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A Low-Voltage-Driven Droplet Sorter for High-Stability and Small-Deformation Droplet Sorting
Lin Jiang1, Qingqing Liu1, Hang Yang1
1School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacturing of Precision Medicine Equipment, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Electrophoresis
|September 8, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a low-voltage-driven droplet sorter (LV-DS) that achieves stable droplet sorting with minimal deformation at only 80 V. This innovation overcomes limitations of high-voltage methods, enhancing applications in cell sorting and material screening.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics
- Biotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Electric droplet sorting is crucial for screening molecules, cells, drugs, and microparticles.
- Existing methods require high voltages (>1 kV), leading to droplet splitting and deformation, reducing accuracy and potentially harming targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a low-voltage-driven droplet sorter (LV-DS) for stable and accurate droplet sorting with minimal deformation.
- To improve upon existing electric droplet sorting technologies by reducing operational voltage and enhancing stability.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of an LV-DS using a square active electrode and four triangular ground electrodes made of stable, highly conductive liquid metal.
- Implementation of a novel electrode configuration enabling droplet sorting at significantly reduced voltages.
Main Results:
- The developed LV-DS successfully achieved high-stability droplet sorting with minimal deformation at voltages as low as 80 V.
- Liquid metal electrodes demonstrated superior stability and electrical conductivity compared to traditional materials like low-melting alloy and salt water.
Conclusions:
- The LV-DS offers a promising solution for high-stability, low-voltage droplet sorting.
- The reduced droplet deformation makes this technology highly attractive for sensitive applications like cell sorting with high viability and material screening.
