Microscale liquid dielectrophoresis for multiphase fluids manipulation
Abstract
[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Microfluidics has a bright future in the biomedical and biology fields. A system level integration that can provide efficient communications among multi-functional units and synchronize the flow rate is the key to unlock the full potential of microfluidics. The microscale gas-manipulation is essential for an integration platform; however, it is extremely underdeveloped at present due to leakage control and high compression ratio requirements. Differently from conventional approaches, we propose a confined liquid segment as an actuating medium. Liquid dielectrophoresis control, surface tension modifications, and geometric optimizations are applied to figure out the interplay of the liquids' adaptability and resistivity in a dynamic manner. Four different designs with a leak-tight feature and sub-nanoliter controllability are verified both theoretically and experimentally. The advantages of liquid usage as an actuation medium are highlighted further in a bio-mimic approach. The simplicity and integral capacity of liquid dielectrophoresis for dynamic fluids controls are predicted.
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Ph. D.
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