Microfluidic rectifier based on poly(dimethylsiloxane) membrane and its application to a micropump

A microfluidic rectifier incorporating an obstructed microchannel and a PDMS membrane is proposed. During forward flow, the membrane deflects in the upward direction; thereby allowing the fluid to pass over the obstacle. Conversely, during reverse flow, the membrane seals against the obstacle, thereby closing the channel and preventing flow. It is shown that the proposed device can operate over a wide pressure range by increasing or decreasing the membrane thickness as required. A microfluidic pump is realized by integrating the rectifier with a simple stepper motor mechanism. The experimental results show that the pump can achieve a vertical left height of more than 2 m. Moreover, it is shown that a maximum flow rate of 6.3 ml/min can be obtained given a membrane thickness of 200 μm and a motor velocity of 80 rpm. In other words, the proposed microfluidic rectifier not only provides an effective means of preventing reverse flow but also permits the realization of a highly efficient microfluidic pump.     

Mathematical model of pulsatile flow of non-Newtonian fluid in tubes of varying cross-sections and its implications to blood flow

The effects of rheological behavior of blood and pulsatility on flow through an artery with stenosis have been investigated. Blood has been represented by a non-Newtonian fluid obeying Herschel–Bulkley equation. Using the Reynolds number as the perturbation parameter, a perturbation technique is adopted to solve the resulting quasi-steady non-linear coupled implicit system of differential equations. Analytical expressions for velocity distribution, wall shear stress, volumetric flow rate and the mean flow resistance have been obtained. It is observed that the wall shear stress and flow resistance increase for increasing value of yield stress with other parameters held fixed. One of the remarkable results of the present analysis is not only to bring out the effect of the size of the stenosis but also to study the influence of the shape of the stenosis. The change in the shape of the stenosis brings out a significant change in the value of flow resistance but it has no effect on the variation of wall shear stress except shifting the point (where it attains its maximum value) towards downstream. It is pertinent to point out that pulsatile flow of Newtonian fluid, Bingham plastic fluid and Power-law fluid become particular cases of the present model. The present approach has general validity in comparison with many mathematical models developed by others and may be applied to any mathematical model by taking into account of any type of rheological property of blood. The obtained velocity profiles have been compared with the experimental data and it is observed that blood behaves like a Herschel–Bulkley fluid rather than Power-law and Bingham fluids. Finally, some biorheological applications of the present model have briefly been discussed.     

Direction dependence of displacement time for two-fluid electroosmotic flow

Electroosmotic flow that involves one fluid displacing another fluid is commonly encountered in various microfludic applications and experiments, for example, current monitoring technique to determine zeta potential of microchannel. There is experimentally observed anomaly in such flow, namely, the displacement time is flow direction dependent, i.e., it depends if it is a high concentration fluid displacing a low concentration fluid, or vice versa. Thus, this investigation focuses on the displacement flow of two fluids with various concentration differences. The displacement time was determined experimentally with current monitoring method. It is concluded that the time required for a high concentration solution to displace a low concentration solution is smaller than the time required for a low concentration solution to displace a high concentration solution. The percentage displacement time difference increases with increasing concentration difference and independent of the length or width of the channel and the voltage applied. Hitherto, no theoretical analysis or numerical simulation has been conducted to explain this phenomenon. A numerical model based on finite element method was developed to explain the experimental observations. Simulations showed that the velocity profile and ion distribution deviate significantly from a single fluid electroosmotic flow. The distortion of ion distribution near the electrical double layer is responsible for the displacement time difference for the two different flow directions. The trends obtained from simulations agree with the experimental findings.     

Extensional flow of blood analog solutions in microfluidic devices

In this study, we show the importance of extensional rheology, in addition to the shear rheology, in the choice of blood analog solutions intended to be used in vitro for mimicking the microcirculatory system. For this purpose, we compare the flow of a Newtonian fluid and two well-established viscoelastic blood analog polymer solutions through microfluidic channels containing both hyperbolic and abrupt contractions∕expansions. The hyperbolic shape was selected in order to impose a nearly constant strain rate at the centerline of the microchannels and achieve a quasihomogeneous and strong extensional flow often found in features of the human microcirculatory system such as stenoses. The two blood analog fluids used are aqueous solutions of a polyacrylamide (125 ppm w∕w) and of a xanthan gum (500 ppm w∕w), which were characterized rheologically in steady-shear flow using a rotational rheometer and in extension using a capillary breakup extensional rheometer (CaBER). Both blood analogs exhibit a shear-thinning behavior similar to that of whole human blood, but their relaxation times, obtained from CaBER experiments, are substantially different (by one order of magnitude). Visualizations of the flow patterns using streak photography, measurements of the velocity field using microparticle image velocimetry, and pressure-drop measurements were carried out experimentally for a wide range of flow rates. The experimental results were also compared with the numerical simulations of the flow of a Newtonian fluid and a generalized Newtonian fluid with shear-thinning behavior. Our results show that the flow patterns of the two blood analog solutions are considerably different, despite their similar shear rheology. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the elastic properties of the fluid have a major impact on the flow characteristics, with the polyacrylamide solution exhibiting a much stronger elastic character. As such, these properties must be taken into account in the choice or development of analog fluids that are adequate to replicate blood behavior at the microscale.     

