Microfluidics with fluid walls

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 816 - 9
• Main Authors: Walsh, Edmond J., Feuerborn, Alexander, Wheeler, James H. R., Tan, Ann Na, Durham, William M., Foster, Kevin R., Cook, Peter R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 10.10.2017; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/1647/2163; 631/1647/277; 639/766/189; 639/925/350/877; Bacteria; Biofilms; Chemotaxis; Chemotaxis - physiology; Circuits; Complexity; Confining; Contact angle; Devices; Equilibrium; Evaporation; External pressure; Fluidics; Human behavior; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hydrostatic pressure; Infertility, Male - diagnosis; Infertility, Male - therapy; Inflammation; Inflammatory response; Laboratories; Liquids; Male; Microfluidics; multidisciplinary; Overlaying; Plastics; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Semen Analysis; Sperm Motility - physiology; Spermatozoa - physiology; Substrates; Surface tension; Walls

Microfluidics has great potential, but the complexity of fabricating and operating devices has limited its use. Here we describe a method — Freestyle Fluidics — that overcomes many key limitations. In this method, liquids are confined by fluid (not solid) walls. Aqueous circuits with any 2D shape ar...