Michael G. Pollack

Bio: Michael G. Pollack is an academic researcher from Research Triangle Park. The author has contributed to research in topics: Digital microfluidics & Electrowetting. The author has an hindex of 52, co-authored 73 publications receiving 8885 citations. Previous affiliations of Michael G. Pollack include Duke University & United States Department of Energy Office of Science.

Towards Microelectrofluidic System (MEFS) Computing and Architecture

Abstract: This paper presents the rationale, design, and simulation of next-generationmicroelectro uidic system computational architectures for the emerging eld of bioinformatics. Current microelectro uidic processors (e.g. biochips) have largely dedicated architectures supporting relatively specialized applications. A more general microelectro uidic system computational architecture is given involving a multi-drop bus, pipelined structure. Functional requirements are explained and results of performance modeling and analysis of the micro uidic processor architecture are presented. In developing architectural concepts for micro uidics, it is instructive to \map" uidic computing concepts into electronic computing concepts to gain insight into useful organizational structures. With this linkage, issues of optimal ways to sequence data movement to affect the execution of an instruction apply to the movement of liquid to a ect the execution of a protocol. Leveraging the extensive technology base of electronic computing architecture, the organization of a uidic architecture is presented. Performance modeling and simulation studies are conducted to understand quantitatively issues of uid operations, resource utilization, and overall application throughput.

Method for splitting droplets by electrowetting-based techniques

Abstract: A method for splitting a droplet into two or more droplets includes providing a starting droplet on a surface comprising an array of electrodes and a substantially co-planar array of reference elements. The electrode array comprises at least three electrodes comprising a first outer electrode, a medial electrode adjacent to the first outer electrode, and a second outer electrode adjacent to medial electrode. The starting droplet is initially disposed on at least one of the three electrodes and at least partially overlaps at least one other of the three electrodes. The method further includes activating each of the three electrodes to spread the starting droplet across the three electrodes, and de-activating the medial electrode to split the starting droplet into first and second split droplets. The first split droplet is thereby disposed on the first outer electrode and the second split droplet is disposed on the second outer electrode.

Droplet manipulation system and method

Abstract: Methods are provided for manipulating droplets. The methods include providing the droplet on a surface comprising an array of electrodes and a substantially co-planer array of reference elements, wherein the droplet is disposed on a first one of the electrodes, and the droplet at least partially overlaps a second one of the electrodes and an intervening one of the reference elements disposed between the first and second electrodes. The methods further include activating the first and second electrodes to spread at least a portion of the droplet across the second electrode and deactivating the first electrode to move the droplet from the first electrode to the second electrode.

Microfluidics: Fluid physics at the nanoliter scale

Abstract: Microfabricated integrated circuits revolutionized computation by vastly reducing the space, labor, and time required for calculations. Microfluidic systems hold similar promise for the large-scale automation of chemistry and biology, suggesting the possibility of numerous experiments performed rapidly and in parallel, while consuming little reagent. While it is too early to tell whether such a vision will be realized, significant progress has been achieved, and various applications of significant scientific and practical interest have been developed. Here a review of the physics of small volumes (nanoliters) of fluids is presented, as parametrized by a series of dimensionless numbers expressing the relative importance of various physical phenomena. Specifically, this review explores the Reynolds number Re, addressing inertial effects; the Peclet number Pe, which concerns convective and diffusive transport; the capillary number Ca expressing the importance of interfacial tension; the Deborah, Weissenberg, and elasticity numbers De, Wi, and El, describing elastic effects due to deformable microstructural elements like polymers; the Grashof and Rayleigh numbers Gr and Ra, describing density-driven flows; and the Knudsen number, describing the importance of noncontinuum molecular effects. Furthermore, the long-range nature of viscous flows and the small device dimensions inherent in microfluidics mean that the influence of boundaries is typically significant. A variety of strategies have been developed to manipulate fluids by exploiting boundary effects; among these are electrokinetic effects, acoustic streaming, and fluid-structure interactions. The goal is to describe the physics behind the rich variety of fluid phenomena occurring on the nanoliter scale using simple scaling arguments, with the hopes of developing an intuitive sense for this occasionally counterintuitive world.

Engineering flows in small devices

Abstract: Microfluidic devices for manipulating fluids are widespread and finding uses in many scientific and industrial contexts. Their design often requires unusual geometries and the interplay of multiple physical effects such as pressure gradients, electrokinetics, and capillarity. These circumstances lead to interesting variants of well-studied fluid dynamical problems and some new fluid responses. We provide an overview of flows in microdevices with focus on electrokinetics, mixing and dispersion, and multiphase flows. We highlight topics important for the description of the fluid dynamics: driving forces, geometry, and the chemical characteristics of surfaces.

Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Candidiasis: 2016 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America

Abstract: It is important to realize that guidelines cannot always account for individual variation among patients. They are not intended to supplant physician judgment with respect to particular patients or special clinical situations. IDSA considers adherence to these guidelines to be voluntary, with the ultimate determination regarding their application to be made by the physician in the light of each patient's individual circumstances.

Electrowetting: from basics to applications

Abstract: Electrowetting has become one of the most widely used tools for manipulating tiny amounts of liquids on surfaces. Applications range from 'lab-on-a-chip' devices to adjustable lenses and new kinds of electronic displays. In the present article, we review the recent progress in this rapidly growing field including both fundamental and applied aspects. We compare the various approaches used to derive the basic electrowetting equation, which has been shown to be very reliable as long as the applied voltage is not too high. We discuss in detail the origin of the electrostatic forces that induce both contact angle reduction and the motion of entire droplets. We examine the limitations of the electrowetting equation and present a variety of recent extensions to the theory that account for distortions of the liquid surface due to local electric fields, for the finite penetration depth of electric fields into the liquid, as well as for finite conductivity effects in the presence of AC voltage. The most prominent failure of the electrowetting equation, namely the saturation of the contact angle at high voltage, is discussed in a separate section. Recent work in this direction indicates that a variety of distinct physical effects?rather than a unique one?are responsible for the saturation phenomenon, depending on experimental details. In the presence of suitable electrode patterns or topographic structures on the substrate surface, variations of the contact angle can give rise not only to continuous changes of the droplet shape, but also to discontinuous morphological transitions between distinct liquid morphologies. The dynamics of electrowetting are discussed briefly. Finally, we give an overview of recent work aimed at commercial applications, in particular in the fields of adjustable lenses, display technology, fibre optics, and biotechnology-related microfluidic devices.