A versatile and robust microfluidic device for capillary-sized simple or multiple emulsions production

International audienceUltrasound-vaporizable microdroplets can be exploited for targeted drug delivery. However, it requires customized microfluidic techniques able to produce monodisperse, capillary-sized and biocompatible multiple emulsions. Recent development of microfluidic devices led to the optimization of microdroplet production with high yields, low polydispersity and well-defined diameters. So far, only few were shown to be efficient for simple droplets or multiple emulsions production below 5 microns in diameter, which is required to prevent microembolism after intravenous injection. Here, we present a versatile microchip for both simple and multiple emulsion production. This parallelized system based on microchannel emulsification was designed to produce perfluorocarbon in water or water within perfluorocarbon in water emulsions with capillary sizes (<5 μm) and polydispersity index down to 5 % for in vivo applications such as spatiotemporally-triggered drug delivery using Ultrasound. We show that droplet production at this scale is mainly controlled by interfacial tension forces, how capillary and viscosity ratios influence droplet characteristics and how different production regimes may take place. The better understanding of droplet formation and its relation to applied pressures is supported by observations with a high-speed camera. Compared to previous microchips, this device opens perspectives to produce injectable and biocompatible droplets with a reasonable yield in order to realize preclinical studies in mice

A fast and switchable microfluidic mixer based on ultrasound-induced vaporization of perfluorocarbon

crosscheck: This document is CrossCheck deposited related_data: Supplementary Information copyright_licence: The Royal Society of Chemistry has an exclusive publication licence for this journal copyright_licence: The accepted version of this article will be made freely available in the Chemical Sciences Article Repository after a 12 month embargo period history: Received 3 March 2015; Accepted 6 March 2015; Accepted Manuscript published 6 March 2015; Advance Article published 17 March 2015; Version of Record published 21 April 2015similarity_check: This document is Similarity Check deposited related_data: Supplementary Information copyright_licence: The Royal Society of Chemistry has an exclusive publication licence for this journal copyright_licence: The accepted version of this article will be made freely available after a 12 month embargo period peer_review_method: Single-blind history: Received 3 March 2015; Accepted 6 March 2015; Accepted Manuscript published 6 March 2015; Advance Article published 17 March 2015; Version of Record published 21 April 201

High Spatiotemporal Control of Spontaneous Reactions Using Ultrasound-Triggered Composite Droplets

This work was supported by LABEX WIFI (Laboratory of Excellence ANR-10-LABX-24) within the French Program "Investments for the Future" under reference ANR-10- IDEX-0001-02 PSL*. M.B. and C.E. would like to thank the Institut Pierre-Gilles de Gennes pour la microfluidique and the Fondation Pierre-Gilles de Gennes respectively for financial support