Abstract:
A microfluidic system including a piezoelectric substrate (1), a wave generation means (5) for generating a wave in the piezoelectric substrate, and a rigid secondary substrate (11) coupled to said piezoelectric substrate (1) and providing a working surface (12) for the system, the secondary substrate (11) being formed of a relatively chemically inert material, and the coupling of the piezoelectric substrate (1) with the secondary substrate (12) being provided by a fluid coupling layer (13) located between the piezoelectric substrate (1) and the secondary substrate (12) overlaying the piezoelectric substrate (1). In one application, the system may be used to synthesize zeolite nanocrystals via atomization of a liquid droplet (15).
Abstract:
Disclosed is a centrifugal microfluidic device comprising a piezoelectric substrate; a rotatable platform device on the substrate; and at least one transducer on the substrate, the transducer being configured to generate a surface acoustic wave that propagates on the surface of the substrate and contacts the rotatable platform device asymmetrically to transfer energy thereto with a lateral distribution to cause rotation of the rotatable platform device. The device may be a microfluidic valve, a microfluidic mixer or a microfluidic particle concentrator.
Abstract:
A method of manipulating particles suspended within a fluid droplet using a microfluidic system including a piezoelectric substrate (1) and a wave generation means (3) for generating a wave within the piezoelectric substrate (1), and a working surface (2) through which the wave can be distributed and upon which fluid droplets (9) can be located, the method including locating one or more droplets of fluid on the working surface (2), varying the power applied to the wave generation means (3) or varying the distribution of the wave across the working surface (2), such that particles (1 1) suspended within the fluid droplet (9) are either dispersed within the droplet or concentrated in an area within the droplet in dependence on the power or wave distribution applied by the wave generation means (3) to the piezoelectric substrate (1), or to facilitate rotation of the fluid within said fluid droplets (9) located jn the path of the wave.