Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 21, 2025
12:26
Fabrication, Operation and Flow Visualization in Surface-acoustic-wave-driven Acoustic-counterflow Microfluidics
Published on: August 27, 2013
17.3K
3D flow field measurements outside nanopores
Jeffrey Mc Hugh1, Alice L Thorneywork1, Kurt Andresen2
1Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|June 1, 2022
Summary
We developed a 3D particle tracking system using optical tweezers to visualize fluid flow near glass nanopores. This method reveals polarity-dependent flow fields, enhancing our understanding of nanofluidics.
Area of Science:
- Nanofluidics
- Biophysics
- Optical Physics
Background:
- Understanding fluid dynamics at the nanoscale is crucial for applications like drug delivery and filtration.
- Previous methods for studying nanopore flow were limited in their ability to capture 3D dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a non-stereoscopic, video-based particle tracking system for 3D fluid flow analysis around glass nanopores.
- To investigate voltage-driven flow fields in 3D volumes adjacent to conical nanopores.
Main Methods:
- Utilized optical tweezers and a quadrant interpolation algorithm for video-based particle tracking.
- Extended particle tracking capabilities to capture displacements outside the optical tweezers' trapping plane.
- Employed a micromanipulator to automate the 3D mapping of fluid flow around angled nanopores.
Main Results:
- Successfully mapped voltage-driven fluid flow in 3D volumes surrounding glass nanopores.
- Observed distinct polarity-dependent flow fields, indicating directional fluid movement.
- Demonstrated the system's ability to study flow from nanopores oriented at various angles.
Conclusions:
- The developed system provides a novel approach for 3D nanofluidic characterization.
- Observed flow patterns align with theoretical models of voltage-driven flow in conical nanopores.
- The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of electrokinetic phenomena in confined geometries.
