We have been working on several aspects of microdroplet formation. We have expertise in microdroplet formation using different microchannel designs as well as detection of microdroplets using low-cost, very small footprint sensors. We have also studies on monitoring of biological activities in microdroplets. The sensors that have been developed by our group can be used for not only counting microdroplets but also to detect their content. Check out our publications below for more details.
Hemagglutination in droplets (M. Marcali et. al. 2016)
We have shown the formation of whole blood droplets inside PDMS microfluidic devices. Using coplanar electrodes we have demonstrated that we can determine the agglutination of red blood cells inside droplets.
Formation of microdroplets (T. Glawdel et. al 2012)
We have studies two-phase flow kinetics extensively to explain generation of microdroplets specifically for T-junction type microfluidic droplet generators. The deep understanding of droplet formation leads to successful formation of very monodisperse droplets in microchannels.
Triboelectric power harvesting and biochemical sensing using microdroplets (M. Kanik et. al. 2016)
Recently, we have demonstrated triboelectric energy harvesting and biosensing inside microdroplets. We integrated a microdroplet generation system with PVDF fibers with copper electrodes wrapped around. The water droplets segmented by air gaps lead to electrical induction which was utilized for both energy harvesting and for biochemical detection inside microdroplets. The fine control of droplet size and velocity led to tuning of the triboelectric signal.
