Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of producing uniformly sized organoids/multicellular spheroids using a microfluidic device having an array of microwells. The method involves several successive steps. First, a microfluidic device containing parallel rows of microwells that are connected with a supplying channel is filled with a wetting agent. The wetting agent is a liquid that is immiscible in water. For example, the wetting agent may be an organic liquid such as oil. In the next step, the agent in the supplying channel and the microwells is replaced with a suspension of cells in an aqueous solution that contains a precursor for a hydrogel. Next, the aqueous phase in the supplying channel is replaced with the agent, which leads to the formation of an array of droplets of cell suspension in the hydrogel precursor solution, which were compartmentalized in the wells. The droplets are then transformed into cell-laden hydrogels.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of producing uniformly sized organoids/multicellular spheroids using a microfluidic device having an array of microwells. The method involves several successive steps. First, a microfluidic device containing parallel rows of microwells that are connected with a supplying channel is filled with a wetting agent. The wetting agent is a liquid that is immiscible in water. For example, the wetting agent may be an organic liquid such as oil. In the next step, the agent in the supplying channel and the microwells is replaced with a suspension of cells in an aqueous solution that contains a precursor for a hydrogel. Next, the aqueous phase in the supplying channel is replaced with the agent, which leads to the formation of an array of droplets of cell suspension in the hydrogel precursor solution, which were compartmentalized in the wells. The droplets are then transformed into cell-laden hydrogels.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of producing uniformly sized organoids/multicellular spheroids using a microfluidic device having an array of microwells. The method involves several successive steps. First, a microfluidic device containing parallel rows of microwells that are connected with a supplying channel is filled with a wetting agent. The wetting agent is a liquid that is immiscible in water. For example, the wetting agent may be an organic liquid such as oil. In the next step, the agent in the supplying channel and the microwells is replaced with a suspension of cells in an aqueous solution that contains a precursor for a hydrogel. Next, the aqueous phase in the supplying channel is replaced with the agent, which leads to the formation of an array of droplets of cell suspension in the hydrogel precursor solution, which were compartmentalized in the wells. The droplets are then transformed into cell-laden hydrogels.

Abstract: A microfluidic method and device for focusing and/or forming discontinuous sections of similar or dissimilar size in a fluid is provided. The device can be fabricated simply from readily-available, inexpensive material using simple techniques.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for producing polymeric particles with pre-designed size, shape, morphology and composition, and more particularly the present invention uses a microfluidic polymerization reactor for producing same. The present invention disclosed herein provides a process for producing polymer particles with pre-selected shapes. The method includes injecting a first fluid comprising a polymerizable constituent with a controlled flow rate into a microfluidic channel and injecting a second fluid with a controlled flow rate into the microfluidic channel in which the second fluid mixes with the first fluid, the second fluid being immiscible with the first fluid so that the first fluid forms into droplets in the microfluidic channel. The microfluidic channel has pre-selected dimensions to give droplets of pre-selected size, morphology and shape.

Abstract: A microfluidic method and device for focusing and/or forming discontinuous sections of similar or dissimilar size in a fluid is provided. The device can be fabricated simply from readily-available, inexpensive material using simple techniques.

Abstract: This present invention provides devices for the parallelization of the formation of droplets in a multiple droplet generator integrating two or more parallel flow-focusing devices (FFDs) with either identical, or different, geometries. In the parallel identical FFDs, emulsification generates droplets with a narrow (below 4%) polydispersity despite weak coupling between the identical flow-focusing devices. Formation of droplets in the integrated droplet generator comprising FFDs with different dimensions of the microchannels occurs with strong coupling between the FFDs and produces droplets with varying sizes and size distributions. For such devices the regime in which emulsification produces droplets with varying dimensions and a narrow size distribution have been identified. The results of this work can be used in scaling up the production of droplets and in the simultaneous production of droplets and particles with different dimensions.

Abstract: A microfluidic method and device for focusing and/or forming discontinuous sections of similar or dissimilar size in a fluid is provided. The device can be fabricated simply from readily-available, inexpensive material using simple techniques.

Abstract: Hybrid composite materials with multiscale morphologies are formed by doping polymer submicrometer spheres with semiconductor or metal (e.g. CdS or Ag, respectively) nanoparticles and using these doped microspheres as functional building blocks in production of hybrid periodically structured materials. The preparation of hybrid polymer particles include the following stages: (i) synthesis of monodisperse polymer microspheres, (ii) in-situ synthesis of the inorganic nanoparticles either on the surface, or in the bulk with polymer beads, and (iii) encapsulation of hybrid microspheres with a hydrophobic shell.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a stamp for hot embossing (HE). The stamp can be constructed from any photo-resist epoxy that is stable at temperatures equal to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the material to be stamped. The stamp can be used repeatedly without significant distortion of features. The stamp benefits from low relative cost, high fidelity of features in all three-dimensions and fast construction.

