Researchers in the US have demonstrated that mechanical energy from a human hand can power a microfluidic device.
The behaviour of liquids on a charged dielectric surface can be controlled by passing a current through that surface, known as the electrowetting on dielectric phenomenon (EWOD). In digital microfluidic devices, individual droplets containing samples or reagents are manipulated, allowing the controlled movement and mixing of reagents in different droplets. However, the need for a bulky external high-voltage power supply currently limits the potential application in biomedical devices and optics.
Movement creates piezoelectric potentials for manipulating droplets in the microfluidic system
To read the full article please visit Chemistry World.
EWOD (Electrowetting on Dielectric) Digital Microfluidics Powered by Finger Actuation
Cheng Peng, Zhongning Zhang, Chang-Jin Kim and Y. Sungtaek Ju
Lab Chip, 2013, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C3LC51223A, Paper
