Rapid mixing with high‐throughput in a semi‐active semi‐passive micromixer

In this paper, we investigate a novel alternating current electrothermal (ACET) micromixer driven by a high efficiency ACET micropump. The micromixer consists of thin film asymmetric pairs of electrodes on the microgrooved channel floor and array of electrode pairs fabricated on the top wall. By connecting electrodes with AC voltage, ACET forces are induced. Asymmetric microgrooved electrodes force the fluids along the channel, while lateral vortex pairs are generated by symmetric electrode pairs located on the top wall. Waviness of the floor increases contact area between two confluent streams within a narrow confinement. An active mixer operates as a semi active semi passive mixer. Effects of various parameters are investigated in details in order to arrive at an optimal configuration that provides for efficient mixing as well as appreciable transport. It is found that using a specific design, uniform and homogeneous mixing quality with mixing efficiency of 97.25% and flow rate of 1.794μm2/ min per unit width of the channel can be achieved.

[1]  Hywel Morgan,et al.  AC ELECTROKINETICS: COLLOIDS AND NANOPARTICLES. , 2002 .

[2]  Souran Manoochehri,et al.  Enhanced ac electrothermal fluidic pumping in microgrooved channels , 2008 .

[3]  Robin H. Liu,et al.  Hybridization enhancement using cavitation microstreaming. , 2003, Analytical chemistry.

[4]  Vortex generation in electroosmotic flow passing through sharp corners , 2008 .

[5]  Xin Zhao,et al.  In-plane microvortices micromixer-based AC electrothermal for testing drug induced death of tumor cells. , 2016, Biomicrofluidics.

[6]  Thomas Laurell,et al.  Ultrasonic agitation in microchannels , 2004, Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry.

[7]  I. Mezić,et al.  Chaotic Mixer for Microchannels , 2002, Science.

[8]  Castellanos,et al.  Fluid flow induced by nonuniform ac electric fields in electrolytes on microelectrodes. II. A linear double-layer analysis , 2000, Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics.

[9]  Che-Hsin Lin,et al.  A novel microfluidic mixer utilizing electrokinetic driving forces under low switching frequency , 2005, Electrophoresis.

[10]  Chun Yang,et al.  DC-biased AC-electroosmotic and AC-electrothermal flow mixing in microchannels. , 2009, Lab on a chip.

[11]  Souran Manoochehri,et al.  Microfluidic pumping optimization in microgrooved channels with ac electrothermal actuations , 2010 .

[12]  P. Cheng,et al.  Numerical simulation of AC electrothermal micropump using a fully coupled model , 2012, Microfluidics and Nanofluidics.

[13]  Andreas Manz,et al.  Latest developments in micro total analysis systems. , 2010, Analytical chemistry.

[14]  Takehiko Kitamori,et al.  Fluid mixing using AC electrothermal flow on meandering electrodes in a microchannel , 2012, Electrophoresis.

[15]  Norbert Schwesinger,et al.  A modular microfluid system with an integrated micromixer , 1996 .

[16]  Chang Liu,et al.  Micro magnetic stir-bar mixer integrated with parylene microfluidic channels. , 2004, Lab on a chip.

[17]  Anthony W Smith,et al.  Biofilms and antibiotic therapy: is there a role for combating bacterial resistance by the use of novel drug delivery systems? , 2005, Advanced drug delivery reviews.

[18]  Josef Hormes,et al.  Microfluidic synthesis of nanomaterials. , 2008, Small.

[19]  Xiaozhi Hu,et al.  Effects of heterogeneity and load amplitude on fatigue rate prediction of a welded joint , 2016 .

[20]  Sheng D. Chao,et al.  Study of Active Micromixer Driven by Electrothermal Force , 2012 .

[21]  H. Morgan,et al.  Ac electrokinetics: a review of forces in microelectrode structures , 1998 .

[22]  S. Krishnamoorthy,et al.  Numerical analysis of mixing by electrothermal induced flow in microfluidic systems. , 2007, Biomicrofluidics.

[23]  Jiehong Wu,et al.  Micropumping of biofluids by alternating current electrothermal effects , 2007 .

[24]  H. Morgan,et al.  Electrothermal flows generated by alternating and rotating electric fields in microsystems , 2006, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[25]  Hongyuan Jiang,et al.  Effect of the crossing-structure sequence on mixing performance within three-dimensional micromixers. , 2014, Biomicrofluidics.

[26]  T. Johnson,et al.  Rapid microfluidic mixing. , 2002, Analytical chemistry.

[27]  Fangjun Hong,et al.  A numerical study of an electrothermal vortex enhanced micromixer , 2008 .

[28]  Robin H. Liu,et al.  Passive mixing in a three-dimensional serpentine microchannel , 2000, Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems.

[29]  M. Lian,et al.  AC electrothermal manipulation of conductive fluids and particles for lab-chip applications. , 2007, IET nanobiotechnology.

[30]  V. Studer,et al.  An integrated AC electrokinetic pump in a microfluidic loop for fast and tunable flow control. , 2004, The Analyst.

[31]  O. Velev,et al.  Remotely powered distributed microfluidic pumps and mixers based on miniature diodes. , 2008, Lab on a chip.

[32]  Jianping Fu,et al.  Supplementary Information for Multiplex Serum Cytokine Immunoassay Using Nanoplasmonic Biosensor Microarrays , 2015 .

[33]  Y. Duan,et al.  Chemistry, biology, and medicine of fluorescent nanomaterials and related systems: new insights into biosensing, bioimaging, genomics, diagnostics, and therapy. , 2014, Chemical reviews.

[34]  Antonio Ramos,et al.  Electrokinetics and electrohydrodynamics in microsystems , 2011 .