Disclosed herein are methods and systems for achieving degradation of ethers.

Modular reactors comprising a chassis, reactor tubing and optionally a cover are disclosed. The chassis comprises a plurality of channels of different lengths into which a length of reactor tubing is placed to create the reactor portion of the flow reactor.

Emulsion breaking and phase separation is achieved by droplet adhesion. An emulsion breaking device includes a channel having distinct adjacent zones with distinctly different surface wettability characteristics, namely, solvophilic and solvophobic surfaces. The device is positioned such that the upstream portion of the device is configured to be wetted by the continuous phase of the emulsion, and the downstream portion of the device is configured to be wetted by the dispersed phase of the emulsion. As the emulsion flows from the upstream zone to the downstream zone, the change in surface wettability characteristics promotes adhesion of the dispersed phase as the dispersed phase wets the surface of the downstream portion of the channel, which results in breaking of the emulsion. Subsequent collection of the broken emulsion in a collection vessel results in separation of the disparate phases to facilitate their recapture and recycling.

A system for spraying particles onto a substrate, including: at least one reactor including at least one inlet for liquid reagents, a reaction zone, and a zone for collection of the particles produced from the liquid reagents in the reaction zone; a dispensing device allowing the particles to be sprayed onto the substrate; and a mechanism guiding the particles from the collection zone towards the dispensing device.

A method of manufacturing a microfluidic system or microfluidic device having at least one channel includes providing a base sheet, providing a deformable intermediate layer, providing a cover film, and laminating the base sheet, the intermediate layer and the cover film so that a back surface of the intermediate layer is attached to a front surface of the base sheet and a back surface of the cover film is attached to a front surface of the intermediate layer opposite to the back surface thereof, thereby forming a laminate comprising the base sheet, the intermediate layer and the cover film. Further, the method includes applying pressure to the front surface of the intermediate layer through the cover film so as to deform the intermediate layer, thereby forming the at least one channel. The invention also relates to a microfluidic system or microfluidic device) manufactured by this method.

A flow reactor system and methods having tubing useful as polymerization chamber. The flow reactor has at least one inlet and at least one mixing chamber, and an outlet. The method includes providing two phases, an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase and forming an emulsion for introduction into the flow reactor.

A fiber includes one or more layers of polymer surrounding a central lumen, and living animal cells disposed within the lumen and/or within at least one of the one or more layers, wherein the fiber has an outer diameter of between 5 and 8000 microns and wherein each individual layer of polymer has a thickness of between 0.1 and 250 microns. Also disclosed are model tissues including such fibers, and method of making such fibers. The fibers can serve as synthetic blood vessels, ducts, or nerves.

A flow reactor fluidic module (12) includes a reactant fluid module (20) having an internal process fluid passage (22) and a first major planar outer surface (24a) and a thermal resistance R between the internal process fluid passage (22) and the first major planar surface (24); a thermal control fluid module (30) having an internal thermal control fluid passage (32) and a second major planar outer surface (34a); a holding structure (50) holding the reactant fluid module (20) and the thermal control fluid module (30); and a gap (25) separating the first major planar surface (24a) from the second major planar surface (34a). The gap (25) comprises an interchangeable or replaceable substance or sheet (26) having a thermal resistance G across the gap (25), wherein G is not equal to R.

The present invention relates to a microfluidic or millifluidic device (1) comprising: a support (2) made at least partially of a dielectric material, the support (2) comprising a first inlet (21a) adapted to be connected to a first reservoir containing gas, a second inlet (21b) adapted to be connected to a second reservoir containing liquid, an outlet (22) adapted to be connected to a receiver container containing gas and/or liquid, and a main microchannel or millichannel (3) present in the dielectric material allowing the liquid and the gas to flow from the inlets towards the outlet, one or several ground electrode(s) (4) embedded in said dielectric material and extending along the main microchannel or millichannel (3), and one or several high-voltage electrode(s) (5) embedded fi in said dielectric material and extending along the main microchannel or millichannel (3), wherein the high-voltage electrode(s) (5) and the ground electrode(s) (4) are located on opposite sides of the main microchannel or millichannel (3) so as to be able to generate an electric field inside the main microchannel or millichannel (3). The present invention relates also to a method for generating a plasma in a continuous manner using such a microfluidic or millifluidic device (1).

Emulsion breaking and phase separation is achieved by droplet adhesion. An emulsion breaking device includes a channel having distinct adjacent zones with distinctly different surface wettability characteristics, namely, solvophilic and solvophobic surfaces. The device is positioned such that the upstream portion of the device is configured to be wetted by the continuous phase of the emulsion, and the downstream portion of the device is configured to be wetted by the dispersed phase of the emulsion. As the emulsion flows from the upstream zone to the downstream zone, the change in surface wettability characteristics promotes adhesion of the dispersed phase as the dispersed phase wets the surface of the downstream portion of the channel, which results in breaking of the emulsion. Subsequent collection of the broken emulsion in a collection vessel results in separation of the disparate phases to facilitate their recapture and recycling.