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KR-102959505-B1 - Liquid droplet device for ultraviscous fluid

KR102959505B1KR 102959505 B1KR102959505 B1KR 102959505B1KR-102959505-B1

Abstract

A droplet device for a focal fluid is described. The droplet device for a focal fluid comprises a dispersed phase inlet into which a first fluid for droplet formation is introduced, and a plurality of dispersed phase outlets into which the first fluid introduced through the dispersed phase inlet is discharged, a continuous phase inlet into which a second fluid for droplet formation of the first fluid is introduced, and a continuous phase outlet into which the second fluid introduced through the continuous phase inlet is discharged, wherein each of the plurality of dispersed phase outlets is connected to the continuous phase channel, and the first fluid discharged in a first direction from each of the plurality of dispersed phase outlets is droplet formed by the second fluid moving along the continuous phase channel in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Inventors

  • 이승우
  • 김현호
  • 조용덕
  • 박성훈
  • 백동재
  • 노경훈

Assignees

  • 고려대학교 산학협력단

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20230405
Priority Date
20221115

Claims (13)

  1. A dispersed phase flow path comprising a dispersed phase inlet into which a first fluid for droplet formation is introduced, and a plurality of dispersed phase outlets into which the first fluid introduced through the dispersed phase inlet is discharged; and A continuous phase flow path comprising a continuous phase inlet into which a second fluid for droplet formation of the first fluid is introduced, and a continuous phase outlet into which the second fluid introduced through the continuous phase inlet is discharged. The plurality of dispersed phase outlets are each connected to the continuous phase flow path, and the first fluid flowing out in a first direction from each of the plurality of dispersed phase outlets is atomized by the second fluid moving in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction along the continuous phase flow path, wherein A plurality of branch channels are defined between the above-mentioned dispersed phase inlet and the plurality of dispersed phase outlets, and The above plurality of branch channels sequentially increase in length from the branch channel adjacent to the continuous phase inlet to the branch channel adjacent to the continuous phase outlet, and A droplet device for a focal fluid comprising the first fluid having a viscosity of 10⁻¹ Pa·s or more and 3.5 Pa·s or less.
  2. In Article 1, The above-mentioned dispersed phase flow path includes first to 16 dispersed phase outlets, and the first to 16 dispersed phase outlets are spaced apart from each other and arranged sequentially along the second direction, A droplet device for a focal fluid comprising the first dispersed phase outlet being positioned adjacent to the continuous phase inlet and the 16 dispersed phase outlet being positioned adjacent to the continuous phase outlet.
  3. In Article 2, The flow path from the dispersed phase inlet to the first dispersed phase outlet to the flow path from the dispersed phase inlet to the 16th dispersed phase outlet are each defined as the first to 16th branched flow paths, wherein A fluid droplet device comprising the above-mentioned first to sixth branched paths having different lengths.
  4. In Paragraph 3, A droplet device for a focal fluid comprising sequentially increasing lengths from the first branch path to the 16th branch path.
  5. In Paragraph 4, A droplet device for a focal fluid comprising a length that increases sequentially by 2.62 mm from the first branch path to the 16th branch path.
  6. In Paragraph 4, The above dispersed phase flow path is, A first branching point where the first fluid introduced through the above-mentioned dispersed phase inlet branches into two; A second branching point where the first fluid branched from the first branching point branches into four branches; A third branching point where the first fluid branched from the second branching point branches into eight branches; and A droplet device for a focal fluid comprising a fourth branch point in which the first fluid branched from the third branch point branches into sixteen branches.
  7. In Article 6, The above dispersed phase flow path is, A first generation defined as a flow path from the above-mentioned dispersed phase inlet to the above-mentioned first branch point; A second generation defined as a Euro from the first branch point to the second branch point; A third generation defined as a Euro from the second branch point to the third branch point; A fourth generation defined as a Euro from the third branch point to the fourth branch point; and A droplet device for a focal fluid classified into a fifth generation, defined by a flow path from the fourth branch point to the plurality of dispersed phase outlets.
  8. In Article 7, A droplet device for a focal fluid comprising the length of the 5th generation sequentially increasing from the 1st branch flow path to the 16th branch flow path.
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  10. In Article 1, A droplet formation device for a focal fluid comprising a dispersion coefficient of 3% or less of droplets formed at each point where the plurality of dispersed phase outlets and the continuous phase flow path are connected.
  11. A dispersed phase inlet into which a first fluid for droplet formation is introduced; and It includes first to sixth dispersed phase outlets through which the first fluid introduced through the dispersed phase inlet is discharged, The above-mentioned first to sixth dispersed phase outlets are arranged side by side in parallel, and The flow paths connecting the first to sixth dispersed phase outlets from the above dispersed phase inlet are each defined as first to sixth branched flow paths, Controls the length to increase sequentially from the first branch path to the 16th branch path, thereby controlling the speed of the first fluid moving within the first to 16th branch paths to be the same. The above first fluid is a dispersed phase flow path of a droplet formation device comprising a fluid having a viscosity of 10⁻¹ Pa·s or more and 3.5 Pa·s or less.
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  13. In Article 11, A dispersed phase flow path of a droplet formation device comprising a flow path in which the width sequentially decreases from the first branch flow path to the 16th branch flow path.

