DROPLET PREPARATION AND SIZE CONTROL DEVICE BASED ON ELECTROWETTING STEP EMULSIFICATION

• US 20190329195A1
• Filed: 09/28/2017
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhejiang University
• Original Assignee: Zhejiang University
• Inventors: Xu, Zhongbin, He, Binbln, Huang, Xing, Wang, Zhengke, Wang, Baicun
• Granted Patent: US 10,518,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/22 Mixing of ingredients for pharmaceutical or medical compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/2204 Mixing chemical components in generals in order to improve chemical treatment or reactions, independently from the specific application
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/411 using electrical or magnetic fields, heat or vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/4142 Inversed-type emulsions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3031 using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2111 Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2203 Controlling the mixing process by feed-forward, i.e. a parameter of the components to be mixed is measured and the feed values are calculated
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 5/06 characterised by the use of electric means

Abstract

A droplet preparation and size control device based on electrowetting step emulsification is provided, including a syringe pump, a metal pipeline, a micro-channel, two electrode plates, a continuous phase container and a direct-current power supply, wherein: the syringe pump, the metal pipeline and the micro-channel are successively connected; an outlet of the micro-channel is clamped and sealed between the two electrode plates; each electrode plate consists of four layers, respectively a base layer, a conducting layer, an insulating layer and a hydrophobic layer; a cathode of the direct-current power supply is connected with the metal pipeline, and an anode of the direct-current power supply is connected with the conducting layer of each electrode plate; the syringe pump is filled with dispersed phase fluid; continuous phase fluid is injected into the continuous phase container and immerses the electrode plates. The present invention can adjust a supply voltage under a constant flow, so as to change sizes of droplets through changing a contact angle, and can also adjust the voltage under a flow fluctuation situation, so as to stabilize generation of the micro-droplets, thereby preparing the ultra-uniform micro-droplets. The ultra-uniform micro-droplets have important application prospects in fields of chemical engineering, pharmaceuticals, biomedicine and biochemistry.

Claims

1. A droplet preparation and size control device based on electrowetting step emulsification, comprising:

a syringe pump (1), a metal pipeline (3), a micro-channel (4), two electrode plates (5), a continuous phase container (6) and a direct-current power supply (7), wherein;

the syringe pump (1), the metal pipeline (3) and the micro-channel (4) are successively connected;

an outlet of the micro-channel (4) is clamped and sealed between the two electrode plates (5);

each electrode plate (5) consists of four layers, respectively a base layer, a conducting layer, an insulating layer and a hydrophobic layer;

a cathode of the direct-current power supply (7) is connected with the metal pipeline (3), and an anode of the direct-current power supply (7) is connected with the conducting layer of each electrode plate (5);

the syringe pump (1) is filled with dispersed phase fluid;

continuous phase fluid is injected into the continuous phase container (6) and immerses the electrode plates (5);

the syringe pump (1) is pulled, so that droplets are generated at lower parts of the electrode plates (5);

then the direct-current power supply (7) is switched on, so as to enable the dispersed phase fluid in the micro-channel (4) to be negatively charged;

the two electrode plates (5) are positively charged and form a capacitor;

when a flow of the syringe pump (1) changes, sizes of the droplets are adjusted through adjusting a voltage of the direct-current power supply (7), so as to stably obtain the droplets with a specified diameter;

the dispersed phase fluid is a conducting solution, and the continuous phase fluid comprises components of silicone oil and surfactant.

2. The droplet preparation and size control device based on the electrowetting step emulsification, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a flow sensor (2) and a single chip microcomputer (8), wherein the flow sensor (2) is connected between the syringe pump (1) and the metal pipeline (3);

a signal collection port of the single chip microcomputer (8) is connected with the flow sensor (2), and a control signal output port of the single chip microcomputer (8) is connected with a communication port of the direct-current power supply (7);

according to a function relationship among the diameter of each droplet, the flow and the voltage, which is obtained through a history test, the single chip microcomputer (8) automatically measures a current flow and adjusts the voltage of the direct-current power supply, so as to obtain the uniform droplets with the specified diameter.

3. The droplet preparation and size control device based on the electrowetting step emulsification, as recited in claim 1, wherein:

a distance between the two electrode plates (5) is h, a distance from the outlet of the micro-channel (4) to bottom sides of the electrode plates (5) is l, l≥

3 h.

5. The droplet preparation and size control device based on the electrowetting step emulsification, as recited in claim 2, wherein:

a distance between the two electrode plates (5) is h, a distance from the outlet of the micro-channel (4) to bottom sides of the electrode plates (5) is l, l≥

3 h.

6. The droplet preparation and size control device based on the electrowetting step emulsification, as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the dispersed phase fluid comprises components of glycerinum, water and sodium chloride with weight percentages respectively of 80 wt %, 19 wt % and 1 wt %;

the continuous phase fluid comprises components of silicone oil and surfactant with weight percentages respectively of 95 wt % and 5 wt %.

4. (canceled)