Bubble removal in microfluidic channels surrounded by gas-permeable media: experiments and a predictive model

IF 5.4 2区 工程技术 Q1 BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS
Lab on a Chip Pub Date : 2025-08-19 DOI:10.1039/D5LC00407A
Ludovic Keiser, Loukas Stamoulis, Baptiste Georjon, Philippe Marmottant and Benjamin Dollet
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Controlling the removal of bubbles from channels is crucial in microfluidics, either to eliminate air pockets if they are unwanted, or in pumpless microfluidic applications where receding bubbles is a way to induce liquid flows. To provide a better physical understanding of air removal in microchannels, we study the dynamics of invasion of wetting liquids in dead-end microchannels surrounded by an air-permeable medium. Using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based devices, we demonstrate that gas permeation through the channel walls drives an exponential decay in trapped air length with time (in marked contrast with the so-called Lucas–Washburn law of imbibition in porous media), providing a straightforward route to bubble elimination. Systematic experiments varying channel width, height, and PDMS thickness reveal how geometric and material factors modulate the refilling timescale. A simple analytical model, coupling capillarity and gas diffusion, captures these results quantitatively. For this purpose, we introduce an explicit expression for the interfacial curvature in microchannels with heterogeneous wettability (e.g., PDMS-on-glass). This framework offers practical guidelines for microfluidic engineers aiming to prevent or remove trapped bubbles without relying on active pumping.

Abstract Image

可渗透介质包围的微流体通道中的气泡去除:实验和预测模型。
控制从通道中去除气泡在微流体中是至关重要的,要么是为了消除不需要的气穴,要么是在无泵微流体应用中,退去的气泡是诱导液体流动的一种方式。为了更好地从物理上理解微通道中的空气去除,我们研究了湿润液体在被透气性介质包围的死角微通道中的入侵动力学。使用基于聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)的装置,我们证明了气体通过通道壁的渗透驱动捕获的空气长度随时间呈指数衰减(与多孔介质中所谓的Lucas-Washburn吸胀定律形成鲜明对比),为消除气泡提供了一条直接的途径。改变通道宽度、高度和PDMS厚度的系统实验揭示了几何和材料因素如何调节填充时间尺度。一个简单的分析模型,耦合毛细管作用和气体扩散,定量地捕捉这些结果。为此,我们引入了具有非均质润湿性(例如,PDMS-on-glass)的微通道中界面曲率的显式表达式。该框架为微流体工程师提供了实用的指导方针,旨在防止或去除捕获的气泡,而不依赖于主动泵送。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Lab on a Chip
Lab on a Chip 工程技术-化学综合
CiteScore
11.10
自引率
8.20%
发文量
434
审稿时长
2.6 months
期刊介绍: Lab on a Chip is the premiere journal that publishes cutting-edge research in the field of miniaturization. By their very nature, microfluidic/nanofluidic/miniaturized systems are at the intersection of disciplines, spanning fundamental research to high-end application, which is reflected by the broad readership of the journal. Lab on a Chip publishes two types of papers on original research: full-length research papers and communications. Papers should demonstrate innovations, which can come from technical advancements or applications addressing pressing needs in globally important areas. The journal also publishes Comments, Reviews, and Perspectives.
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