The Multiple Inlet Vortex Mixer has tangentially injected streams into the mixing chamber that form lamely in the rotating vortex. A high Reynolds number in the mixing chamber ensures the production of micron scale turbulent vortices, which rapidly mix the lamely, similar to the turbulent vortices inside a CIJ mixer. To begin assembling the micro size multi inlet vortex mixer, or MIVM, gather the required bottom receiver, the mixing geometry disc, the top disc, the O ring, and the spanner wrench on the working platform seat the O ring into the groove in the mixing disc.
Align the mixing disc holes with the pegs on the top disc, and push them together without dislodging the O-ring. Screw the mated mixing disc, O-ring, and top disc assembly into the bottom receiver loosely. Then, tighten the top disc into the bottom receiver using the spanner wrench.
Insert and tighten the outlet tubing fitting into the bottom receiver to complete the MIVM. Mount the assembled MIVM into the mixer stand, so that the outlet tubing exits through the support plate. Next, prepare the solvent and antis solvent solutions in the desired composition.
Load 30 milliliters of solutions into gas tight syringes. Invert the syringe and tubing, and expel any air from them. Attach PTFE tubing with a lure adapter fitted on the end.
Mount the syringes into a syringe pump, and attach them to the mixer inlets on the MIVM. Dilute the 100 millimolar pH four acetate buffer stock to 10 millimolar in a total volume of 320 milliliters. On the syringe pump, set the volumetric flow rate to 20 milliliters per minute.
Start the syringe pump, and allow the first 10 seconds of effluent to flow into a waste beaker. After 10 seconds, collect the MIVM effluent in the quench bath. Now, remove and cap the quench bath, containing lipid nanoparticle dispersion.
Clean the MIVM between each experiment, by flushing out at least twice the volume of outlet tubing. After detaching the mixer from the stand, while keeping the syringes attached, hold it over a waste container. Remove the syringes, letting the holdup volume drain into the container.
Then hold the mixer assembly upside down, and use the spanner wrench to disassemble the mixer. Rinse the outlet tubing and mixing geometry with ethanol, and dry the components using a stream of air or nitrogen. Then, rinse the O-ring with deionized water and blot dry.
Rinse the top disc and syringe thoroughly with ethanol before using an air or nitrogen stream to dry the surface.