流阻和摩擦对流体流动作功装置性能的影响

研究非线性流阻和作功机械内部摩擦对流体流动作功装置性能的影响,导出输出功率与机械效率以及功率损耗与机械效率间的关系,又由此导出最大输出功率及其相应的一些重要性能参数,并作些有意义的讨论。所得结论可为流体流动作功装置的优化设计提供些新理论依据。     

A novel miniature dynamic microfluidic cell culture platform using electro-osmosis diode pumping

An electro-osmosis (EOS) diode pumping platform capable of culturing cells in fluidic cellular micro-environments particularly at low volume flow rates has been developed. Diode pumps have been shown to be a viable alternative to mechanically driven pumps. Typically electrokinetic micro-pumps were limited to low-concentration solutions (≤10 mM). In our approach, surface mount diodes were embedded along the sidewalls of a microchannel to rectify externally applied alternating current into pulsed direct current power across the diodes in order to generate EOS flows. This approach has for the first time generated flows at ultra-low flow rates (from 2.0 nl/s to 12.3 nl/s) in aqueous solutions with concentrations greater than 100 mM. The range of flow was generated by changing the electric field strength applied to the diodes from 0.5 Vpp/cm to 10 Vpp/cm. Embedding an additional diode on the upper surface of the enclosed microchannel increased flow rates further. We characterized the diode pump-driven fluidics in terms of intensities and frequencies of electric inputs, pH values of solutions, and solution types. As part of this study, we found that the growth of A549 human lung cancer cells was positively affected in the microfluidic diode pumping system. Though the chemical reaction compromised the fluidic control overtime, the system could be maintained fully functional over a long time if the solution was changed every hour. In conclusion, the advantage of miniature size and ability to accurately control fluids at ultra-low volume flow rates can make this diode pumping system attractive to lab-on-a-chip applications and biomedical engineering in vitro studies.     

Swimming direction reversal of flagella through ciliary motion of mastigonemes

Bio-inspired designs can provide an answer to engineering problems such as swimming strategies at the micron or nano-scale. Scientists are now designing artificial micro-swimmers that can mimic flagella-powered swimming of micro-organisms. In an application such as lab-on-a-chip in which micro-object manipulation in small flow geometries could be achieved by micro-swimmers, control of the swimming direction becomes an important aspect for retrieval and control of the micro-swimmer. A bio-inspired approach for swimming direction reversal (a flagellum bearing mastigonemes) can be used to design such a system and is being explored in the present work. We analyze the system using a computational framework in which the equations of solid mechanics and fluid dynamics are solved simultaneously. The fluid dynamics of Stokes flow is represented by a 2D Stokeslets approach while the solid mechanics behavior is realized using Euler-Bernoulli beam elements. The working principle of a flagellum bearing mastigonemes can be broken up into two parts: (1) the contribution of the base flagellum and (2) the contribution of mastigonemes, which act like cilia. These contributions are counteractive, and the net motion (velocity and direction) is a superposition of the two. In the present work, we also perform a dimensional analysis to understand the underlying physics associated with the system parameters such as the height of the mastigonemes, the number of mastigonemes, the flagellar wave length and amplitude, the flagellum length, and mastigonemes rigidity. Our results provide fundamental physical insight on the swimming of a flagellum with mastigonemes, and it provides guidelines for the design of artificial flagellar systems.     

液固两相槽道流中柱状粒子取向的数值研究

对柱状粒子在槽道流场内的运动进行数值模拟，然后用统计方法得出大量柱状粒子的取向分布；给出了粒子长径比、粒子密度和流场区域对粒子取向分布的影响．计算结果表明，柱状粒子长径比的变化对粒子取向分布的影响不明显，粒子密度对粒子取向分布有一定影响，而流场区域所造成的流场横向速度梯度对粒子取向分布有重要影响．随着流场横向速度梯度增大，粒子取向趋势愈加明显，且当流场横向速度梯度增大到一定程度时，粒子取向都趋向于流动方向．文中部分结果与相关实验进行了比较，两者定性吻合较好。     

模糊需求下三级闭环供应链协调的收入共享契约研究

闭环供应链中往往会产生正反两方向的"双重边际化效应",造成供应链系统效率的损失。研究了一个由制造商、零售商和第三方回收商组成的三级闭环供应链系统在模糊需求环境下的协调机制,分析了三方在分散决策和集中决策两种情形下的决策过程,并给出收入共享契约机制下的决策模型。最后通过一个算例分析表明,模糊需求环境下,收入共享契约机制可以有效协调闭环供应链中各方利润,并使供应链系统的总利润达到集中决策时的水平。     

