This paper describes a method to control and detect droplet size gradient by step-wise flow rate ramping of water-in-oil droplets
in a microfluidic device. The droplets are generated in a cross channel device with two oil inlets and a water inlet. The
droplet images are captured and analyzed in a time sequence in order to quantify the droplet generation frequency. It is demonstrated
that by controlling the ramping of the oil flow rates it is possible to manipulate the ramping of droplet sizes. Increasing
or decreasing of droplet sizes is achieved for a step-wise triangular ramping profile of the oil flow rate. The dynamic behavior
of droplets due to the step-wise flow pulses is investigated. Uniform linear size ramping of water-in-oil droplets from 73
to 83 μm in diameter is generated with an oil flow ramping range from 1 to 11 μL/min in a minimum of five steps while water
flow rate is held constant at 2 μL/min.
Keywords Microfluidic droplets - Droplet sensing - High speed imaging - Droplet generation frequency - Microdroplet array