Optical Coherence Tomography Picorheology
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
A large range of materials are classified as 'soft matter'. These materials include biological samples (DNA, proteins, cells, food gels etc), but also many industrial products (soap powders, paints etc). The manner in which soft materials deform and flow when they experience an external force is a fascinating and varied area of scientific research, termed 'rheology'. We plan to build three new instruments to probe the rheology of soft materials. These instruments will allow us to explore the flow properties of minute amounts of biological sample (picolitres) over a huge range of times scales for both runny and more viscous fluids. Crucially the techniques are not harmful to the specimens and can be used on fragile medical samples such as blood clots. When pushed by an external force soft materials can resist the motion (shear thicken) or increasingly travel with the flow (shear thin). However recent studies have shown (in contrast with previous accepted wisdom) that the external forces are not experienced uniformly by specimens of soft materials. The extreme case is where an external force spontaneously gives a fluid that is uniform when stationary a dynamic banded microstructure. The sensitivity of our picorheometer to micron sized quantities of fluids is ideal for us to explore this dynamic banding phenomena in more detail, beyond that available in state of the art equipment (e.g. magnetic resonance imaging).
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Thomas Waigh (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Harvey M
(2011)
Optical coherence tomography velocimetry in controlled shear flow.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Malm AV
(2014)
Optical coherence tomography velocimetry of colloidal suspensions.
in Soft matter
Jaradat S
(2012)
Shear-banding in polyacrylamide solutions revealed via optical coherence tomography velocimetry
in Soft Matter
Description | We developed a new method to probe the velocity of opaque fluids under flow. |
Exploitation Route | They could be used in a commerical apparatus (we patented the ideas involved). |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
Description | They led to a UK patent and have led to additional funding (the use of OCT picorheology to probe complex fluid processing - a Unilever collaboration) |
First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
Sector | Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
Impact Types | Economic |
Title | Optical coherence tomography shear rheometry |
Description | Designed a new instrument to measure the velocity of complex fluids in a rheometer. Both transparent and opaque complex fluids can be explored. |
IP Reference | GB1013945.9 |
Protection | Patent granted |
Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
Licensed | No |
Impact | Contacts have been made with the relevant industry. |