 elow,
we talk with Dr. Takasi Nisisako about his paper, "Droplet
formation in a microchannel network" (Nisisako T, Torii T,
Higuchi T, Lab Chip 2[1]: 24-6, 2002), which
is part of our Research Front on Microfluidic Devices. This
paper is also classified as a Highly Cited Paper in
Essential
Science IndicatorsSM,
with 48 cites to date. Dr. Nisisako is Assistant Professor
in the Precision and Intelligence Laboratory at the Tokyo
Institute of Technology in Kanagawa, Japan. |
 Would
you please describe the significance of your paper and why it is highly
cited?
The paper describes a microfluidic technique to generate emulsion
droplets of uniform sizes. It enables rapid and reproducible
formation of droplets with sharp size distribution in planar
microfluidic channels, and their size and breakup rate can be
flexibly varied by controlling flow conditions. The frequent
citation of this paper probably results from the rapid growth of the
relevant research field during the past few years.
How
did you become involved in this research, and were there any particular
successes or obstacles that stand out?
I became involved in this research while I was a graduate student
at the University of Tokyo. The aim of my work at first was to
produce emulsions using a microfabricated geometry. One day, I
accidentally found that aqueous droplets were being formed into
organic phase at a simple T-junction when infusing the two liquids
by pushing syringes manually. Since then it took some time to fully
understand the characteristic of the phenomenon because it occurred
very rapidly and a high-speed video camera was needed.
|
Dr. Takasi Nisisako's
most-cited paper
with 48 cites to date (also represented in the Research
Front map): |
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Nisisako, T,
et al., "Droplet formation in a microchannel network,"
LAB CHIP, 2 (1): 24-26, 2002.
Source:
Essential Science Indicators. |
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|
Where
do you see your research and the broader field leading in the future?
We plan to continue our research in the same field of
microfluidics, putting much effort in the production of a new class
of droplets and particles (e.g., biphasic Janus particles, double
emulsions with controlled interior structure, nonspherical particles
with tunable shape, etc.) that are not available by conventional
techniques. Also, large-scale production of such materials will soon
be demonstrated for industrial application. Researchers are
increasingly taking up this type of work and hence this research
field will be activated further.
What
are the practical applications of your work, if any?
A wide variety of promising applications have been proposed so
far because the technique is straightforward and versatile. A few
examples are chemical synthesis in microdroplets, high-throughput
screening system for biochemical analysis, and production of a new
class of functional microparticles.
Takasi Nisisako, Ph.D.
Precision and Intelligence Laboratory
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Kanagawa, JAPAN
< Return to
Research Front Map
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A Closer Look...
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Below
is an image sent in by Dr. Takasi Nisisako which correspond with the featured
paper, or current research. |
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Figure
1:
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Figure
1:
Formation of aqueous droplets in
organic stream at a microfabricated T-junction.
Droplet diameter is ~100
mm,
and breakup rate is ~2400 drops s-1. |
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ESI Special
Topics: September 2007
Citing URL: http://esi-topics.com/mfd/interviews/RF-TakasiNisisako.html
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