표면장력을 이용한 기포 없는 미세유체 장치

Abstract

Microfluidic devices are widely used in various biomedicine fields and constantly evolving. However, air bubbles almost always form in microfluidic channels, impair the performance, and damage biological cells, making commercializing devices challenging. Most researchers convert the surface into a hydrophilic one to avoid bubble formation by injecting an ethanol solution into the channel or treating it with oxygen plasma. In this study, we present a method for preventing bubble formation through cohesion between liquid molecules and adhesion to the wall by gradually filling a device with liquid and using a stepped height channel. The effectiveness of the method was confirmed by the finite element modeling and experiment. The performance of the device was confirmed under various injection flow conditions. The device was completely filled with fluid without forming bubbles under the injection flow rate condition of 20 ml/h or more. These technologies are expected to provide a new strategy for preventing bubble formation in microfluidic devices.