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Systematic characterization of degas-driven flow for poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices.

ABSTRACT: Degas-driven flow is a novel phenomenon used to propel fluids in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices without requiring any external power. This method takes advantage of the inherently high porosity and air solubility of PDMS by removing air molecules from the bulk PDMS before initiating the flow. The dynamics of degas-driven flow are dependent on the channel and device geometries and are highly sensitive to temporal parameters. These dependencies have not been fully characterized, hindering broad use of degas-driven flow as a microfluidic pumping mechanism. Here, we characterize, for the first time, the effect of various parameters on the dynamics of degas-driven flow, including channel geometry, PDMS thickness, PDMS exposure area, vacuum degassing time, and idle time at atmospheric pressure before loading. We investigate the effect of these parameters on flow velocity as well as channel fill time for the degas-driven flow process. Using our devices, we achieved reproducible flow with a standard deviation of less than 8% for flow velocity, as well as maximum flow rates of up to 3 nL∕s and mean flow rates of approximately 1-1.5 nL∕s. Parameters such as channel surface area and PDMS chip exposure area were found to have negligible impact on degas-driven flow dynamics, whereas channel cross-sectional area, degas time, PDMS thickness, and idle time were found to have a larger impact. In addition, we develop a physical model that can predict mean flow velocities within 6% of experimental values and can be used as a tool for future design of PDMS-based microfluidic devices that utilize degas-driven flow.

SUBMITTER: Liang DY

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3124517 | biostudies-other | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:In this study, we show the importance of extensional rheology, in addition to the shear rheology, in the choice of blood analog solutions intended to be used in vitro for mimicking the microcirculatory system. For this purpose, we compare the flow of a Newtonian fluid and two well-established viscoelastic blood analog polymer solutions through microfluidic channels containing both hyperbolic and abrupt contractions∕expansions. The hyperbolic shape was selected in order to impose a nearly constant strain rate at the centerline of the microchannels and achieve a quasihomogeneous and strong extensional flow often found in features of the human microcirculatory system such as stenoses. The two blood analog fluids used are aqueous solutions of a polyacrylamide (125 ppm w∕w) and of a xanthan gum (500 ppm w∕w), which were characterized rheologically in steady-shear flow using a rotational rheometer and in extension using a capillary breakup extensional rheometer (CaBER). Both blood analogs exhibit a shear-thinning behavior similar to that of whole human blood, but their relaxation times, obtained from CaBER experiments, are substantially different (by one order of magnitude). Visualizations of the flow patterns using streak photography, measurements of the velocity field using microparticle image velocimetry, and pressure-drop measurements were carried out experimentally for a wide range of flow rates. The experimental results were also compared with the numerical simulations of the flow of a Newtonian fluid and a generalized Newtonian fluid with shear-thinning behavior. Our results show that the flow patterns of the two blood analog solutions are considerably different, despite their similar shear rheology. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the elastic properties of the fluid have a major impact on the flow characteristics, with the polyacrylamide solution exhibiting a much stronger elastic character. As such, these properties must be taken into account in the choice or development of analog fluids that are adequate to replicate blood behavior at the microscale.

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Systematic characterization of degas-driven flow for poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices.

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