CPC B01L 3/502784 (2013.01) [B01F 23/23105 (2022.01); B01F 23/2373 (2022.01); B01F 23/41 (2022.01); B01F 25/44121 (2022.01); B01F 25/4413 (2022.01); B01F 33/3012 (2022.01); B01F 33/30121 (2022.01); B01F 23/4143 (2022.01); B01F 2215/0431 (2013.01); B01L 2200/12 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0809 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0861 (2013.01); B01L 2300/161 (2013.01)] | 30 Claims |
1. A microdroplet/bubble-producing device comprising:
a row of a plurality of microflow channels on a reference plane,
a dispersion phase supply port for supplying a dispersion phase, the dispersion phase supply port having an end connected with the plurality of microflow channels,
a continuous phase supply port for supplying a continuous phase, the continuous phase supply port having an end connected with the plurality of microflow channels,
a discharge port for recovery of a product, the discharge port having an end connected with the plurality of microflow channels, and
a slit connected with the plurality of microflow channels at an end of the slit, the slit having a linear slit end face with a width and axis line having a larger dimension than the size of the width in the reference plane, the reference plane being the flat plane on which the row of the plurality of microflow channels exist, the linear slit end face of the slit being connected with the microflow channels in a transverse direction, the slit having the reference plane as its end and extending from the reference plane in the transverse direction of the reference plane,
the end of the slit being connected through each of the microflow channels with any two from among the end of the dispersion phase supply port, the end of the continuous phase supply port and the end of the discharge port,
the end of the slit being configured to be sandwiched along the axis line of each of the plurality of microflow channels, by said two from among the end of the dispersion phase supply port, the end of the continuous phase supply port and the end of the discharge port,
wherein the plurality of microflow channels are configured to transport one of the dispersion phase and continuous phase in the plurality of microflow channels from one of the sandwiching ports to the sites of connection between the sandwiched slit and the plurality of the microflow channels, while the sandwiched slit is configured to transport the other one of the dispersion phase and continuous phase to the sites of connection between the sandwiched slit and the plurality of the microflow channels, or the plurality of microflow channels are configured to transport both of the dispersion phase and continuous phase in the plurality of microflow channels from the sandwiching ports to the sites of connection between the sandwiched slit and the plurality of the microflow channels; and wherein the sites of connection between the sandwiched slit and the microflow channels are configured to provide shearing of the dispersion phase by the flow of the continuous phase as the driving force, forming droplets or air bubbles of the dispersion phase in the continuous phase, the discharge port being configured for recovery of the product comprising the droplets or air bubbles of the dispersion phase in the continuous phase.
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22. A microdroplet/bubble-producing method using a microdroplet/bubble-producing device that comprises:
a row of a plurality of microflow channels on a reference plane,
a dispersion phase supply port for supplying a dispersion phase, the dispersion phase supply port having an end connected with the plurality of microflow channels,
a continuous phase supply port for supplying a continuous phase, the dispersion phase supply port having an end connected with the plurality of microflow channels,
a discharge port for recovery of a product, the discharge port having an end connected with the plurality of microflow channels, and
a slit connected with the plurality of microflow channels at an end of the slit, the slit having a linear slit end face with a width and axis line having a larger dimension than the size of the width in the reference plane, the reference plane being the flat plane on which the row of the plurality of microflow channels exist, the linear slit end face of the slit being connected with the microflow channels in a transverse direction, the slit having the reference plane as its end and extending from the reference plane in the transverse direction of the reference plane,
the end of the slit being connected through each of the microflow channels with any two from among the end of the dispersion phase supply port, the end of the continuous phase supply port and the end of the discharge port,
the end of the slit being connected through each of the microflow channels with any two from among the end of the dispersion phase supply port, the end of the continuous phase supply port and the end of the discharge port,
the end of the slit being configured to be sandwiched-along the axis line of each of the plurality of microflow channels, by said two from among the end of the dispersion phase supply port, the end of the continuous phase supply port and the end of the discharge port,
the method comprising:
supplying a dispersion phase to the dispersion phase supply port and a continuous phase to the continuous phase port;
transporting the dispersion phase and the continuous phase through two from among the sandwiched slit and the sandwiching ports to the plurality of microflow channels;
receiving and transporting one of the dispersion phase and continuous phase in the plurality of microflow channels from one of the sandwiching ports to the sites of connection between the sandwiched slit and the plurality of the microflow channels, and transporting the other one of the dispersion phase and continuous phase through the sandwiched slit to the sites of connection between the sandwiched slit and the plurality of microflow channels, or receiving and distributing both of the dispersion phase and continuous phase in the plurality of microflow channels from the sandwiching ports to the sites of connection between the sandwiched slit and the plurality of the microflow channels;
meeting the dispersion phase and continuous phase at the sites of connection between the sandwiched slit and the microflow channels;
providing shearing of the dispersion phase by the flow of the continuous phase as the driving force at the sites of connection between the sandwiched slit and the microflow channels;
forming droplets or air bubbles of the dispersion phase in the continuous phase; and
recovering of the product comprising the droplets or air bubbles of the dispersion phase in the continuous phase from the discharge port.
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