Microfluidics Researchers Employ 3D Imaging

Hyphenated Systems” 3D MAP technology, which uses advanced confocal microscopy to visualize and measure 3D structure and flow with sub-micrometer resolution, will help researchers at University of California, Santa Barbara understand the dynamic behavior of fluids.

Hyphenated Systems (www.hyphenated-systems.com), a provider of hybrid microscopy solutions for three-dimensional (3D) imaging and metrology in micro- and nanotechnology, formed a joint development program (JDP) with the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB, www.ucsb.edu). Under the agreement, Hyphenated Systems will make available one of its 3D MAP (Microfluidics Analysis Platform) tools to a research group at the university”s Microfluidics Laboratory for use in investigating the fundamental relationships between structure and flow in microfluidic devices.

3D MAP uses advanced confocal microscopy to visualize and measure 3D structure and flow with sub-micrometer resolution. The system is unique in its ability to provide fast, accurate, structural characterization of all aspects of microfluidic devices ― including steep slopes, rough surfaces, and subsurface features in transparent media ― that are difficult or impossible to measure with alternative techniques.

The UCSB Department of Mechanical Engineering will use the 3D MAP technology to aid its research on developing micron-resolution particle image velocimetry (micro-PIV), ac electrokinetic devices for concentrating DNA and enhancing immunoassay reactions, and investigating structure/fluid interactions in biological cells. More specifically, the department intends to use the technology to help it gain an understanding of the dynamic behavior of fluids and their interactions with solid structures in microfluidic devices.