Method to control and manipulate floating water droplets
Princeton Docket # 24-4117-1
This new technology developed by researchers at Princeton University represents a significant advancement in the field of interfacial self-assembly and droplet manipulation. Previous technologies in this area have been limited in their ability to precisely control droplet behavior and interactions. However, this technology offers simple and easy to implement methods for both active and passive manipulation of drops at the interface, providing unprecedented control over droplet behavior. This system is driven by electrostatic interactions between the drops and their environment which allows them to be suspended at an oil-air interface.
This technology has potential applications in biomanufacturing and biological research, particularly for creating isolated cell-based assays using floating droplets that avoid surface and air contact. Additionally, the ability to induce autonomous and directed motion of charged drops along an interface could be leveraged for sorting drops containing specific charged specimens. The versatility and precision of this droplet self-assembly and manipulation technique opens new possibilities for microfluidic applications, drug delivery systems, and advanced materials manufacturing processes.
Applications
• Biomanufacturing and biological research • Microfluidic device design • Autonomous sorting of charged specimen
Advantages
• Precise control over droplet behavior • Specimens preserved from contaminants in air and other surfaces
Stage of development
A functional prototype of this invention has been constructed and tested via a multitude of analysis methods and functionality has been confirmed experimentally.
Citations
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/sm/d4sm00531g/
https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.14055
Inventors
Howard Stone Ph.D. is a Donald R. Dixon '69 and Elizabeth W. Dixon Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology, and most of his current research focuses on fluid dynamics and biomaterials.
Amir Pahlavan Ph.D. is an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Yale University. His research interests include fluid mechanics, soft matter and biophysics.
J. Pedro de Souza Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow in Bioengineering at Princeton University.
Gunther Turk Ph.D. is a postdoctoral research associate in Princeton University’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department.
Paul Kaneelil Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow in Applied Mathematics at Harvard University.
Intellectual Property & Development status
Patent protection is pending.
Patent protection is pending. Princeton is currently seeking commercial partners for the further development and commercialization of this opportunity.
Contact
Prabhpreet Gill
Princeton University Office of Technology Licensing • (609)258-3653 • psgill@princeton.edu