Apparatus, systems and methods for microfluidic vacuum shrinkage of microbubbles

An apparatus for shrinking microbubbles, the apparatus comprising:

• a liquid microchannel having an inlet end, an outlet end spaced from the inlet end and a liquid conduit extending between the inlet end and the outlet end, the liquid microchannel housing a liquid having a microbubble dispersed in the liquid, the microbubble travelling along with the liquid in the liquid microchannel from the inlet end to the outlet end;
• and
• a first very low pressure microchannel having a first end, a second end spaced from the first end and a first very low pressure microchannel conduit extending between the first end and the second end, the first end of the first very low pressure microchannel being coupled to a vacuum source configured for creating a negative pressure in the first very low pressure microchannel;
• wherein a portion of the first very low pressure microchannel conduit is laterally spaced from and adjacent to a portion of the liquid microchannel conduit and the negative pressure is configured to withdraw air from the microbubble in the liquid microchannel conduit in order to shrink the microbubble as the microbubble travels along the portion of the liquid microchannel conduit laterally spaced from and adjacent to the portion of the first very low pressure microchannel conduit.