Active Mixing in Microchannels using Surface Acoustic Wave Streaming on Lithium Niobate
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
We present an active method for mixing fluid streams in microchannels at low Reynolds number with no dead volume. To overcome diffusion limited mixing in microchannels, surface acoustic wave streaming offers an extremely effective approach to rapidly homogenize fluids. This is a pivotal improvement over mixers based on complex 3D microchannels which have significant dead volume resulting in trapping or loss of sample. Our micromixer is integrable and highly adaptable for use within existing microfluidic devices. Surface acoustic wave devices fabricated on 128° YX LiNbO3 permitted rapid mixing of flow streams as evidenced by fluorescence microscopy. Longitudinal waves created at the solid-liquid interface were capable of inducing strong nonlinear gradients within the bulk fluid. In the highly laminar regime (Re = 2), devices achieved over 93% mixing efficacy in less than a second. Micro-particle imaging velicometry was used to determine the mixing behavior in the microchannels and indicated that the liquid velocity can be controlled by varying the input power. Fluid velocities in excess of 3 cm•s-1 were measured in the main excitation region at low power levels (2.8mW). We believe that this technology will be pivotal in the development and advancement of microfluidic devices and applications.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 1126940
- Report Number(s):
- SAND2005--7036; 506502
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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