Patent ID: 8821006

Claim:
A microscopic flow passage structure for generating microscopic liquid droplets, the microscopic flow passage structure comprising: first fluid introduction flow passages containing a fluid of a dispersed phase for forming the microscopic liquid droplets; second fluid introduction flow passages containing a fluid of a continuous phase for dispersing the liquid droplets, and wherein the fluid of the continuous phase is incompatible with the fluid of the dispersed phase, and wherein the fluid of the continuous phase and the fluid of the dispersed phase have a solubility of less than 10% with respect to each other; a merged flow passage in which the fluid of the dispersed phase and the fluid of the continuous phase merge, and wherein the first and second fluid introduction flow passages are configured to separately introduce the fluid of the dispersed phase and the fluid of the continuous phase to the merged flow passage; and a common outlet through which the fluids can be discharged from the merged flow passage; and wherein the merged flow passage includes a region in which a cross-sectional area of the merged flow passage changes cyclically in a fluid flow direction, and the merged flow passage allows only a fixed flow quantity of the fluids to pass through a single merged flow passage, such that a velocity of the fluids changes according to a portion of the fluids in the single merged flow passage; and wherein the single merged flow passage has a common cyclically changing cross-sectional area, and wherein all of the fluids flow through the common cyclically changing cross-sectional area of the single merged flow passage.