Dataset Information

Programmable droplet manipulation by a magnetic-actuated robot.

ABSTRACT: Droplet manipulations are fundamental to numerous applications, such as water collection, medical diagnostics, and drug delivery. Structure-based liquid operations have been widely used both in nature and in artificial materials. However, current strategies depend mainly on fixed structures to realize unidirectional water movement, while multiple manipulation of droplets is still challenging. Here, we propose a magnetic-actuated robot with adjustable structures to achieve programmable multiple manipulations of droplets. The adjustable structure redistributes the resisting forces from the front and rear ends of the droplets, which determine the droplet behaviors. We can transport, split, release, and rotate the droplets using the robot. This robot is universally applicable for manipulation of various fluids in rough environments. These findings offer an efficient strategy for automated manipulation of droplets.

SUBMITTER: Li A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7021501 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Programmable droplet manipulation by a magnetic-actuated robot.

Li An A Li Huizeng H Li Zheng Z Zhao Zhipeng Z Li Kaixuan K Li Mingzhu M Song Yanlin Y

Science advances 20200214 7

Droplet manipulations are fundamental to numerous applications, such as water collection, medical diagnostics, and drug delivery. Structure-based liquid operations have been widely used both in nature and in artificial materials. However, current strategies depend mainly on fixed structures to realize unidirectional water movement, while multiple manipulation of droplets is still challenging. Here, we propose a magnetic-actuated robot with adjustable structures to achieve programmable multiple m ...[more]

PMID: 32110731

Similar Datasets

Project description:We have developed droplet microfluidic devices in thermoplastics and demonstrated the integration of key functional components that not only facilitate droplet generation, but also include electric field-assisted reagent injection, droplet splitting, and magnetic field-assisted bead extraction. We manufactured devices in poly(methyl methacrylate) and cyclic olefin polymer using a hot-embossing procedure employing silicon masters fabricated via photolithography and deep reactive ion etching techniques. Device characterization showed robust fabrication with uniform feature transfer and good embossing yield. Channel modification with heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyltrichlorosilane increased device hydrophobicity, allowing stable generation of 330-pL aqueous droplets using T-junction configuration. Picoinjector and K-channel motifs were also both successfully integrated into the thermoplastic devices, allowing for robust control over electric field-assisted reagent injection, as well as droplet splitting with the K-channel. A magnetic field was also introduced to the K-channel geometry to allow for selective concentration of magnetic beads while decanting waste volume through droplet splitting. To show the ability to link multiple, modular features in a single thermoplastic device, we integrated droplet generation, reagent injection, and magnetic field-assisted droplet splitting on a single device, realizing a magnetic bead washing scheme to selectively exchange the fluid composition around the magnetic particles, analogous to the washing steps in many common biochemical assays. Finally, integrated devices were used to perform a proof-of-concept in-droplet β-galactosidase enzymatic assay combining enzyme-magnetic bead containing droplet generation, resorufin-β-D-galactopyranoside substrate injection, enzyme-substrate reaction, and enzyme-magnetic bead washing. By integrating multiple droplet operations and actuation forces we have demonstrated the potential of thermoplastic droplet microfluidic devices for complex (bio)chemical analysis, and we envision a path toward mass fabrication of droplet microfluidic devices for a range of (bio)chemical applications.

Dataset Information

Programmable droplet manipulation by a magnetic-actuated robot.

Publications

Programmable droplet manipulation by a magnetic-actuated robot.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets