Numerical Modeling of Physical Cell Trapping in Microfluidic Chips

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cellular Mechanics
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Microfluidic cell isolation uses physical trapping based on cell size.
• Existing models focus on fluid dynamics, lacking quantitative mechanical analysis of cell-trap interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To predict the critical pressure for cell passage through microfluidic traps.
• To develop an experimentally informed model linking cell morphology and trap geometry to critical pressure.
• To provide a framework for designing efficient microfluidic cell trapping devices.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a hyperelastic material model to simulate cancer cell behavior in micro-constrictions.
• Developed a predictive model for critical pressure, validated with experimental data.
• Employed regression analysis to establish a mathematical framework for critical pressure.
• Integrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis.

Main Results:

• A hyperelastic model accurately captures cell stress-related softening during micro-constriction passage.
• The developed model successfully predicts critical pressure based on cell and trap geometry.
• A mathematical framework for critical pressure was derived using regression analysis.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a quantitative understanding of cell mechanics in microfluidic traps.
• The predictive model and derived framework can guide the design of optimized microfluidic cell isolation devices.
• This work facilitates improved cell trapping for downstream biomedical applications.