A microfluidic droplet system for ultra-monodisperse droplet generation: A universal approach

Despite the importance of droplet monodispersity, a universal methodology for high monodispersity droplet generation does not exist yet. We have recently demonstrated that unlike the conventional method of droplet generation, applying an identical pressure from a single source makes the microfluidic droplet system immune to the external fluctuations that originate from the imperfection of the flow source. In this work, we show that our method is universal and applicable to other common microfluidic devices and flow sources. We applied this method to flow-focusing and coflow devices that are commonly used for high-frequency microdroplet generation. In addition to the pressure pump, we used a syringe pump to show that our method is applicable to flow rate controllable systems as well. We compared the monodispersity of droplets formed by the conventional methods and the novel method explained in this work. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates a universal method for high monodispersity droplet generation, which is immune to external fluctuations originating from the imperfection of the flow source. The method is applicable to other common microfluidic devices and flow sources.