Low-cost fluorescence microscope with microfluidic device fabrication for optofluidic applications

Journal article (2023)

Authors

Nagaraj Nagalingam Complex Fluid Processing - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
V.B. Korede Complex Fluid Processing - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
E.F.J. Overmars Fluid Mechanics - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
S. Hung Team Carlas Smith - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
Remco Hartkamp Complex Fluid Processing - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
J.T. Padding Complex Fluid Processing - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
C.S. Smith Team Carlas Smith - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
H.B. Eral Complex Fluid Processing - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
Research Group
Complex Fluid Processing (Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2023 Nagaraj Nagalingam, Aswin Raghunathan, V.B. Korede, E.F.J. Overmars, S. Hung, Remco Hartkamp, J.T. Padding, C.S. Smith, H.B. Eral
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ohx.2023.e00415
More Info
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Published Date

2023

Language

English

Faculty

Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

Department

Process and Energy

Research Group

Complex Fluid Processing

Abstract

Optofluidic devices have revolutionized the manipulation and transportation of fluid at smaller length scales ranging from micrometers to millimeters. We describe a dedicated optical setup for studying laser-induced cavitation inside a microchannel. In a typical experiment, we use a tightly focused laser beam to locally evaporate the solution laced with a dye resulting in the formation of a microbubble. The evolving bubble interface is tracked using high-speed microscopy and digital image analysis. Furthermore, we extend this system to analyze fluid flow through fluorescence-Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique with minimal adaptations. In addition, we demonstrate the protocols for the in-house fabrication of a microchannel tailored to function as a sample holder in this optical setup. In essence, we present a complete guide for constructing a fluorescence microscope from scratch using standard optical components with flexibility in the design and at a lower cost compared to its commercial analogues.