Laminar Flow in Microfluidics Devices

Prof Kirby from Cornell University now has started producing videos of his class. Currently  he directs the Micro/Nanofluidics Laboratory in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. His research focuses on microbioanalytical devices, nanofiber textiles, nanoscale fluid mechanics, microparticle processing etc. He has also published books on micro- and nanoscale fluid mechanics from Cambridge University press.  

In this post, I have put together his class videos on patterning microchannels using laminar flow. Laminar flow  is a flow where liquid flows in parallel layers. In micro-channels this kind of flow is found (against turbulant flow in macroscale e.g., in rivers) so that two or more different solutions can flow in the same channel with mixing (only mixing by diffusion). This property of fluid in micro/nano domain can be exploited to pattern these systems. Prof Kirby teaches the theoritical basics of this phenomenon with examples/applications. 

In the last video, he discusses about the Low-Re-High-Pe limit constraints for laminar flow patterning in microfluidics.

Point-of-Care Diagnostics for the Developed and Developing World #paper microfluidics

In this video, Paul Yager, Professor of Bioengineering, University of Washington talks about the paper based diagnostic devices for different types of assays. These devices are cheap, easy to fabricate, don't require instrumentation, very useful in developing world. 

Scanning Electron Microscope Videos: Learn SEM

The scanning electron microscope is used to image the surface of a conducting sample by scanning it with a high energy beam of electrons. Some SEMs have additional software enhancements than enable them to focus the beam on a photomask for E-beam lithography or are equipped for focused ion beam (FIB) milling.

Microfluidics and nanofluidics have lots of applications that require SEM. This post contains a good collection of videos explaining basics of SEM and how to use the instrument.

There are total of six videos.


Part 1.

Part 2.


Part 3.


Part 4.


Part 5.


Part 6.

Laminar Flow in Paper Microfluidics

These days I am more into paper microfluidics. I am hoping to work on these devices in future. These devices will have more values in developing countries which lack resources. Here, I post a video from youtube. The video shows a controlled flow of reagent in 2D paper networks.