Abstract: A droplet-based microfluidic flow-focusing system was developed for on-chip fabrication of stimuli-responsive microdroplets (SRMs) that underwent rapid liquid-to-gas phase transition and volume expansion upon external stimuli. Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) were suspended in perfluorocarbon (PFC) liquid and encapsulated in a lipid shell to form a SRM. The SRM size can be well controlled from 4 mum to 50 mum by adjusting the flow rates of the inner and the outer liquid phases. The acoustic and the optical droplet vaporization processes of the SRMs were demonstrated in benchtop experiments. Upon acoustic stimulation by a therapeutic ultrasound transducer at 1 MHz and 1 W cm(-2), the SRMs were activated and the induced echogenicity was monitored by clinical ultrasonography. Upon optica

Abstract: A compound-fluidic electro-flow focusing (CEFF) process is proposed to produce multicompartment microcapsules. The central device mainly consists of a needle assembly of two parallel inner needles and one outer needle mounted in a gas chamber with their tips facing a small orifice at the bottom of the chamber. As the outer and the inner fluids flow through the needle assembly, a high-speed gas stream elongates the liquid menisci in the vicinity of the orifice entrance. An electric field is further integrated into capillary flow focusing to promote the formation of steady cone-jet mode in a wide range of operation parameters. The multiphase liquid jet is broken up into droplets due to perturbation propagation along the jet surface. To estimate the diameter of the multiphase liquid

Abstract: A capillary co-flow focusing process is developed to generate stimuli-responsive microbubbles (SRMs) that comprise perfluorocarbon (PFC) suspension of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) in a lipid shell. Upon continuous laser irradiation at around their surface plasmon resonance band, the SNPs effectively absorb electromagnetic energy, induce heat accumulation in SRMs, trigger PFC vaporization, and eventually lead to thermal expansion and fragmentation of the SRMs. This optical droplet vaporization (ODV) process is further simulated by a theoretical model that combines heat generation of SNPs, phase change of PFC, and thermal expansion of SRMs. The model is validated by benchtop experiments, where the ODV process is monitored by microscopic imaging. The effects of primary process parame

Abstract: We synthesized multifunctional activatible microbubbles (MAMs) for ultrasound mediated delivery of oxygen and drugs with both ultrasound and fluorescence imaging guidance. Oxygen enriched perfluorocarbon (PFC) compound was encapsulated in liposome microbubbles (MBs) by a modified emulsification process. DiI dye was loaded as a model drug. The ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) process was guided by both ultrasonography and fluorescence imaging modalities. The process was validated in both a dialysis membrane tube model and a porcine carotid artery model. Our experiment results show that the UTMD process effectively facilitates the controlled delivery of oxygen and drug at the disease site and that the MAM agent enables ultrasound and fluorescence imaging guidance

Abstract: We present a novel process to encapsulate indocyanine green (ICG) in liposomal droplets at high concentration for potential applications in image-guided drug delivery. The microencapsulation process follows two consecutive steps of droplet formation by liquid-driven coaxial flow focusing (LDCFF) and solvent removal by oil phase dewetting. These biocompatible lipid vesicles may have important applications in drug delivery and fluorescence imaging.Zhu Z, Si T, Xu RX. Microencapsulation of indocyanine green for potential applications in image-guided drug delivery. Lab Chip. Feb 7 2015;15(3):646-9. doi:10.1039/c4lc01032a

Abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in people over age 65 in industrialized nations. Intravitreous injection of anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) therapies, such as ranibizumab (trade name: Lucentis), provides an effective treatment option for neovascular AMD. We have developed an improved coaxial electrospray (CES) process to encapsulate ranibizumab in poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) microparticles (MPs) for intravitreous injection and sustained drug release. This microencapsulation process is advantageous for maintaining the stability of the coaxial cone-jet configurations and producing drug-loaded MPs with as high as 70% encapsulation rate and minimal loss of bioactivitiy. The utility of this emerging proce

Abstract: Curcumin exhibits superior anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and analgesic activities without significant side effects. However, clinical dissemination of this natural medicine is limited by its low solubility and poor bio-availability. To overcome this limitation, we propose to encapsulate curcumin in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles (MPs) by an improved coaxial electrospray (CES) process. This process is able to generate a stable cone-jet mode in a wide range of operation parameters in order to produce curcumin-loaded PLGA MPs with a clear core-shell structure and a designated size of several micrometers. In order to optimize the process outcome, the effects of primary operation parameters such as the applied electric voltages and the liquid flow rates are studie

Abstract: The self-driven flow in microfluidic devices has attracted much attention due to its efficient, fast and convenient properties. We investigated the effect of femtosecond laser pulse overlap on the liquid flow characters in surface grooves both in experimental evidence and theoretical analysis. With the increase of the femtosecond laser pulse overlap, the speed of water flowing in grooves is increased. Both the surface granular protrusions microstructures and the surface chemical composition can influence the liquid dynamics in grooves. Femtosecond laser may have potential applications in self-driven microfluidic devices.Zhu Z, Li G, Li J, et al. Self-driven flow in surface grooves fabricated by femtosecond laser. Surface and Coatings Technology. 2014;242:246-250. doi:10.1016/j.su

Abstract: A novel method for forming steady cone-jet modes and multilayered droplets is developed based on capillary flow focusing geometry using tri-axial needles. The needles manufactured by a laser beam welding process can be readily cleaned, assembled and aligned. A tri-axial capillary flow focusing (TCFF) device is assembled in order to focus a combination of different liquids in the core of a high-speed gas stream co-flowing through a small orifice. The effects of main control process parameters on the characteristics of compound cone-jet mode are studied. Under appropriate working conditions, steady cone-jet configurations with three layers of liquids are obtained, resulting in multilayered droplets with outer shell, middle layer and inner core. The process can also produce monodisp

Abstract: The structural color originated from the nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) film is related to the structural characteristics. This paper aimed to obtain different structural colors which can cover the whole visible range by widening the pore size of metalcoated NAA. First, we used the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method to analyze the relationship between the physical structure and optical properties. Then, we fabricated different colors and expected color pattern by widening the pore diameter of NAA. Numerical and experimental study shows that the colors can cover the whole visible range by widening the pore diameter. This work can not only lead to better understanding of the mechanism of tuning color on NAA film, but also help us to fabricate expected color in the whole l

Abstract: Temporal instability of an electrified liquid jet in the core of a high-speed gas stream is studied to better understand the electro-flow focusing (EFF) technique. Two types of physical models with and without viscosities of fluids are considered. One utilizes uniform basic flow and an axial electric field, while the other one considers both the axial and radial electric fields and employs appropriate velocity profiles based on the pipe flow for inner liquid and the error function for outer gas stream. Both models demonstrate that the axisymmetric instability and the helical instability are two most unstable modes in the EFF problem. The significance of free charge initially imposed on the interface is highlighted and the effects of surface tension and liquid viscosity on the jet

Abstract: Recent developments in multimodal imaging and image-guided therapy requires multilayered microparticles that encapsulate several imaging and therapeutic agents in the same carrier. However, commonly used microencapsulation processes have multiple limitations such as low encapsulation efficiency and loss of bioactivity for the encapsulated biological cargos. To overcome these limitations, we have carried out both experimental and theoretical studies on coaxial electrospray of multilayered microparticles. On the experimental side, an improved coaxial electrospray setup has been developed. A customized coaxial needle assembly combined with two ring electrodes has been used to enhance the stability of the cone and widen the process parameter range of the stable cone-jet mode. With th