Abstract: Hybrid composite materials with multiscale morphologies are formed by doping polymer submicrometer spheres with semiconductor or metal (e.g. CdS or Ag, respectively) nanoparticles and using these doped microspheres as functional building blocks in production of hybrid periodically structured materials. The preparation of hybrid polymer particles include the following stages: (i) synthesis of monodisperse polymer microspheres, (ii) in-situ synthesis of the inorganic nanoparticles either on the surface, or in the bulk with polymer beads, and (iii) encapsulation of hybrid microspheres with a hydrophobic shell.

Abstract: Hybrid composite materials with multiscale morphologies are formed by doping polymer submicrometer spheres with semiconductor or metal (e.g. CdS or Ag, respectively) nanoparticles and using these doped microspheres as functional building blocks in production of hybrid periodically structured materials. The preparation of hybrid polymer particles include the following stages: (i) synthesis of monodisperse polymer microspheres, (ii) in-situ synthesis of the inorganic nanoparticles either on the surface, or in the bulk with polymer beads, and (iii) encapsulation of hybrid microspheres with a hydrophobic shell.

Abstract: Hybrid composite materials with multiscale morphologies are formed by doping polymer submicrometer spheres with semiconductor or metal (e.g. CdS or Ag, respectively) nanoparticles and using these doped microspheres as functional building blocks in production of hybrid periodically structured materials. The preparation of hybrid polymer particles include the following stages: (i) synthesis of monodisperse polymer microspheres, (ii) in-situ synthesis of the inorganic nanoparticles either on the surface, or in the bulk with polymer beads, and (iii) encapsulation of hybrid microspheres with a hydrophobic shell.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for producing polymeric particles with pre-designed size, shape, morphology and composition, and more particularly the present invention uses a microfluidic polymerization reactor for producing same. The present invention disclosed herein provides a process for producing polymer particles with pre-selected shapes. The method includes injecting a first fluid comprising a polymerizable constituent with a controlled flow rate into a microfluidic channel and injecting a second fluid with a controlled flow rate into the microfluidic channel in which the second fluid mixes with the first fluid, the second fluid being immiscible with the first fluid so that the first fluid forms into droplets in the microfluidic channel. The microfluidic channel has pre-selected dimensions to give droplets of pre-selected size, morphology and shape.

Abstract: The present invention describes a new approach to producing hybrid composite materials with multiscale morphologies. We doped polymer submicrometer spheres with semiconductor or metal (e.g. CdS or Ag, respectively) nanoparticles and used these doped microspheres as the functional building blocks in production of hybrid periodically structured materials. The preparation of hybrid polymer particles included the following stages: (i) synthesis of monodisperse polymer microspheres, (ii) in-situ synthesis of the inorganic nanoparticles either on the surface, or in the bulk of the polymer beads, and (iii) encapsulation of hybrid microspheres with a hydrophobic shell. We demonstrated that by changing the composition of the polymer beads good control could be achieved over the size of the nanoparticles.

Abstract: This present invention provides devices for the parallelization of the formation of droplets in a multiple droplet generator integrating two or more parallel flow-focusing devices (FFDs) with either identical, or different, geometries. In the parallel identical FFDs, emulsification generates droplets with a narrow (below 4%) polydispersity despite weak coupling between the identical flow-focusing devices. Formation of droplets in the integrated droplet generator comprising FFDs with different dimensions of the microchannels occurs with strong coupling between the FFDs and produces droplets with varying sizes and size distributions. For such devices the regime in which emulsification produces droplets with varying dimensions and a narrow size distribution have been identified. The results of this work can be used in scaling up the production of droplets and in the simultaneous production of droplets and particles with different dimensions.

Abstract: A microfluidic method and device for focusing and/or forming discontinuous sections of similar or dissimilar size in a fluid is provided. The device can be fabricated simply from readily-available, inexpensive material using simple techniques.

Abstract: A microfluidic method and device for focusing and/or forming discontinuous sections of similar or dissimilar size in a fluid is provided. The device can be fabricated simply from readily-available, inexpensive material using simple techniques.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to systems and methods of forming particles and, in certain aspects, to systems and methods of forming particles that are substantially monodisperse. Microfluidic systems and techniques for forming such particles are provided, for instance, particles may be formed using gellation, solidification, and/or chemical reactions such as cross-linking, polymerization, and/or interfacial polymerization reactions. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a plurality of particles having an average dimension of less than about 500 micrometers and a distribution of dimensions such that no more than about 5% of the particles have a dimension greater than about 10% of the average dimension, which can be made via microfluidic systems. In one set of embodiments, at least some of the particles may comprise a metal, and in certain embodiments, at least some of the particles may comprise a magnetizable material.

Abstract: The present invention describes a new approach to producing hybrid composite materials with multiscale morphologies. We doped polymer submicrometer spheres with semiconductor or metal (e.g. CdS or Ag, respectively) nanoparticles and used these doped microspheres as the functional building blocks in production of hybrid periodically structured materials. The preparation of hybrid polymer particles included the following stages: (i) synthesis of monodisperse polymer microspheres, (ii) in-situ synthesis of the inorganic nanoparticles either on the surface, or in the bulk of the polymer beads, and (iii) encapsulation of hybrid microspheres with a hydrophobic shell. We demonstrated that by changing the composition of the polymer beads good control could be achieved over the size of the nanoparticles.