Future medical devices could instantly diagnose diseases including viruses such as HIV using portable lab-on-a-chip technologies.
Both cheap and effective, it is just one example of a number of possible uses for mircodroplet technology.
This emerging area of research is concerned with manufacturing at the mirco-scale - using innovative new materials and technologies with unique electrical, optical or other properties at a small scale.
Dr Yonghao Zhang, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is trying to overcome one of the many engineering challenges to creating a lab-on-a-chip. He is investigating smarter ways of controlling the flow of tiny droplets of liquid inside a device.
Dr Zhang said: "To process a sample of blood for diagnosis we need to achieve reliable control of the dynamics of flow and droplet behaviour. We need to be able to control how much of a sample is merged into a droplet for diagnosis, and the speed and direction of those droplets through the device."
Current lab-on-a-chip devices use electrical components, valves and pumps to manipulate droplets. Dr Zhang says they are expensive to make due to their complex structure and are difficult to use.
"This technology needs to be highly automated, integrated and portable. It also needs to be easy to use and cheaper to make."
With this in mind, the research team is undertaking experiments and computer simulations to investigate droplet behaviour.
Dr Zhang said: "We use an optical detection system to see how the droplets behave in a controlled environment. We control their viscosity, surface tension and flow rate and monitor how the droplets interact with each other and with the surface. We’re also investigating what parameters control droplet size."
New knowledge on the mechanics of droplet flow could also benefit engineers, particularly in the area of hydraulics and chemical engineering.
Who's involved?
Dr Zhang is collaborating with Professor Deepak Uttamchandani in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. Three PhD students are currently involved.
Other collaborators include the University of Manchester, Heriot-Watt University, the University of Glasgow and Daresbury Lab UK.
Who funds the research?
The research is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Science and Technology Facilities Council.
Where does the research happen?
Visit the Facilities & Resources webpage to learn more about Strathclyde's facilities for experiments and research.