Related papers: Frequency-specific, valveless flow control in inse…
Unlike human intestines, which are long, hollow tubes, the intestines of sharks and rays contain interior helical structures surrounding a cylindrical hole. One function of these structures may be to create asymmetric flow, favoring passage…
We have developed a microfluidic tool to measure the diffusion coefficient $D$ of solutes in an aqueous solution, by following the temporal relaxation of an initially steep concentration gradient in a microchannel. Our chip exploits…
The elasticity of PDMS has played a central role in advancing important microfluidic technologies, ranging from early valves to sophisticated organ-on-a-chip systems. However, most deformable microfluidic devices are based on geometries…
Microfluidics involves the manipulation of flows at the microscale, typically requiring external power sources to generate pressure gradients. Alternatively, harnessing flows from active fluids, which are usually chaotic, has been proposed…
We have developed and characterized two novel micro flow sensors based on measuring the electrical impedance of the interface between the flowing liquid and metallic electrodes embedded on the channel walls. These flow sensors are very…
Viscous streaming refers to the rectified, steady flows that emerge when a liquid oscillates around an immersed microfeature, typically a solid body or a bubble. The ability of such features to locally concentrate stresses produces strong…
Nematodes have evolved to swim in highly viscous environments. Artificial mechanisms that mimic the locomotory functions of nematodes can be efficient viscous pumps. We experimentally simulate the motion of the head segment of…
The acoustofluidic method holds great promise for manipulating microorganisms. When exposed to the steady vortex structures of acoustic streaming flow, these microorganisms exhibit intriguing dynamic behaviors, such as hydrodynamic trapping…
In this article, we have developed a computational model to determine the droplet formation regime and its transition in a square microfluidic flow-focusing device that eventually dictate the droplet shape, size, and its formation…
Opto-mechano-fluidic resonators (OMFRs) are a unique optofluidics platform that can measure the acoustic properties of fluids and bioanalytes in a fully-contained microfluidic system. By confining light in ultra-high-Q whispering gallery…
Here we report the first sub-milligram flapping wing vehicle which is able to mimic insect wing kinematics. Wing stroke amplitude of 90$^\circ$ and wing pitch amplitude of 80$^\circ$ is demonstrated. This is also the smallest wing-span…
We demonstrate novel instrumentation for spontaneous Raman spectroscopy in biofluids, enabling development of a portable, automated, reliable diagnostics technique requiring minimal operator expertise to quantify disease markers. Label-free…
The flow profile in a capillary gap and the pumping efficiency of an acoustic micropump employing Surface Acoustic Waves is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Such ultrasonic surface waves on a piezoelectric substrate…
The way living tissues respond to external mechanical forces is crucial in physiological processes like embryogenesis, homeostasis or tumor growth. Providing a complete description across length scales which relates the properties of…
A new type of microfluidic system for biological cell manipulation, a CMOS/microfluidic hybrid, is demonstrated. The hybrid system starts with a custom-designed CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) chip fabricated in a…
Biomedical and biochemical processes in paper-based microfluidic devices often deal with mixing of two analytes to perform important functions. Uniform mixing of analytes in paper matrix is a challenging proposition, often necessitating…
The need for rapid fabrication of microfluidic devices has become increasingly critical as microfluidics become part of biomedical sensors. Using Warp and Weft Wiring (WWW) of copper wires, this paper presents a novel low-cost method for…
We present force characterizations of two newly developed insect-scale propulsors--one single-tailed and one double-tailed--for microrobotic swimmers that leverage fluid-structure interaction (FSI) to generate thrust. The designs of these…
We report on the measurement of mechanical properties of the transparent wings of an insect (popularly known as the 'rain fly') using an atomic force microscope (AFM) down to nanometer length scales. We observe that the frictional and…
In Nature, liquids often circulate in channels textured with leaflets, cilia or porous walls that deform with the flow. These soft structures are optimized to passively control flows and inspire the design of novel microfluidic and soft…