Description

Liquid droplet device for ultraviscous fluid The present invention relates to a droplet atomization device, and more specifically, to a droplet atomization device for a focal degree fluid of 10⁻¹ Pa·s or higher. Droplet-based microfluidic technology is a system that converts large volumes of fluid into small volumes using microchannels of μm size. This technology is in demand across various fields due to advantages such as miniaturization of experiments, reduced response times, improved detection sensitivity, and the simultaneous execution of different experimental conditions, as it increases the surface area per unit volume of the material. However, most microfluidic devices developed to date are fabricated targeting only low-viscosity fluids at the 10⁻² to 10⁻³ Pa·s level. This is due to the high pressure loss of high-viscosity fluids and limits the types of droplets that can be used in microfluidic devices. Microfluidic devices targeting focal droplets have been proposed to expand the range of fluid viscosities applicable to microfluidic devices. However, these were either active droplet fabrication systems requiring additional external forces, such as electromagnetic waves, or systems with complex junction structures designed to minimize the influence of viscosity. Furthermore, all systems proposed to utilize focal fluids as described above have only a single flow path for droplet generation, resulting in a very limited number of generated droplets. Meanwhile, structural design and materials for microfluidic devices aimed at increasing the production of low-viscosity fluid droplets have made significant progress over the past 20 years, and the integration of junctions has laid the foundation for mass-producing droplets of various shapes and sizes in a short time. Therefore, structural design of devices and integration of junctions can also be utilized to improve the production of high-viscosity fluid droplets. However, due to the high viscosity and consequent strong viscous forces of the fluid, focal fluids are unable to consistently manage fluid flow resistance within integrated microfluidic devices, and improvements are required in this regard. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a droplet formation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the dispersed phase flow path and the continuous phase flow path of a droplet formation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the inlet and outlet of a dispersed phase flow path and a continuous phase flow path according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining the first to sixth branched channels of a dispersed channel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining the first to sixth junctions of a droplet formation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining the first to fourth branching points of a dispersed flow path according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining the first to fifth generations of a dispersed phase flow path according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a drawing for explaining the structural design according to the increase in length of branch channels in a droplet atomization device consisting of 16 junctions. FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining the structural design according to the increase in length of branch channels in a droplet atomization device consisting of 32 junctions. FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining the structural design according to the increase in length of branch channels in a droplet atomization device consisting of 64 junctions. FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining a droplet formation device according to Experimental Example 1 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a photograph of a droplet formation device and a droplet formation process according to Experimental Example 1 of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the characteristics of droplets formed through a droplet formation device according to Experimental Example 1 and Experimental Example 2 of the present invention. FIGS. 14 and 15 are drawings for comparing droplets formed at odd and even junctions of a droplet formation device according to Experimental Example 1 and Experimental Example 2 of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a photograph of a droplet formed through a droplet formation device according to Experimental Example 5 of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the results of analyzing droplets moving in the continuous phase flow path of a droplet formation device according to Experimental Examples 3 to 6 of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the characteristics of droplets formed through a droplet formation device according to Experimental Examples 3 to 6 of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a diagram i