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Generation of Linear and Parabolic Concentration Gradients by Using a Christmas Tree-Shaped Microfluidic Network

  • Engineering Science
  • Published:
Wuhan University Journal of Natural Sciences

Abstract

This paper describes a simple method of generating concentration gradients with linear and parabolic profiles by using a Christmas tree-shaped microfluidic network. The microfluidic gradient generator consists of two parts: a Christmas tree-shaped network for gradient generation and a broad microchannel for detection. A two-dimensional model was built to analyze the flow field and the mass transfer in the microfluidic network. The simulating results show that a series of linear and parabolic gradient profiles were generated via adjusting relative flow rate ratios of the two source solutions (RL2 ≥0.995 and RP2 ≥0.999), which could match well with the experimental results (RL2 ≥0.987 and RP2 ≥0.996). The proposed method is promising for the generation of linear and parabolic concentration gradient profiles, with the potential in chemical and biological applications such as combinatorial chemistry synthesis, stem cell differentiation or cytotoxicity assays.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430200, China

    Qilong Shen, Qiongwei Zhou, Zhigang Lu & Nangang Zhang

Authors
  1. Qilong Shen
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  2. Qiongwei Zhou
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  3. Zhigang Lu
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  4. Nangang Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nangang Zhang.

Additional information

Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81372358, 81527801, 51303140, and 81602489), the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (2014CFA029), the Colleges of Hubei Province Outstanding Youth Science and Technology Innovation Team (T201305), and the Applied Foundational Research Program of Wuhan Municipal Science and Technology Bureau (2015060101010056)

Biography: SHEN Qilong, male, Master candidate, research direction: design and preparation of microfluidic chip.

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Shen, Q., Zhou, Q., Lu, Z. et al. Generation of Linear and Parabolic Concentration Gradients by Using a Christmas Tree-Shaped Microfluidic Network. Wuhan Univ. J. Nat. Sci. 23, 244–250 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11859-018-1317-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11859-018-1317-y

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