3D expanding geometry
AssigneeUniversity of Leeds
InventorsSally Anne Peyman, Radwa Hassan Abou-Saleh, Stephen Derek Evans
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Abstract
This invention relates to bubble generation, in particular to microbubble generation in a microfluidic device, which bubbles may be useful as contrasting agents or drug delivery vehicles. The invention further relates to apparatuses, systems and methods for manufacturing said microbubbles, microbubbles produced by such methods and to their uses, e.g. in medical, diagnostic and other such applications. The microbubbles are preferentially formed using a microspray regime.
Claims24
A microfluidic apparatus for generating microbubbles, the apparatus comprising a nozzle having an entry orifice and extending along a longitudinal axis from the orifice to define a microbubble flow direction, the nozzle having a width and a height dimension which both increase in the bubble flow direction and one or more gas flow conduits and one or more liquid flow conduits.
A method of generating a population of microbubbles, the method comprising the step of using a nozzle having an entry orifice and extending along a longitudinal axis from the orifice to define a microbubble flow direction, the nozzle having a width and a height dimension which both increase in the bubble flow direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.