Abstract
This paper presents a PDMS micro-optofluidic chip that allows a laser beam to be driven directly toward a two-phase flow stream in a micro-channel while at the same time automatically, detecting the slug’s passage and stirring the laser light, without the use of any external optical devices. When the laser beam interacts with the microfluidic flow, depending on the fluid in the channel and the laser angle of incidence, a different signal level is detected. So a continuous air–water segmented flow will generate a signal that switches between two values. The device consists of a T-junction, which generates the two-phase flow, and three optical fiber insertions, which drive the input laser beam toward a selected area of the micro-channel and detects the flow stream. Three micro-channel sections of different widths were considered: 130, 250, 420 μm and the performance of the models was obtained by comparing ray-tracing simulations. The master of the device has been realized by 3D printing technology and a protocol which realizes the PDMS chip is presented. The static and dynamic characterizations, considering both single flows and two-phase flows, were carried out, and in spite of the device’s design simplicity, the sensitivity of the system to capture changes in the segmented flows and to stir the laser light in different directions was fully confirmed. The experimental tests show the possibility of obtaining satisfactory results with channel diameters in the order of 200 μm.
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This work was partially supported by PON for the research project entitled HIPPOCRATES (PON 02_00355_2964193).
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Cairone, F., Gagliano, S., Carbone, D.C. et al. Micro-optofluidic switch realized by 3D printing technology. Microfluid Nanofluid 20, 61 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-016-1727-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-016-1727-0