Experimental verification of Faradaic charging in ac electrokinetics

This paper investigates the phenomenon of Faradaic charging in ac electrokinetics. Faradaic reactions were suggested as a key effect responsible for the reversal of pumping direction in ac micropumps. However, this hypothesis has yet to be proven convincingly and directly. Here we present an ion detection strategy to determine the production of ions through Faradaic hydrolytic reactions originating from direct application of voltage to electrolytic solutions during ac electrokinetics. Experiments were performed with symmetrical planar electrodes aligned along a microfluidic channel. Fluorescein, a pH-dependent dye, was employed as the pH indicator for the detection of ion production. Images were captured for analysis at various voltage levels. From analyzing the fluorescence intensity and its distribution, it can be concluded that the production of ions from hydrolytic reactions takes place and increases with the ac voltage. The coefficient of deviation indicates a significant enhancement at ac voltage above 11 V_pp. Lastly, we demonstrate a strategy using dc-biased ac electrokinetics to achieve controllability in direction and magnitude of the net fluid flow in pumping application.     

Nanoparticle image velocimetry at topologically structured surfaces

Nanoparticle image velocimetry (nano-PIV), based on total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy, is very useful to investigate fluid flows within ∼100 nm from a surface; but so far it has only been applied to flow over smooth surfaces. Here we show that it can also be applied to flow over a topologically structured surface, provided that the surface structures can be carefully configured not to disrupt the evanescent-wave illumination. We apply nano-PIV to quantify the flow velocity distribution over a polydimethylsiloxane surface, with a periodic gratinglike structure (with 215 nm height and 2 μm period) fabricated using our customized multilevel lithography method. The measured tracer displacement data are in good agreement with the computed theoretical values. These results demonstrate new possibilities to study the interactions between fluid flow and topologically structured surfaces.     

An electrohydrodynamic flow in ac electrowetting

In ac electrowetting, hydrodynamic flows occur within a droplet. Two distinct flow patterns were observed, depending on the frequency of the applied electrical signal. The flow at low-frequency range was explained in terms of shape oscillation and a steady streaming process in conjunction with contact line oscillation. The origin of the flow at high-frequency range has not yet been explained. We suggest that the high-frequency flow originated mainly from the electrothermal effect, in which electrical charge is generated due to the gradient of electrical conductivity and permittivity, which is induced by the Joule heating of fluid medium. To support our argument, we analyzed the flow field numerically while considering the electrical body force generated by the electrothermal effect. We visualized the flow pattern and measured the flow velocity inside the droplet. The numerical results show qualitative agreement with experimental results with respect to electric field and frequency dependence of flow velocity. The effects of induced-charge electro-osmosis, natural convection, and the Marangoni flow are discussed.     

Web 2.0—The past and the future

Although it has been around for 11 years, it is still not clear where Web 2.0 will lead. This paper presents a general discussion of past and recent trends that may positively influence the direction of Web 2.0, including cloud computing and other emerging business models. In order to move forward, Web 3.0 is proposed for the next generation of work that integrates Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things and security. We also present criteria and future direction for Web 3.0 to allow all services and people can stay connected with each other.     

中小型PLC交流参量采集方案的设计

可编程控制器作为实现工业自动化的重要手段之一,在工业现场主要是用来处理各种开关量.但随着技术的发展,各种高性能输入、输出模块的出现,大大增强了可编程控制器对模拟量的响应能力。本文主要介绍了在实际工程中如何组态可编程控制器的模拟量输入模块,以及如何把模拟量参数整定为工程需要的电参量。以MPLC的模拟量通道为例,介绍利用"寄存器-数据表"传送指令对PLC模拟量输入通道进行数据采集和处理的方法,包括硬件连接、工作流程和梯形图控制程序的编制。详细说明了模拟量串行输入接口的设计方法、硬件结构及工作原理,给出了程序(梯形图)及接口时序。实验证明该接口较好地满足PLC对模拟信号的采集。     

低渗透油藏双线渗流油井指示曲线研究

考虑启动压力梯度和介质变形系数的影响,建立了低渗透油藏垂直裂缝井双线流模型。根据此模型可得到不同地层参数条件下的油井指示曲线。计算结果表明：随着介质变形系数的减小,指示曲线的斜率逐渐增大,随着启动压力梯度的增大,指示曲线逐渐向下平移。     

组织知识转移影响要素的实证研究

知识转移作为知识管理重要分支受到日益广泛的关注,基于社会交换理论,提出组织知识转移的推拉效用模型,从知识易表达性、内部激励机制、企业组织体制和外部运作环境等方面探讨了组织知识转移的影响因素,并采用结构方程模型实证研究上述因素对组织知识转移绩效的影响作用,指出了进一步研究的方向.     

