A novel emulsification method was developed for making monodispersed regular-sized cells. Both oil in water (O/W) and water in oil (W/O) emulsion cells were generated by permeating an internal phase into a continuous phase through a silicon microchannel, which was designed and prepared by using semiconductor technology. The microprocessing of O/W (or W/O) emulsion cells was monitored and controlled with a microscope video system. Regular-sized O/W cells were made by a normal hydrophilic microchannel and a glass plate with use of an appropriate surfactant. On the other hand, W/O emulsion cells were made by a hydrophobic microchannel and a glass plate modified with a silane coupler reagent. Regularsized W/O cells were also obtained; therefore, a suitable combination of organic phase, surfactant, and electrolyte should be carefully selected. There is a possibility for creating artificial biological cells with this method. In the water/triolein and lecithin system, when the amount of oil was decreased on the permeate side, polygon or fiber cell types were created, and each cell contacted its neighbors across a thin oil layer like a biological tissue. JAOCS 74, 317-321 (1997). FIG. 4. Microchannel emulsification for making water in oil (W/O) cells:(A) water permeation through the hydrophilic channel; (B,C) water permeation through the channel, partially wetted by water, in the system: water/triolein with 0.3 wt% sorbitan monooleate; (D) water permeation through the channel, wetted by water, in water/triolein with 0.1 wt% sorbitan monooleate system; (E) breakthrough the microchannel and cell creation in the system: water with 0.75 wt% KCl/kerosene with 3 wt% sorbitan monolaurate; (F) regular-sized W/O cells of 21 µm packed in the closest conformation; (G) the W/O cells observed at a different focus point; (H) W/O cells in the system: water with 0.86 wt% NaCl/oleic acid with 3 wt% sorbitan monolaurate.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract