Uniform Microsphere Formation by Liquid Choppers Utilizing PZT Actuator: Theoretical and Simulation Study
An innovative uniform microsphere formation based on MEMS was developed by numerical simulation as a preliminary study. This simulation study proposes a new technology to cut off a hydrodynamically focused liquid filament into micro-sized spheres applying a novel combination of hydrodynamic flow focusing and an oscillating external flux. A dispersed phase flow is surrounded by an annular continuous phase sheath flow at upper stream of the main channel on a microchannel module. The focused liquid filament is driven to lower of the channel and cut by fluctuating flux from external channels. The oscillation of the external flow is generated by a piezoelectric actuator that deforms with a frequency yielding high pressure on the stream of the main channel. The initiated high pressure of the external flow overcomes the interfacing forces of the two-phase flows, and the focused liquid filament is pinched off, which is characterized as a liquid chopper. This liquid chopper is activated in various frequencies and pressures generating different sizes of uniform microspheres. The simulation results explain that the size of the microspheres is well controllable by the piezoelectric actuator. This proposed novel method promises high potential to produce various sizes of microspheres without additional changes of the geometry of the microchannel.
microspheres liquid chopper uniformity drug delivery piezoelectric actuator hydrodynamic flow focusing
Ki-Young Song W.J.Zhang Madan M.Gupta
Division of Biomedical Engineering University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon,SK,Canada
国际会议
北京
英文
1-4
2009-06-11（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）