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AC Electric Field Microfluidic Control in Microsystems

AC Electric Field Microfluidic Control in Microsystems
AC Electric Field Microfluidic Control in Microsystems
The control and handling of fluids and fluid-based samples is central to the majority of applications in the areas of Micro Analysis systems and the Lab-on-a-Chip. As a result, there is a great deal of research and industrial interest in developing specific technologies for this purpose: micropumps, micromixers, microstirrers, etc. One widely used technology in these systems is electrokinetics, the use of electric fields for the manipulation and control of fluids and particles. In DC Electrokinetic systems, high voltages (typically ~1kV) are required for controlled manipulation and separation. The use of AC electric fields presents a range of different potential applications as well as the potential for better integration into microsystems. AC Electrokinetic devices for the handling of fluid required significantly lower voltages (~10V) and therefore a four order of magnitude reduction in power requirements. This paper presents devices based on AC electroosmosis and Electrothermal Electrohydrodynamics. The first mechanism involves the interaction of the Electrical Double Layer induced on electrodes by an applied potential and the electric field generated by the same potential. The second involves the interaction of an electric field with gradients in polarisability of the fluid produced by non-uniform heating. Several different designs are presented with applications in pumping, mixing and the general area of micro AC electric field microfluidic control. A specific example is presented: the use of the technique for the local modification of streamlines and deflection of fluids is presented and applications to analysis and sensing are discussed.
AC electrokinetics, microfluidics, Electrohydrodynamics, micromixer
425-432
Green, Nicolas G
d9b47269-c426-41fd-a41d-5f4579faa581
Morgan, Hywel
de00d59f-a5a2-48c4-a99a-1d5dd7854174
Ramos, Antonio
511ab594-f312-45ce-b7ff-ef348fd9b559
Green, Nicolas G
d9b47269-c426-41fd-a41d-5f4579faa581
Morgan, Hywel
de00d59f-a5a2-48c4-a99a-1d5dd7854174
Ramos, Antonio
511ab594-f312-45ce-b7ff-ef348fd9b559

Green, Nicolas G, Morgan, Hywel and Ramos, Antonio (2005) AC Electric Field Microfluidic Control in Microsystems. Microtechnologies for the New Millenniumn 2005 SPIE, Seville, Spain. pp. 425-432 .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

The control and handling of fluids and fluid-based samples is central to the majority of applications in the areas of Micro Analysis systems and the Lab-on-a-Chip. As a result, there is a great deal of research and industrial interest in developing specific technologies for this purpose: micropumps, micromixers, microstirrers, etc. One widely used technology in these systems is electrokinetics, the use of electric fields for the manipulation and control of fluids and particles. In DC Electrokinetic systems, high voltages (typically ~1kV) are required for controlled manipulation and separation. The use of AC electric fields presents a range of different potential applications as well as the potential for better integration into microsystems. AC Electrokinetic devices for the handling of fluid required significantly lower voltages (~10V) and therefore a four order of magnitude reduction in power requirements. This paper presents devices based on AC electroosmosis and Electrothermal Electrohydrodynamics. The first mechanism involves the interaction of the Electrical Double Layer induced on electrodes by an applied potential and the electric field generated by the same potential. The second involves the interaction of an electric field with gradients in polarisability of the fluid produced by non-uniform heating. Several different designs are presented with applications in pumping, mixing and the general area of micro AC electric field microfluidic control. A specific example is presented: the use of the technique for the local modification of streamlines and deflection of fluids is presented and applications to analysis and sensing are discussed.

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More information

Published date: 2005
Additional Information: Event Dates: 9-11th May 2005
Venue - Dates: Microtechnologies for the New Millenniumn 2005 SPIE, Seville, Spain, 2005-05-10
Keywords: AC electrokinetics, microfluidics, Electrohydrodynamics, micromixer
Organisations: Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 261202
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/261202
PURE UUID: cf3d48da-1b1f-490d-ab76-6d5c0f5ed253
ORCID for Nicolas G Green: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9230-4455
ORCID for Hywel Morgan: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4850-5676

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 08 Sep 2005
Last modified: 09 Jan 2022 03:16

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Contributors

Author: Nicolas G Green ORCID iD
Author: Hywel Morgan ORCID iD
Author: Antonio Ramos

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