Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 7 June 2002:
Vol. 296. no. 5574, pp. 1841 - 1844
DOI: 10.1126/science.1072133
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Microfluidic Control Using Colloidal Devices

Alex Terray, John Oakey,* David W. M. Marr*

By manipulating colloidal microspheres within customized channels, we have created micrometer-scale fluid pumps and particulate valves. We describe two positive-displacement designs, a gear and a peristaltic pump, both of which are about the size of a human red blood cell. Two colloidal valve designs are also demonstrated, one actuated and one passive, for the direction of cells or small particles. The use of colloids as both valves and pumps will allow device integration at a density far beyond what is currently achievable by other approaches and may provide a link between fluid manipulation at the macro- and nanoscale.

Chemical Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: joakey{at}mines.edu (J.O.); dmarr{at}mines.edu (D.W.M.M.)

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Multiphoton fabrication of chemically responsive protein hydrogels for microactuation.
B. Kaehr and J. B. Shear (2008)
PNAS 105, 8850-8854
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)