Fast and controllable elastocapillary flow channels using suspended membranes

The ability to control the fluid velocity and flow rate in microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADS) will help to enable more sensitive and flexible point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. We present an elastocapillary channel design, for fluid flow in porous membranes, which enables an increase...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fishlock, Sam J., Steele, David, Puttaswamy, Srinivasu V., Lubarsky, Gennady V., Navarro, Cesar, Burns, William P., McLaughlin, James
Format: Conference Proceeding
Language:English
Subjects:
Fluid flow
Liquids
Microfluidics
Sensitivity
Substrates
Time measurement
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:The ability to control the fluid velocity and flow rate in microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADS) will help to enable more sensitive and flexible point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. We present an elastocapillary channel design, for fluid flow in porous membranes, which enables an increase in flow velocity by a factor of up to 4.45 compared with a porous membrane used in a standard, non-suspended, format. The increase in flow rate is controllable with varying channel width, and is enabled by using an elastocapillary action, where the flexible porous membrane is suspended over a rigid substrate and deformed during fluid imbibition. This enabling technology is particularly useful in POC diagnostics, where small samples need be rapidly transported and mixed with minimal loss of volume.
ISSN:2160-1968
DOI:10.1109/MEMSYS.2018.8346769