Forming of Protein Bubbles and Porous Films Using Co‐Axial Electrohydrodynamic Flow Processing

Abstract

Air and 5 wt.‐% BSA solution are used as a model system to generate protein‐coated microbubbles, which are significantly smaller in diameter than the processing needle apertures. The effects of processing parameters (applied voltage and flow rate) on the bubble size distribution and stability are studied. The optimal processing conditions are also explored in terms of heating of the solutions and prepared structures. Both individual microbubbles and porous films were successfully prepared using this method which has significant potential for the preparation of microbubbles for drug delivery systems, porous coatings, thin films, scaffolds and ultrasound contrast agents. The versatile nature of the method implies that many macromolecules and other active agents can be used. magnified image

Biodegradable Polymeric Films and Membranes Processing and Forming for Tissue Engineering

“…Several techniques have been successful in patterning pores, such as laser trimming and robotic punctuation . Other interesting method like microbubbles, which are fabricated from co‐axial electrohydrodynamic and pressurized gyration processes, also has a potential to pattern pores onto a film.…”

“…The third method was a recent technique involving “microbubbles,” which has the ability to create pores on film surface. The microbubbles can be introduced using techniques such as pressurized gyration and co‐axial electrohydrodynamic . The co‐axial electrohydrodynamic technique had proven that the size of microbubbles could be adjusted by changing the voltage and infusion rate .…”

“…The microbubbles can be introduced using techniques such as pressurized gyration and co‐axial electrohydrodynamic . The co‐axial electrohydrodynamic technique had proven that the size of microbubbles could be adjusted by changing the voltage and infusion rate . These microbubbles have a potential use for controlling and patterning pores on films and membranes.…”

Generation of Monodisperse Microbubbles with a Controlled Size of Less Than 10 µm at a Generation Rate on the Order of 10⁵ Bubbles/s in Glass Capillary Microfluidic Devices

“…Various methods have been developed for the preparation of microbubbles, such as sonication (Xing et al, 2010;Szíjjártó et al, 2012), mechanical agitation (Borden et al, 2005;Xu et al, 2008), pressurized dissolution methods (Takahashi et al, 2007;Parmar and Majumder, 2015), coaxial electrohydrodynamic atomization (Farook et al, 2007;Ekemen et al, 2011), swirling ow methods (Tabei et al, 2007;Kim et al, 2019), and high shear emulsi cation (Bjerknes et al, 2000;Jiang et al, 2006). However, it is di cult to prepare highly monodispersed microbubbles with precisely controlled sizes using such methods.…”

Effect of Temperature and Pressure on the Stability of Protein Microbubbles

“…This protein network is so strong that it withstands Laplace pressure, making the microbubble stable for a long period of time and suitable for several very important applications. For example, protein microbubbles have been used as contrast agents in medical diagnostics and have been proven to be useful as carriers of drugs, the release of which can be controlled so that it can be delivered at the right time and place. − Furthermore, it has been proposed that microbubbles could be used as structural ingredients in foods to create new food textures, allowing for the manufacturing of healthier foods, e.g., by replacing fat, with increased consumer preference. − Protein-stabilized microbubbles can be produced using various methods, including sonication, high shear mixing, template layer-by-layer deposition, electro-hydrodynamic atomization, and pressurized gyration. − Each technique has its own advantages and drawbacks. In this paper, we focus on microbubbles intended for the food industry.…”