TY - JOUR
T1 - Novel swirl flow-focusing microfluidic device for the production of monodisperse microbubbles
AU - Arcos-Turmo, Irene
AU - Herrada, Miguel Ángel
AU - López-Herrera, José María
AU - Fernandez Rivas, David
AU - Gañán-Calvo, Alfonso M.
AU - Castro-Hernández, Elena
N1 - Springer deal
PY - 2018/7/20
Y1 - 2018/7/20
N2 - A novel swirl flow-focusing microfluidic axisymmetric device for the generation of monodisperse microbubbles at high production rates to be used as in-line contrast agents for medical applications is presented. The swirl effect is induced upstream of the discharge orifice by a circular array of microblades which form a given angle with the radial direction. The induced vortical component on the focusing liquid stabilizes the gas meniscus by the vorticity amplification due to vortex stretching as the liquid is forced through the discharge orifice. The stabilized meniscus tapers into a steady gas ligament that breaks into monodisperse microbubbles. A reduction up to 57% in the microbubble diameter is accomplished when compared to conventional axisymmetric flow-focusing microdevices. An exhaustive experimental study is performed for various blade angles and numerous gas to liquid flow rate ratios, validating previous VoF numerical simulations. The microbubbles issued from the stabilized menisci verify prior scaling law of flow-focusing.
AB - A novel swirl flow-focusing microfluidic axisymmetric device for the generation of monodisperse microbubbles at high production rates to be used as in-line contrast agents for medical applications is presented. The swirl effect is induced upstream of the discharge orifice by a circular array of microblades which form a given angle with the radial direction. The induced vortical component on the focusing liquid stabilizes the gas meniscus by the vorticity amplification due to vortex stretching as the liquid is forced through the discharge orifice. The stabilized meniscus tapers into a steady gas ligament that breaks into monodisperse microbubbles. A reduction up to 57% in the microbubble diameter is accomplished when compared to conventional axisymmetric flow-focusing microdevices. An exhaustive experimental study is performed for various blade angles and numerous gas to liquid flow rate ratios, validating previous VoF numerical simulations. The microbubbles issued from the stabilized menisci verify prior scaling law of flow-focusing.
KW - UT-Hybrid-D
KW - Microbubble
KW - Flow-focusing
KW - Swirl
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85050381452&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10404-018-2100-2
DO - 10.1007/s10404-018-2100-2
M3 - Article
SN - 1613-4982
VL - 22
JO - Microfluidics and nanofluidics
JF - Microfluidics and nanofluidics
M1 - 79
ER -