EFFICIENT MICROENCAPSULATION

摘要

A device and method for generating microcapsules employs an inertial-focusing channel for introducing particles dispersed in a prepolymer suspension fluid, a droplet-generating junction for introducing oil evenly onto the flow of particles to create separated droplets of prepolymer suspension fluid encapsulating respective particles in a streamline flow, and a polymerization section for exposing the droplets to UV light or heat to cause polymerization of a polymer coating on separate microcapsules each containing a respective particle. Preferred suspension fluids may be aqueous solution of poly(ethylene-glycol)-diacrylate (PEGDA), or poly(N-isopropyl-acryalmide) (PNIPAAM). The preferred device may employ a curved or linear inertial-focusing microchannel. Functional tags and/or handles may be added to the microcapsules allowing easy detection, measurement and handling of the microcapsules.