Microfluidic system and method for creating an encapsulated droplet with a removable shell

Abstract

A microfluidic system for creating encapsulated droplets whose shells can be further removed comprises: two electrode plates and a spacing structure disposed between the two electrode plates. One of the electrode plates has three reservoir electrodes and a plurality of channel electrodes. The three electrodes are respectively used for accommodating a shell liquid, a core liquid, and a removing liquid which is able to remove the shell liquid. The channel electrodes are used for communicating droplets among the three reservoir electrodes. Via these arrangements, the microfluidic system can create a quantitative shell droplet and a quantitative core droplet, and then merge the shell and core droplets to form an encapsulated droplet. Moreover, the shell of the encapsulated droplet can be removed by mixing it with the removing liquid. This invention is further provided with a method for creating an encapsulated droplet with a removable shell.

1 . A microfluidic system for creating an encapsulated droplet with a removable shell comprising:
 a first electrode plate having a first substrate and a first electrode layer, the first electrode layer being disposed on a surface of the first substrate, the first electrode layer having a first reservoir electrode, a second reservoir electrode, a third reservoir electrode, a plurality of first channel electrodes being sequent and adjacent to one another, and a plurality of second channel electrodes being sequent and adjacent to one another, one of the first channel electrodes being adjacent to the first reservoir electrode, another one of the first channel electrodes being adjacent to the second reservoir electrode, one of the second channel electrodes being adjacent to the third reservoir electrode, another one of the second channel electrodes being adjacent to the first channel electrodes, the first reservoir electrode being used for accommodating a shell liquid, the second reservoir electrode being used for accommodating a core liquid, and the third reservoir electrode being used for accommodating a removing liquid capable of removing the shell liquid;   a second electrode plate having a second substrate and a second electrode layer, the second electrode layer being disposed on a surface of the second substrate and opposite to the first electrode layer; and   a spacing structure disposed between the first and the second electrode plates, wherein a space is formed between the first and the second electrode plates.   
     
     
         2 . The microfluidic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the shell liquid or the core liquid is a dielectric fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The microfluidic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the shell liquid or the core liquid is a conductive fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The microfluidic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first electrode plate includes a dielectric layer disposed on the first electrode layer. 
     
     
         5 . The microfluidic system according to  claim 4 , wherein the first electrode plate includes a hydrophobic layer disposed on the dielectric layer. 
     
     
         6 . The microfluidic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second electrode plate includes a hydrophobic layer disposed on the second electrode layer. 
     
     
         7 . The microfluidic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first channel electrodes and the second channel electrodes are arranged in forms of letters “T”, “λ” or “E”. 
     
     
         8 . The microfluidic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second substrates are made of glass materials. 
     
     
         9 . A microfluidic system for creating an encapsulated droplet with a removable shell comprising:
 a first electrode plate having a first substrate and a first electrode layer, the first electrode layer being disposed on a surface of the first substrate, the first electrode layer having a first reservoir electrode, a second reservoir electrode, a plurality of first channel electrodes being sequent and adjacent to one another, one of the first channel electrodes being adjacent to the first reservoir electrode, another one of the first channel electrodes being adjacent to the second reservoir electrode, the first reservoir electrode being used for accommodating a shell liquid, the second reservoir electrode being used for accommodating a core liquid;   a second electrode plate having a second substrate and a second electrode layer, the second electrode layer being disposed on a surface of the second substrate and opposite to the first electrode layer; and
 a spacing structure disposed between the first and the second electrode pates, wherein a space is formed between the first and the second electrode plates.