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Updated: Jul 12, 2025

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High Speed Droplet-based Delivery System for Passive Pumping in Microfluidic Devices
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Understanding droplet breakup in a post-array device with sheath-flow configuration.
Shuzo Masui1, Yusuke Kanno1, Takasi Nisisako1
1Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. nisisako.t.aa@m.titech.ac.jp.
Lab on a Chip
|October 24, 2023
Summary
Microfluidic post-array devices generate uniform emulsion droplets. This study reveals how flow rates and post geometry influence droplet size, enabling predictable, high-throughput emulsification.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Materials science
- Chemical engineering
Background:
- Microfluidic post-array devices offer high-throughput generation of quasi-monodisperse emulsion droplets.
- Predicting droplet size and the impact of post geometry in these devices remains a challenge, limiting their application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate droplet breakup mechanisms in microfluidic post-array devices.
- To establish a predictive model for droplet size based on flow conditions and device geometry.
- To enhance the understanding and application of post-array devices for emulsification.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-glass microfluidic devices using soft lithography.
- Utilizing sheath-flow configurations for flexible tuning of dispersed and continuous phase flow rates.
- Observing droplet breakup and measuring droplet diameters under various flow conditions.
Main Results:
- Droplet size is significantly influenced by the volume ratio of dispersed to continuous phases.
- An effective capillary number, incorporating emulsion viscosity and dispersed phase fraction, consistently describes experimental results.
- Two distinct droplet breakup modes (obstruction and shear-induced) were identified, exhibiting power-law correlations.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a quantitative understanding of droplet breakup in post-array devices.
- A power-law correlation effectively describes droplet generation characteristics, enabling prediction and control.
- This work facilitates robust, high-throughput, and continuous emulsification using microfluidic post-array devices.

