Small,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: May 22, 2025
Abstract
3D
cell
culture
models
and
precision
diagnostics
have
advanced
significantly
through
microfluidic
systems,
yet
their
broad
implementation
remains
limited
by
challenges
in
scalability,
integration,
portability.
Effective
require
systems
that
maintain
sample
integrity,
minimize
evaporation,
avoid
crosstalk
while
handling
various
biofluids.
However,
current
platforms
often
depend
on
active
pumping,
bulky
components,
complex
controls,
which
hinder
portability,
usability,
affordability.
To
address
these
challenges,
the
Capillary
Droplet
(Cap‐Drop)
is
presented,
a
novel
capillary‐driven
platform
generates
immobilizes
droplets
with
precision,
eliminating
need
for
external
pumps
or
intricate
setups.
Unlike
conventional
system,
where
moving
complicate
tracking
identification,
Cap‐Drop
ensures
fixed
droplet
positioning,
allowing
seamless
analysis.
By
integrating
hydrophilic
hydrophobic
materials
several
innovative
capillary
elements
—including
passive
vents
(PV),
pressure
reducer
(PR),
stop
valves
(SV),
delay
channels,
bubble
trap
(BT)—Cap‐Drop
enables
robust
formation
(40
to
500
nL)
biofluids
of
varying
properties.
The
pre‐programmed
design
PV
corporation
other
autonomously
seals
microwells
(MWs),
ensuring
consistent
digitization
supress
risk
evaporation.
optimized
offers
transformative
technologies
mechanistic
cellular
studies,
preclinical
drug
screening,
clinical
diagnostics.
Lab on a Chip,
Journal Year:
2022,
Volume and Issue:
22(5), P. 859 - 875
Published: Jan. 1, 2022
When
making
a
droplet
flow
device
what
material
should
you
use?
What
fabrication
methods
are
available
and
will
surface
treatments
be
required?
This
review
offers
guide,
with
examples,
to
robust
devices.
Lab on a Chip,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Jan. 1, 2025
Centrifugal
microfluidics,
with
its
advantages
of
rapid
and
precise
fluid
control
without
the
need
for
external
pressure,
is
widely
applied
in
point-of-care
testing.
Applied Physics Reviews,
Journal Year:
2021,
Volume and Issue:
8(3)
Published: July 19, 2021
The
last
two
decades
have
witnessed
tremendous
progress
in
the
development
of
microfluidic
chips
that
generate
micrometer-
and
nanometer-scale
materials.
These
allow
precise
control
over
composition,
structure,
particle
uniformity
not
achievable
using
conventional
methods.
microfluidic-generated
materials
demonstrated
enormous
potential
for
applications
medicine,
agriculture,
food
processing,
acoustic,
optical
meta-materials,
more.
However,
because
basis
these
chips'
performance
is
their
fluid
flows
at
micrometer
scale,
operation
limited
to
inherently
low
throughputs
dictated
by
physics
multiphasic
micro-channels.
This
limitation
on
throughput
results
material
production
rates
are
too
most
practical
applications.
In
recent
years,
however,
significant
has
been
made
tackle
this
challenge
designing
microchip
architectures
incorporate
multiple
devices
onto
single
chips.
can
be
operated
parallel
increase
while
retaining
benefits
generation.
review,
we
will
highlight
work
area
share
our
perspective
key
unsolved
challenges
opportunities
field.
Langmuir,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
39(7), P. 2461 - 2482
Published: Feb. 13, 2023
Microscale
droplet
generation
and
manipulation
have
widespread
applications
in
numerous
fields,
from
biochemical
assays
to
printing
additive
manufacturing.
There
are
several
techniques
for
handling.
Most
techniques,
however,
can
generate
work
with
only
a
limited
range
of
sizes.
Furthermore,
there
constraints
regarding
the
workable
variety
fluid
properties
(e.g.,
viscosity,
surface
tension,
mass
loading,
etc.).
Recent
works
focused
on
developing
overcome
these
limitations.
