DEVELOPMENT OF A DIY PLATFORM FOR DROPLET-BASED MICROFLUIDICS

The development of a microfluidic platform for most research laboratories is a difficult task, primarily because of the high cost of its components. In this regard, numerous studies are being carried out to modernize existing or find new methods for manufacturing such devices. The paper discusses the possibility of developing a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) droplet-based microfluidic platform, which includes a fluid delivery system consisting of syringe pumps and microfluidic chips with various geometries. Both syringe pumps and microfluidic chips were fabricated using widely available off-the-shelf components. Some mechanical parts of the pumps were made using 3D printing. The microfluidic setup was controlled using an Arduino UNO board. It was shown that the proposed platform is not inferior to the systems previously reported by other authors on a variety of examples of the generation of emulsions with various forms of morphology.