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Published on: August 13, 2016
Effect of channel geometry on cell adhesion in microfluidic devices
James V Green1, Tatiana Kniazeva, Mehdi Abedi
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave. 342 SN, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Lab on a Chip
|February 19, 2009
Summary
Microfluidic channel geometry significantly impacts cell adhesion. Sharp turns cause unpredictable cell collection, while curved turns offer uniform adhesion for cell separation applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Microfluidics
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Microfluidic channels utilize ligand-coated surfaces for cell separation and enrichment.
- Cell adhesion in these channels is influenced by ligand-receptor interactions and fluid shear stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of microchannel geometry in controlling cell adhesion.
- To compare cell adhesion in microchannels with sharp versus curved turns.
Main Methods:
- Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling was employed to simulate fluid flow.
- In vitro cell adhesion experiments were conducted using microfluidic devices.
Main Results:
- Microchannels with sharp turns exhibited regions of near-zero velocity, leading to non-uniform cell adhesion and collection.
- Channels with curved turns demonstrated more uniform and predictable cell adhesion, comparable to straight channels.
- Sufficient gap width between parallel arms in curved channels is crucial for uniform adhesion.
Conclusions:
- Microchannel geometry, specifically turn design, is a critical factor in cell adhesion control.
- Sharp turns are suboptimal for applications requiring predictable cell capture due to non-uniform adhesion.
- Curved turns offer a promising geometric modification for achieving uniform and predictable cell adhesion in microfluidic devices.
