Department of Chemical Engineering and Center for Molecular and Engineering Thermodynamics, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA.
Lab Chip. 2011 Nov 21;11(22):3802-9. doi: 10.1039/c1lc20376b. Epub 2011 Sep 28.
High-throughput rheological measurements in a microfluidic device are demonstrated. A series of microrheology samples are generated as droplets in an immiscible spacer fluid using a microfluidic T-junction. The compositions of the sample droplets are continuously varied over a wide range. Rheology measurements are made in each droplet using multiple particle tracking microrheology. We review critical design and operating parameters, including the droplet size, flow rates and rapid fabrication methods. Validation experiments are performed by measuring the solution viscosity of glycerine and the biopolymer heparin as a function of concentration. Overall, the combination of microrheology with microfluidics maximizes the number of rheological measurements while simultaneously minimizing the sample preparation time and amount of material, and should be particularly suited to the characterization of scarce or expensive materials.
在微流控装置中进行高通量流变测量。使用微流控 T 型 Junction 将一系列微流变样品作为不相容的间隔流体中的液滴产生。样品液滴的组成在很宽的范围内连续变化。使用多个粒子跟踪微流变仪在每个液滴中进行流变测量。我们回顾了关键的设计和操作参数，包括液滴尺寸、流速和快速制造方法。通过测量甘油和生物聚合物肝素的溶液粘度作为浓度的函数来进行验证实验。总的来说，微流变学与微流控的结合最大限度地增加了流变测量的数量，同时最小化了样品制备的时间和材料的用量，应该特别适合于稀缺或昂贵材料的特性描述。
