Microdrop Generation: (Nano- and Microscience, Engineering, Technology and Medicine)

The applications and use of inkjet-like microfluidic drop ejectors have grown rapidly in many fields, including biotechnology, drug discovery, combinatorial chemistry, and microfabrication. Yet to date, end users and even designers of microdrop systems for scientific applications have had no books to reference on the subject. Microdrop Generation meets the needs of all those who need to understand the physics and engineering behind microdrop technology. It also contains detailed, how-to information on the practical construction, operation, troubleshooting, and fluid formulation for microdrop ejection systems. Written by a highly experienced practitioner of the art, the book is organized as a self-contained tutorial of microdrop technology ideal for those new to the field.

Table of Contents:
Foreword. What Can You Do with a Microdrop? Methods of Ejecting Microdrops. Particle Kinetics of Ejected Microdrops. Electric Charging of Microdrops. Engineering Requirements for Reliable Microdrop Generation. Imaging Microdrops. Drop Ejector Drive Electronics. Fabrication of Ejection Aperture Nozzles. Drop Ejector Construction. Pressure Control. Fluid Engineering for Microdrop Ejectors. Components of Drop-On-Demand Ejector Fluids. Making Jettable Suspensions of Ground Solids. Appendices.

Review :
"Microdrop technology has underpinned an exponential growth in a range of applications that could not have been envisaged at the time of the early inkjet printers. Current applications are as diverse as high-throughput screening for drug candidates to 3-D prototyping for nanoscale fabrication. Microdrop generation is also critical to many major industries ranging from the food, cosmetics and vaccine producers to the manufacturers of integrated circuits and displays. What continues to be exciting is that there are still undiscovered ways to create and use microdrops, many of which have huge commercial implications that have yet to be tapped. "Microdrop Generation by Eric R. Lee does more than justice to this complex and fascinating subject. It is essentially a practical book that provides students, scientists, and engineers with all the relevant theory - from particle physics to fluid dynamics - while never losing sight of how the theory works in reality. It covers the practicalities of how microdrops can be ejected, how drives and nozzles can be engineered, as well information on key imaging techniques and hints on troubleshooting. "This book is the result of nearly ten years of experiment and wide consultation by an expert in the field, and apart from being the definitive work in the area, is not only highly informative, but also highly readable. In our view Microdrop Generation must be an essential addition to the bookshelf of scientists working in many areas, as well as a valuable preparatory text for science and engineering departments alike who want to produce students who are industrially and academically useful.'" -Ottilia Saxl, CEO, The Institute of Nanotechnology, Scotland, UK