Manipulation of droplets in microfluidic systems

Since the start of micro total analysis systems, manipulation of droplets in a microfluidic channel has been one of the most important branches of microfluidics. The scale of the droplet is remarkably small so that its mixing and reaction are rapid. With an array of channels and reliable programming, droplet microfluidics provides a high-throughput platform for applications in chemistry and biology. The droplet in a microfluidics system can be seen as an isolated reactor, with low consumption of samples and reagents, minimal dispersion and flexible control. We review progress in manipulation of droplets in microfluidic systems and their applications. We also discuss future perspectives. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.