This
feature
article
discusses
advances
this
area
that
cover
wide
sizes
subpicoliter
microliter.
Small,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
19(17)
Published: Feb. 1, 2023
Drug
microcarriers
are
widely
used
in
disease
treatment,
and
microfluidics
is
well
established
the
preparation
of
microcarrier
particles.
A
proper
design
microfluidic
platform
toward
scalable
production
drug
can
extend
its
application
values
wound
healing,
where
large
numbers
required.
Here,
a
step
emulsification
method
for
monodisperse
droplets
presented.
The
droplet
size
depends
primarily
on
microchannel
depth
rather
than
flow
rate,
making
system
robust
high-throughput
hydrogel
microparticles.
Based
this
platform,
basic
fibroblast
growth
factor
(bFGF)
uniformly
encapsulated
microparticles,
black
phosphorus
(BP)
incorporated
controllable
release
via
near-infrared
(NIR)
stimulation.
microparticles
serve
as
carriers
to
be
applied
site,
inducing
angiogenesis
collagen
deposition,
thereby
accelerating
repair.
These
results
indicate
that
technique
provides
promising
solution
healing
tissue
regeneration.
Lab on a Chip,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
23(18), P. 3989 - 4001
Published: Jan. 1, 2023
A
contact
acoustic
tweezer
uses
a
single
ultrasound
transducer
to
move
droplets
on
superhydrophobic
surfaces
with
great
simplicity,
versatility,
and
controllability.
Micromachines,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
16(2), P. 132 - 132
Published: Jan. 24, 2025
Step
emulsification
(SE)
is
renowned
for
its
robustness
in
generating
monodisperse
emulsion
droplets
at
arrayed
nozzles.
However,
few
studies
have
explored
poly(dimethylsiloxane)
(PDMS)-based
SE
devices
producing
oil-in-water
(O/W)
and
polymeric
microspheres
with
diameters
below
20
µm-materials
broad
applicability.
In
this
study,
we
present
a
PDMS-based
microfluidic
device
designed
to
achieve
goal.
Two
264
nozzles
each
were
fabricated,
featuring
straight
triangular
nozzle
configurations,
both
height
of
4
µm
minimum
width
10
µm.
The
rendered
hydrophilic
via
oxygen
plasma
treatment.
A
photocurable
acrylate
monomer
served
as
the
dispersed
phase,
while
an
aqueous
polyvinyl
alcohol
solution
acted
continuous
phase.
produced
polydisperse
exceeding
30
coefficient-of-variation
(CV)
values
above
10%.
contrast,
nozzles,
opening
38
µm,
consistently
generated
CVs
4%,
maximum
throughput
0.5
mL
h-1.
Off-chip
photopolymerization
these
yielded
acrylic
microspheres.
low-cost,
disposable,
scalable
offers
significant
potential
applications
spanning
from
laboratory-scale
research
industrial-scale
particle
manufacturing.
Lab on a Chip,
Journal Year:
2022,
Volume and Issue:
22(18), P. 3340 - 3360
Published: Jan. 1, 2022
diagnostics
(IVDs)
form
the
cornerstone
of
modern
medicine.
They
are
routinely
employed
throughout
entire
treatment
pathway,
from
initial
diagnosis
through
to
prognosis,
planning,
and
post-treatment
surveillance.
Given
proven
links
between
high
quality
diagnostic
testing
overall
health,
ensuring
broad
access
IVDs
has
long
been
a
focus
both
researchers
medical
professionals.
Unfortunately,
current
paradigm
relies
heavily
on
centralized
laboratories,
complex
expensive
equipment,
highly
trained
personnel.
It
is
commonly
assumed
that
this
level
complexity
required
achieve
performance
necessary
for
sensitive
specific
disease
diagnosis,
making
something
affordable
accessible
entails
significant
compromises
in
test
performance.
However,
recent
work
field
microfluidics
challenging
notion.
By
exploiting
unique
features
microfluidic
systems,
have
able
create
progressively
simple
devices
can
perform
increasingly
assays.
This
review
details
how
technologies
disrupting
