Researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt and Technical University Darmstadt recently published a paper in Lab on a Chip describing advanced in situ imaging of fluid dynamics and nanocarrier formation inside microfluidic mixing devices. The study addresses a core challenge in microfluidic engineering: gaining detailed, real-time insight into how fluids mix and how nanocarriers (e.g., drug delivery particles) assemble under controlled flow conditions. Using a combination of confocal Raman, confocal fluorescence, and Förster resonance energy transfer microscopy, the team was able to visualize solvent fluid motion and particle nucleation within a serpentine micromixer, revealing how interfaces between fluids influence the formation of nanocarriers.
A key enabling technology for this work was Boston Micro Fabrication’s S240 micro 3D printer, which was used to fabricate the microfluidic mixing chips with the precision and reproducibility required for in situ characterization. The S240’s micron-scale accuracy allowed researchers to produce complex channel geometries with tightly controlled dimensions, ensuring that fluid streams maintained predictable behavior and that imaging could capture detailed transport and assembly processes. By combining these high-resolution printed devices with advanced imaging methods, the study provides new mechanistic insight into microfluidic mixing and lays groundwork for optimized design and scale-up of microfluidic systems for pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications.
