Sequential flow control by liquid decanting on a centrifugal platform

In this paper, a sequential liquid release approach through decanting is reported. By coordinating the Euler and centrifugal forces under a rapid deceleration, liquid can be effectively decanted from a reservoir into a reaction chamber on a centrifugal platform. In addition, no valve is used in this sequential liquid release approach. The decanting mechanism was analyzed and the parameters which govern the decanted liquid volume were inves-tigated. It is found that the onset of the liquid decanting phenomenon is governed by the Bond number. An eight -step sequential flow control design that can robustly deliver the reagents into the reaction chamber to facilitate a multistep process is proposed.