Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Microfocusing using the thermal actuation of microbubbles

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Microfluidics and Nanofluidics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper describes the microfocusing in a microchannel using the thermal actuation of a pair of microbubbles. A microbubble was produced from de-ionized (DI) water with an integrated microheater, and the volume was controlled by applying voltage. The microfocusing was demonstrated with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device consisting of two layers. The top layer included a microchannel that was 300 μm wide and 50 μm high. It was flanked by a pair of reservoirs. The bottom layer provided a microheater underneath the reservoir. Upon heating, DI water boiled immediately over the microheater and formed a microbubble that came out of the reservoir in a perpendicular direction toward the fluid. The fluid was focused from 300 to 22 μm, as the distance between the apexes of the arch-shaped microbubbles was shortened due to expansion, which was maintained at a flow velocity up to approximately 17.8 mm s−1. The temperature of the water in the reservoir was estimated to reach the boiling point within 62 or 160 ms, depending on the substrate.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Cho SK, Moon HJ, Kim CJ (2003) Creating, transporting, cutting, and merging liquid droplets by electrowetting-based actuation for digital microfluidic circuits. J Microelectromech Syst 12:70–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barz DPJ, Ehrhard P (2005) Model and verification of electrokinetic flow and transport in a micro-electrophoresis device. Lab Chip 5:949–958

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dittrich PS, Schwille P (2003) An integrated microfluidic system for reaction, high-sensitivity detection, and sorting of fluorescent cells and particles. Anal Chem 75:5767–5774

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knight JB, Vishwanath A, Brody JP, Austin RH (1998) Hydrodynamic focusing on a silicon chip: Mixing nanoliters in microseconds. Phys Rev Lett 80:3863–3866

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kruger J, Singh K, O’Neill A, Jackson C, Morrison A, O’Brien P (2002) Development of a microfluidic device for fluorescence activated cell sorting. J Micromech Microeng 12:486–494

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee GB, Hwei BH, Huang GR (2001) Micromachined pre-focused M × N flow switches for continuous multi-sample injection. J Micromech Microeng 11:654–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li HB, Zheng YN, Akin D, Bashir R (2005) Characterization and modeling of a microfluidic dielectrophoresis filter for biological species. J Microelectromech Syst 14:103–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu RH, Yang JN, Pindera MZ, Athavale M, Grodzinski P (2002) Bubble-induced acoustic micromixing. Lab Chip 2:151–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu H, Gaudet S, Schmidt MA, Jensen KF (2004) A microfabricated device for subcellular organelle sorting. Anal Chem 76:5705–5712

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munson MS, Hawkins KR, Hasenbank MS, Yager P (2005) Diffusion based analysis in a sheath flow microchannel: the sheath flow T-sensor. Lab Chip 5:856–862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Razunguzwa TT, Lenke J, Timperman AT (2005) An electrokinetic/hydrodynamic flow microfluidic CE-ESI-MS interface utilizing a hydrodynamic flow restrictor for delivery of samples under low EOF conditions. Lab Chip 5:851–855

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ren CL, Li DQ (2006) Electrokinetic sample transport in a microchannel with spatial electrical conductivity gradients. J Colloid Interface Sci 294:482–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynard C, Barthes M, Santini R, Tadrist L (2005) Experimental study of the onset of the 3D oscillatory thermocapillary convection around a single air or vapor bubble. Influence on heat transfer. Exp Therm Fluid Sci 29:783–793

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schnelle T, Muller T, Gradl G, Shirley SG, Fuhr G (1999) Paired microelectrode system: dielectrophoretic particle sorting and force calibration. J Electrostat 47:121–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tokimoto T, Tsukahara S, Watarai H (2005) Lactone cleavage reaction kinetics of rhodamine dye at liquid/liquid interfaces studied by micro-two-phase sheath flow two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy. Langmuir 21:1299–1304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsai JH, Lin LW (2002) A thermal-bubble-actuated micronozzle-diffuser pump. J Microelectromech Syst 11:665–671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vestad T, Marr DWM, Oakey J (2004) Flow control for capillary-pumped microfluidic systems. J Micromech Microeng 14:1503–1506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang XB, Huang Y, Gascoyne PRC, Becker FF (1997) Dielectrophoretic manipulation of particles. IEEE Trans Ind Appl Soc 33:660–669

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Washizu M (2005) Biological applications of electrostatic surface field effects. J Electrostat 63:795–802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang JT, Huang KJ, Lin YC (2005) Geometric effects on fluid mixing in passive grooved micromixers. Lab Chip 5:1140–1147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yao B, Luo GA, Feng X, Wang W, Chen LX, Wang YM (2004) A microfluidic device based on gravity and electric force driving for flow cytometry and fluorescence activated cell sorting. Lab Chip 4:603–607

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yaralioglu GG, Wygant IO, Marentis TC, Khuri-Yakub BT (2004) Ultrasonic mixing in microfluidic channels using integrated transducers. Anal Chem 76:3694–3698

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin ZZ, Prosperetti A (2005) ‘Blinking bubble’ micropump with microfabricated heaters. J Micromech Microeng 15:1683–1691

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant (02-K14–01-005-1-2) from the Center for Nanoscale Mechatronics & Manufacturing, one of 21st Century Frontier Research Programs, Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 373-1 Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea

    Sang Uk Son & Seung S. Lee

Authors
  1. Sang Uk Son
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Seung S. Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sang Uk Son.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Son, S.U., Lee, S.S. Microfocusing using the thermal actuation of microbubbles. Microfluid Nanofluid 6, 77–84 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-008-0297-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-008-0297-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation