Measurement of fluid viscosity based on pressure-driven flow digital-printed microfluidics

Area of Science:

• Fluid dynamics
• Microfluidics
• Materials science

Background:

• Viscosity is a critical fluid property, essential for biopharmaceutical applications.
• Traditional microfluidic viscometers face limitations in chip design and manufacturing.
• Accurate viscosity measurement requires precise control over microscale fluid behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a novel microfluidic chip with a variable cross-section for enhanced viscosity measurement.
• To develop a digital-printed (DP) microfluidic viscometer utilizing pressure-driven flow and optical imaging.
• To enable accurate viscosity determination of fluids, including non-Newtonian types, with minimal sample volume and high efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Photocuring 3D printing technology was employed to manufacture the variable cross-section microfluidic chip.
• A pressure-driven flow system combined with optical imaging was used to create the microfluidic viscometer.
• Viscosity was measured by monitoring pressure and flow velocity changes over time in response to varying shear rates.

Main Results:

• The 3D-printed microfluidic chip was successfully manufactured, demonstrating a variable cross-section design.
• The digital-printed microfluidic viscometer accurately measured viscosity with minimal sample consumption (25 μl) and rapid experimental time (<2 minutes).
• The device showed high accuracy comparable to commercial viscometers and proved capable of analyzing non-Newtonian fluids.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic viscometer offers a cost-effective and simple-to-operate platform for fluid viscosity measurements.
• The variable cross-section chip design overcomes limitations of traditional straight-channel structures.
• This methodology provides a foundation for advanced fluid property analysis in microfluidic systems.