Gregory A. Cooksey
Microfluidics to Dye For, 2006

Photomacrograph; Canon 20D with 50mm F1.8 lens equipped with an EF25II extension tube; Canon 480EX flash and custom foil reflectors

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, United States

This image documents a microfluidic network that was filled with food coloring to increase visibility of the channels, which are 200 micrometers in diameter. This device was designed to select combinations of 16 unique chemicals (represented by the different colored dyes) for delivery into the central reaction chamber (4 x 6 mm). The small dimensions of the network created laminar flow patterns (as observed in the central chamber), whereby adjacent flow streams mixed only by diffusion (slowly, over long distances). A number of features in the device make it well suited for a multitude of chemical and biological experiments. The device is made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a transparent, flexible polymer. This research was undertaken at the University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering.

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