Microdroplet Operations in Polymeric Microtubes

Microsystem technologies allow a plethora of operations to be achieved for microemulsion- and microdroplet-based assays, providing miniaturized, yet large-throughput capabilities to assist experimentation in analytical chemistry, biology, and synthetic biology. Many of such approaches have been implemented on-chip, using microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip technologies. However, the microfabrication of such devices relies on expensive equipment and time-consuming methods, thus hindering their uptake and use by many research laboratories where microfabrication expertise is not available. Here, we demonstrate how fundamental water-in-oil microdroplet operations, such as droplet trapping, merging, diluting, and splitting, can be obtained using straightforward, inexpensive, and manually fabricated polymeric microtube modules. The modules are based on creating an angled tubing interface at the interconnection between two polymeric microtubes. We have characterized how the geometry and fluid dynamic conditions at this interface enabled different droplet operations to be achieved in a versatile and functional manner. We envisage this approach to be an alternative solution to expensive and laborious microfabrication protocols for droplet microfluidic applications.

Automated summary

Microsystem technologies offer miniaturized, high-throughput capabilities for microemulsion- and microdroplet-based assays in analytical chemistry, biology, and synthetic biology. Many of these methods have been implemented using microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip technologies, but the microfabrication of such devices often requires expensive equipment and time-consuming methods. This study demonstrates a cost-effective and easily fabricated alternative approach for manipulating water-in-oil microdroplets using polymeric microtube modules, providing versatile and functional droplet operations without the need for laborious microfabrication protocols.