Microfluidic conformal coating of non-spherical magnetic particles

We present the conformal coating of non-spherical magnetic particles in a co-laminar flow microfluidic system. Whereas in the previous reports spherical particles had been coated with thin films that formed spheres around the particles; in this article, we show the coating of non-spherical particles with coating layers that are approximately uniform in thickness. The novelty of our work is that while liquid-liquid interfacial tension tends to minimize the surface area of interfaces—for example, to form spherical droplets that encapsulate spherical particles—in our experiments, the thin film that coats non-spherical particles has a non-minimal interfacial area. We first make bullet-shaped magnetic microparticles using a stop-flow lithography method that was previously demonstrated. We then suspend the bullet-shaped microparticles in an aqueous solution and flow the particle suspension with a co-flow of a non-aqueous mixture. A magnetic field gradient from a permanent magnet pulls the microparticles in the transverse direction to the fluid flow, until the particles reach the interface between the immiscible fluids. We observe that upon crossing the oil-water interface, the microparticles become coated by a thin film of the aqueous fluid. When we increase the two-fluid interfacial tension by reducing surfactant concentration, we observe that the particles become trapped at the interface, and we use this observation to extract an approximate magnetic susceptibility of the manufactured non-spherical microparticles. Finally, using fluorescence imaging, we confirm the uniformity of the thin film coating along the entire curved surface of the bullet-shaped particles. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of conformal coating of non-spherical particles using microfluidics.     

Computational investigations of the mixing performance inside liquid slugs generated by a microfluidic T-junction

Droplet-based microfluidics has gained extensive research interest as it overcomes several challenges confronted by conventional single-phase microfluidics. The mixing performance inside droplets/slugs is critical in many applications such as advanced material syntheses and in situ kinetic measurements. In order to understand the effects of operating conditions on the mixing performance inside liquid slugs generated by a microfluidic T-junction, we have adopted the volume of fluid method coupled with the species transport model to study and quantify the mixing efficiencies inside slugs. Our simulation results demonstrate that an efficient mixing process is achieved by the intimate collaboration of the twirling effect and the recirculating flow. Only if the reagents are distributed transversely by the twirling effect, the recirculating flow can bring in convection mechanism thus facilitating mixing. By comparing the mixing performance inside slugs at various operating conditions, we find that slug size plays the key role in influencing the mixing performance as it determines the amount of fluid to be distributed by the twirling effect. For the cases where short slugs are generated, the mixing process is governed by the fast convection mechanism because the twirling effect can distribute the fluid to the flow path of the recirculating flow effectively. For cases with long slugs, the mixing process is dominated by the slow diffusion mechanism since the twirling effect is insufficient to distribute the large amount of fluid. In addition, our results show that increasing the operating velocity has limited effects on improving the mixing performance. This study provides the insight of the mixing process and may benefit the design and operations of droplet-based microfluidics.     

虚拟学术社区用户交互行为研究动态及趋势

【目的/意义】虚拟学术社区用户交互行为是图书情报领域的热点研究内容,通过对虚拟学术社区用户交互行为的研究体系进行梳理分析,为促进国内虚拟学术社区用户交互行为研究提供借鉴。【方法/过程】文章利用主题并含检索在知网及Wos数据库获取相关文献,通过热点关键词统计对检索文献进行可视化分析,总结归纳为用户交互行为的机制模型、特征、影响因素、效果评价以及反向行为五个热点研究主题。【结果/结论】在理清当前学术研究脉络基础上提出虚拟学术社区用户交互行为具有前瞻性的方向,即继续深入用户会话交互行为的数据挖掘;探索反向行为与超越价值中心逻辑行为的机理;构建获取信息过程中知识筛选体系。【创新/局限】总结国内外虚拟学术社区用户交互行为研究的基础理论与实践应用,针对现有研究的不足提出促进该领域发展的建议。     

逆向溢出知识结构与国内投资企业技术进步

逆向溢出知识对投资企业技术进步发挥的促进效应持续受到学界关注,但既有研究体系尚未从更深层面揭示其内在机理。本文借助知识结构理论,从广度、深度和强度3个维度出发剖析逆向溢出知识在投资企业技术进步中发挥的作用,并借助123家国内制造业上市企业数据对其进行检验,主要结论有：增加逆向溢出知识广度和深度有助于促进投资企业技术进步,而且该促进效应受到逆向溢出知识强度的正向调节作用;随着OFDI逆向溢出知识增加,溢出知识广度对投资企业技术进步的促进效果愈发增强,而溢出知识深度的促进效果逐渐减弱。依据所得结论,文中提出了相应的管理启示。