A scalable approach for high throughput branch flow filtration.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microfluidics
• Filtration technology

Background:

• Microfluidic continuous flow filtration offers high size resolution and avoids clogging.
• Branch flow filtration provides an unlimited dynamic range but suffers from low volume throughput.
• Existing designs struggle with identical size cut-offs across multiple branches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel iterative design approach for microfluidic branch filtration devices.
• To overcome limitations in volume throughput and dead volume in branch filtration.
• To demonstrate the scalability and effectiveness of the new design.

Main Methods:

• Numerical modeling was employed to design the branch filtration devices.
• Fabrication and experimental testing of devices with 20 branches were performed.
• Performance was evaluated using microfluidic beads and fungal spores.

Main Results:

• Achieved dynamic ranges up to 6.9 and high filtration ratios (14-29%).
• Demonstrated sharp size cut-off characteristics, equivalent to a 20th order Butterworth low pass filter.
• Validated scalability for higher throughput and smaller cutoff sizes.

Conclusions:

• The iterative design approach effectively addresses limitations in microfluidic branch filtration.
• The developed devices offer high performance, scalability, and compatibility with low-cost fabrication.
• This technology holds promise for advanced particle separation in various scientific fields.