An integrated bioaerosol sampler with simultaneous sampling and droplet encapsulation for the monitoring of airborne bacteria.

Monitoring of bioaerosols requires the provision of highly concentrated liquid samples in a short period. Such a bioaerosol sampler should not only be a low-cost, compact device but should also have a technology to achieve a high collection efficiency and concentrated samples in small liquid volumes. In this study, for the first time, we developed a bioaerosol sampler that can simultaneously collect bacteria and highly concentrated liquid samples by combining electrostatic and electrowetting technologies.

Thermopneumatic Soft Micro Bellows Actuator for Standalone Operation.

Typical pneumatic soft micro actuators can be manufactured without using heavy driving components such as pumps and power supplies by adopting an independent battery-powered mechanism. In this study, a thermopneumatically operated soft micro bellows actuator was manufactured, and the standalone operation of the actuator was experimentally validated. Thermopneumatic actuation is based on heating a sealed cavity inside the elastomer of the actuator to raise the pressure, leading to deflection of the elastomer.