Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA; email:
Annu Rev Anal Chem (Palo Alto Calif). 2021 Jul 27;14(1):133-153. doi: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-122120-042627.
Droplet-based microfluidics has emerged as an important subfield within the microfluidic and general analytical communities. Indeed, several unique applications such as digital assay readout and single-cell sequencing now have commercial systems based on droplet microfluidics. Yet there remains room for this research area to grow. To date, most analytical readouts are optical in nature, relatively few studies have integrated sample preparation, and passive means for droplet formation and manipulation have dominated the field. Analytical scientists continue to expand capabilities by developing droplet-compatible method adaptations, for example, by interfacing to mass spectrometers or automating droplet sampling for temporally resolved analysis. In this review, we highlight recently developed fluidic control techniques and unique integrations of analytical methodology with droplet microfluidics-focusing on automation and the connections to analog/digital domains-and we conclude by offering a perspective on current challenges and future applications.
液滴微流控技术已经成为微流控和一般分析领域的一个重要分支。事实上，一些独特的应用，如数字分析读出和单细胞测序，现在已经有了基于液滴微流控的商业系统。然而，这个研究领域还有很大的发展空间。迄今为止，大多数分析读出都是光学性质的，很少有研究集成了样品制备，并且被动的液滴形成和操作手段主导了这个领域。分析科学家通过开发与液滴兼容的方法改编，例如，与质谱仪接口或自动化液滴采样进行时间分辨分析，继续扩展能力。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了最近开发的流体控制技术和分析方法与液滴微流控的独特集成，聚焦于自动化和与模拟/数字领域的连接，并在最后提供了对当前挑战和未来应用的展望。
