Lab on a rod: Size-based particle separation and sorting in a helical channel

Area of Science:

• Microfluidics
• Biotechnology
• Particle Separation

Background:

• Inertial microfluidics in spiral channels is effective for particle separation but requires large device footprints (approx. 15 mm radius).
• A need exists for miniaturized devices for efficient particle separation in biological and chemical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a miniaturized microfluidic device for inertial particle separation.
• To achieve high separation efficiency and purity in a significantly reduced device footprint.
• To provide a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for predicting device performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 5.5 mm diameter helical microfluidic device using abrasive jet micromachining.
• Particle separation studies using wide-field fluorescence microscopy across various channel geometries.
• Development of a CFD model to simulate and assess device separation capabilities.

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum separation efficiency of approximately 90% for larger particles.
• Obtained an outlet purity of approximately 95% at a flow rate of 1.5 ml/min.
• Demonstrated effective particle separation in a device with a 5.5 mm footprint diameter.

Conclusions:

• The developed compact helical microfluidic device enables efficient inertial particle separation.
• The CFD model serves as a valuable tool for designing and optimizing future microfluidic separation devices.
• This miniaturized approach offers advantages for applications requiring space-efficient particle manipulation.