US 2025/0205707 A1 · DROPLET FORMATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

Abstract

A method and system for generating a flow of droplets comprising providing a first droplet fluid, providing a second droplet fluid, providing a carrier fluid and forming a double emulsion of droplets each comprising a first droplet region comprising the first droplet fluid surrounded by a second droplet region comprising the second droplet fluid within the carrier fluid, by providing a flow of said first droplet fluid, a flow of said second droplet fluid, and a flow of said carrier fluid to a droplet generation sub-system of a microfluidic structure. The method comprises determining a dimension of said first droplet region of sequential droplets within the emulsion, determining an outer dimension of said second droplet region of sequential droplets within the emulsion, adjusting a pressure of the flow of the first droplet fluid in response to the determined dimension of the first droplet region, and adjusting a pressure of the flow of the second droplet fluid in response to the determined outer dimension of the second droplet region.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method for generating a flow of droplets, the method comprising:

providing a first droplet fluid;
providing a second droplet fluid;
providing a carrier fluid;
forming a double emulsion of droplets each comprising a first droplet region comprising the first droplet fluid surrounded by a second droplet region comprising the second droplet fluid within the carrier fluid, by providing a flow of said first droplet fluid, a flow of said second droplet fluid, and a flow of said carrier fluid to a droplet generation sub-system of a microfluidic structure;
determining a dimension of said first droplet region of sequential droplets within the emulsion;
determining an outer dimension of said second droplet region of sequential droplets within the emulsion;
adjusting a pressure of the flow of the first droplet fluid in response to the determined dimension of the first droplet region;
and
adjusting a pressure of the flow of the second droplet fluid in response to the determined outer dimension of the second droplet region.

6 more elements

A microfluidic system, comprising:

a first droplet fluid line to carry a first droplet fluid;
a second droplet fluid line to carry a second droplet fluid;
a carrier fluid line to carry a carrier fluid;
a microfluidic droplet channel to carry a flow of droplets;
a droplet generation sub-system having a first input to receive a flow from the first droplet fluid line, having a second input to receive a flow from the second droplet fluid line, having a third input to receive a flow from the carrier fluid line, and having an output to the microfluidic droplet channel,
such that the droplet generation sub-system forms a double emulsion of droplets each comprising a first droplet region comprising the first droplet fluid surrounded by a second droplet region comprising the second droplet fluid within the carrier fluid;
a camera configured to capture an image of droplets within the flow of droplets;
a processor configured to determine a dimension of said first droplet region of sequential droplets within the flow of droplets and configured to determine an outer dimension of said second droplet region of sequential droplets within the flow of droplets;
means for adjusting the pressure of the first droplet fluid line or the second droplet fluid line in response to the determined dimension of the first droplet region;
and
means for adjusting a pressure of the second droplet fluid line in response to the determined outer dimension of the second droplet region.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Droplet formation system and method

Life of this patent

Droplet formation system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16