Microfluidics Copyright © 2012 Board of Trustees, University of Illinois. All rights reserved.

2 Objectives Discover what microfluidics is Understand why it is important Make a simple microfluidic device Observe behavior of fluids at this scale

3 What is it? Microfluidics- Precise control and manipulation of very small volumes of liquids Mm

4 What is it? Microfluidics is often done in small channels on a device called a “Lab-on-a-chip”

5 What is it? An alternative to traditional chemistry Why do we need an alternative?

6 Traditional Chemistry Very large number of molecules –Even a drop of water contains about 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules! It can be very expensive or very hard to get large number of molecules

7 Traditional Chemistry Can be Hazardous –Hazards can spill or escape

8 Traditional Chemistry Requires specialized equipment –Equipment expensive –Requires facilities to house –Wait for equipment to be available

9 Traditional Chemistry Can take a long time –Time to create or isolate enough molecules –Equipment might not be immediately available

10 Benefits of Microfluidics Traditional Laboratory Microfluidic “Lab-on- a-chip” CostOften very highInexpensive EquipmentSpecialized equipment Everything on chip Time to get results Significant timeQuick

11 Why do it? Lets look at a problem and see if Microfluidics has a solution: Medicine in the developing world

12 Medicine in the developing world Travel to facilities difficult

13 Medicine in the developing world Long wait for care

14 Medicine in the developing world Facilities often sparse or temporary

15 Medicine in the developing world Equipment scarce

16 Medicine in the developing world Power limited

17 Medicine in the developing world Leads to primitive care

18 Medicine in the developing world With microfluidics –Faster results –Inexpensive –Low power requirements –Portable, can travel to patients –Can perform complex diagnostic tests

19 Applications Lab on a chip –Screening –Diagnostics –Analysis Biosensors DNA assays Fuel cells Microreactors Printing

20 Applications Advanced manufacturing

21 Center Research

22 Center Research

Master

PDMS Mold Poured

PDMS Mold Removed

Top Plate Placed

27 Petri Dish Puffy Paint Master PDMS Relief in PDMS

28 Cross Section Perspective Puffy Paint Petri DishPDMS Channel Relief Plexi-glass Drilled Holes Plexi-glass

29 PDMS Relief in PDMS Plexi-glass Drilled Holes Pipette

30 Flow Regimes Imagine putting red liquid in one inlet and blue in the other. What immerges?

31 Flow Regimes Laminar FlowTurbulent flow Channel size Flow Speed Viscosity SmallLarge FastSlow HighLow

32 Which flow regime? What happens when you pour red liquid into one side and blue into another of a “Y” junction?