TY - JOUR
T1 - Feedback-controlled microbubble generator producing one million monodisperse bubbles per second
AU - van Elburg, Benjamin
AU - Collado-Lara, Gonzalo
AU - Bruggert, Gert-Wim
AU - Segers, Tim
AU - Versluis, Michel
AU - Lajoinie, Guillaume
PY - 2021/3/1
Y1 - 2021/3/1
N2 - Monodisperse lipid-coated microbubbles are a promising route to unlock the full potential of ultrasound contrast agents for medical diagnosis and therapy. Here, we present a stand-alone lab-on-a-chip instrument that allows microbubbles to be formed with high monodispersity at high production rates. Key to maintaining a long-term stable, controlled, and safe operation of the microfluidic device with full control over the output size distribution is an optical transmission-based measurement technique that provides real-time information on the production rate and bubble size. We feed the data into a feedback loop and demonstrate that this system can control the on-chip bubble radius (2.5 μm-20 μm) and the production rate up to 106 bubbles/s. The freshly formed phospholipid-coated bubbles stabilize after their formation to a size approximately two times smaller than their initial on-chip bubble size without loss of monodispersity. The feedback control technique allows for full control over the size distribution of the agent and can aid the development of microfluidic platforms operated by non-specialist end users.
AB - Monodisperse lipid-coated microbubbles are a promising route to unlock the full potential of ultrasound contrast agents for medical diagnosis and therapy. Here, we present a stand-alone lab-on-a-chip instrument that allows microbubbles to be formed with high monodispersity at high production rates. Key to maintaining a long-term stable, controlled, and safe operation of the microfluidic device with full control over the output size distribution is an optical transmission-based measurement technique that provides real-time information on the production rate and bubble size. We feed the data into a feedback loop and demonstrate that this system can control the on-chip bubble radius (2.5 μm-20 μm) and the production rate up to 106 bubbles/s. The freshly formed phospholipid-coated bubbles stabilize after their formation to a size approximately two times smaller than their initial on-chip bubble size without loss of monodispersity. The feedback control technique allows for full control over the size distribution of the agent and can aid the development of microfluidic platforms operated by non-specialist end users.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102498518&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1063/5.0032140
DO - 10.1063/5.0032140
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85102498518
VL - 92
JO - Review of scientific instruments
JF - Review of scientific instruments
SN - 0034-6748
IS - 3
M1 - 035110
ER -