Microfluidics Gas Dynamic Virtual Nozzle

The Gas Dynamic Virtual Nozzle (GDVN) is a microscopic liquid droplet injector that utilizes a gas focusing sheath to run a continuous supply of hydrated bioparticles in vacuum across a pulsed X-ray beam. Its ability to run for days without clogging make it an ideal injector for next-generation biological imaging techniques such as serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX). We report a new approach to nozzle fabrication that has significantly extended the injector's capabilities. Soft photolithography was used to produce a microfluidics version that is comparable to the standard GDVN but capable of subsonic operation and fast fluid switching -- desirable features for increasing data yield by reducing wasted sample.