Method And Electro-Fluidic Device To Produce Emulsions And Particle Suspensions
AssigneesGeorgia Tech Research Corporation, Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad De Malaga
InventorsAntonio Barrero Ripoll, Ignacio Gonzalez-Loscertales, Venkata Ramana Gundabala, ALberto Rernandes-Nieves
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Abstract
The invention refers to a method, and to a device to produce emulsions and particle suspensions by using electro-hydrodinamic forces and microfluidics This combined use allow the production of droplets with mean diameters which may be either smaller than those obtained in conventional microfluidic devices or larger than those obtained by electrospray, bridging the gap between the two methods acting independently.
Claims18
An electro-fluidic device to produce emulsions and particle suspensions comprising:
- a first capillary immersed in a dielectric fluid that flows along a micro-channel;
- said dielectric fluid being immiscible or poorly miscible with a first conducting fluid and a second conducting fluid;
- wherein said second conducting fluid flows through a second capillary immersed in the dielectric fluid;
- wherein said conducting fluids are pumped counter-flow with respect to the dielectric fluid and a steady state interface is formed;
- wherein a steady capillary jet is formed when an appropriate electrical potential difference is applied to said conducting fluids, producing a stream of charged droplets which move towards the steady state interface under the combined action of the electric and hydrodynamic forces;
- and
- wherein once the droplets reach the steady state interface they discharge and form an emulsion that leaves through a gap.
An electro-fluidic method to produce emulsions and particle suspensions comprising:
- immersion of a capillary in a dielectric fluid that flows along a micro-channel;
- said dielectric fluid being immiscible or poorly miscible with a first conducting fluid and a second conducting fluid;
- and wherein said second conducting fluid flows through a second capillary immersed in the dielectric fluid;
- pumping counter-flow said conducting fluids with respect to the dielectric fluid and forming a steady state interface;
- and
- applying an appropriate electrical potential difference to said conducting fluids, producing a stream of charged droplets which move towards the steady state interface under the combined action of the electric and hydrodynamic forces;
- wherein once the droplets reach the steady state interface they discharge and form an emulsion that leaves through a gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.