Biomimetic Precapillary Flow Patterns for Enhancing Blood Plasma Separation: A Preliminary Study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Microfluidics
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Cell-free layer (CFL) formation is crucial for plasma separation in vivo.
• Vascular bifurcations naturally enhance CFL formation downstream.
• Plasma skimming effect in bifurcations is modulated by CFL.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a biomimetic microfluidic device for efficient plasma separation.
• To leverage in vivo observations of CFL formation for device design.
• To achieve high-purity plasma separation at physiological hematocrit levels.

Main Methods:

• Designed a microfluidic device mimicking vascular bifurcations.
• Engineered an uneven hematocrit distribution at the channel bifurcation.
• Utilized the plasma skimming effect modulated by enhanced CFL width.

Main Results:

• Achieved high purity plasma separation of approximately 99.9%.
• Demonstrated effective separation at physiological hematocrit levels (~40%).
• Successfully enhanced cell-free layer width through biomimetic design.

Conclusions:

• The biomimetic microfluidic device effectively separates plasma with high purity.
• The design mimics in vivo mechanisms for enhanced cell-free layer formation.
• This approach offers a promising method for microscale plasma separation.