Fabrication of a multiplexed microfluidic system for scaled up production of cross-linked biocatalytic microspheres

Abstract

Multiplexed or parallelised droplet microfluidic systems allow for increased throughput in the production of emulsions and microparticles, while maintaining a small footprint and utilising minimal ancillary equipment. The current paper demonstrates the design and fabrication of a multiplexed microfluidic system for producing biocatalytic microspheres. The microfluidic system consists of an array of 10 parallel microfluidic circuits, for simultaneous operation to demonstrate increased production throughput. The flow distribution was achieved using a principle of reservoirs supplying individual microfluidic circuits. The microfluidic devices were fabricated in poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) using soft lithography techniques. The consistency of the flow distribution was determined by measuring the size variations of the microspheres produced. The coefficient of variation of the particles was determined to be 9%, an indication of consistent particle formation and good flow distribution between the 10 microfluidic circuits.