Flexible Microfluidic Devices for Tunable Formation of Double Emulsion.

Summary

The authors present a stretchable microfluidic device that tunes double-emulsion core size, shell thickness, and generation frequency without altering flow rates. Applying ~16% device strain increased core volume ~84% and shell volume ~23%, enabling real-time, on-site formulation control relevant to cosmetics, food, and bioapplications.

Key Findings

• Flexible, stretchable microfluidic device tunes double-emulsion core size and shell thickness without changing flow rates.
• Approximately 16% device strain increased core volume by ~84% and shell volume by ~23%, while decreasing generation frequency.
• Demonstrated high-precision, reproducible, on-site real-time tunability across multiple stretching scenarios.

Clinical Implications

While preclinical, this platform can accelerate development of cosmetic and dermatologic formulations with precise release kinetics and improved stability, potentially enabling personalized topical therapies.

Limitations

• Proof-of-concept; industrial-scale throughput and long-term droplet stability not evaluated.
• Limited fluid chemistries tested; performance in complex cosmetic formulations remains to be shown.

Future Directions

Validate scalability, robustness with cosmetic-grade oils/surfactants/actives, and integrate in-line quality control for GMP manufacturing.