Metering and Routing of Liquid Quanta in Microfluidic Devices

This thesis describes the development of a number of microfluidic handling techniques, including; (i) the detection of individual liquid droplets using electrical position sensors; (ii) the generation and control over the three major microfluidic segmented laminar flow regimes; (iii) the creation of discrete liquid quanta by entirely chip-driven techniques, including on-chip valves and pumps; (iv) the driving around of those resulting liquid quanta; and (v) the combining of multiple microfluidic peristaltic pumps into a multiplexed arrangement, allowing for many pumps to be controlled by a limited number of external pneumatic connections. These techniques were integrated to create an overall microfluidic droplet routing platform, capable of generating and directing individual liquid elements to arbitrary locations within a large microfluidic A I array, using completely chip-driven actuations. As a testbed application, the microfluidic capabilities developed here were utilized in conjunction with an electrohydrodynamic-jet printing process to generate a high resolution heterogeneous printhead.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Cole, Matthew Charles

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kenis, Paul J.A.

• Engineering, Materials Science

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3347290

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/82417