.cn.
Microbubbles are crucial for microfluidics, enabling precise manipulation through acoustic, thermodynamic, and chemical methods. This review explores their applications and future potential in micromanipulation.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Acoustics
- Thermodynamics
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Microfluidic devices and microscale actuation technologies are advancing rapidly.
- Microbubbles exhibit unique properties responding to various energy sources and gas-liquid interactions.
- Bubble-based micromanipulation offers non-invasive, selective, and precise microscale operations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the morphological characteristics and formation of microbubbles.
- To describe the theoretical foundations and mechanisms of microbubble-based micromanipulation.
- To critically assess the applications and advances of microbubbles in microfluidics.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on microbubble formation and properties.
- Analysis of micromanipulation strategies using acoustic, thermodynamic, and chemical stimuli.
- Examination of diverse applications including microflow control and microrobotics.
Main Results:
- Detailed description of microbubble characteristics and formation processes.
- Explanation of micromanipulation mechanisms driven by different energy sources.
- Compilation of current applications in microfluidics, from flow control to biomedical uses.
Conclusions:
- Microbubbles are versatile tools for advanced micromanipulation in microfluidics.
- Significant progress has been made in bubble-based strategies for precise microscale operations.
- Future research should focus on designing novel microbubble-based micromanipulation tools.
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