Parallelization of microfluidic flow-focusing devices.

Abstract

Microfluidic flow-focusing devices offer excellent control over fluid flow, enabling formation of drops with a narrow size distribution. However, the throughput of microfluidic flow-focusing devices is limited and scale-up through operation of multiple drop makers in parallel often compromises the robustness of their operation. We demonstrate that parallelization is facilitated if the outer phase is injected from the direction opposite to that of the inner phase, because the fluid injection flow rate, where the drop formation transitions from the squeezing into the dripping regime, is shifted towards higher values.