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Vector separation of particles and cells using an array of slanted open cavities
Jorge A Bernate1, Chengxun Liu, Liesbet Lagae
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21218, USA.
Lab on a Chip
|January 12, 2013
Summary
This study introduces a microfluidic device for continuous particle separation using slanted cavities. The platform achieves high-purity separation of particles and biological cells based on size and settling velocity.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics
- Particle Separation
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Continuous separation of suspended particles is crucial in various scientific fields.
- Existing methods often face limitations in efficiency and purity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel microfluidic platform for continuous particle separation.
- To demonstrate size and density-based separation of particles and biological cells.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing slanted open cavities within a microfluidic chip to create specific flow fields.
- Leveraging particle deflection within these cavities for separation, termed vector chromatography.
- Experimenting with polystyrene and silica particles, and fractionating blood components.
Main Results:
- Achieved high-purity separation (near 100%) of multicomponent mixtures based on particle size and density.
- Demonstrated effective fractionation of different blood components.
- Identified two distinct separation regimes based on particle settling and cavity velocities.
Conclusions:
- The microfluidic platform offers an efficient method for continuous particle and cell separation.
- The vector chromatography approach enables precise fractionation based on physical properties.
- Potential for integration with other force fields for enhanced separation capabilities.
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Cell separation was first achieved in 1964 by S. H. Seal, who separated large tumor cells from the smaller blood cells using filtration. Two years later, Pohl and Hawk performed experiments on how cells respond differently to a nonuniform electric field based on the cell type. Such observations were the inception of cell separation methods, which allow isolating a single cell type from a heterogeneous sample.
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