Performance optimization of a DLD microfluidic device for separating deformable CTCs.

Area of Science:

• Microfluidics
• Biotechnology
• Cell separation

Background:

• Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) devices utilize micro-post arrays to separate particles.
• Pillar configuration critically impacts the isolation efficiency of DLD devices.
• Optimizing DLD for deformable circulating tumor cell isolation is crucial for cancer diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize the performance of DLD microfluidic devices for isolating deformable circulating tumor cells.
• To develop a predictive correlation for cell lateral displacement (DLD) within these devices.
• To identify key input parameters influencing cell isolation efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations were performed to analyze DLD device performance.
• The response surface method was employed for optimizing device parameters.
• A correlation was derived to estimate DLD based on input variables.

Main Results:

• The study identified cell diameter, Young's modulus, Reynolds number, and pillar tilt angle as key input variables.
• A novel correlation was proposed to estimate cell lateral displacement (DLD).
• Young's modulus and Reynolds number were found to have the maximum and minimum impacts on cell displacement, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The optimized DLD device design enhances the isolation of deformable circulating tumor cells.
• The derived correlation provides a valuable tool for predicting and optimizing DLD performance.
• This work contributes to advancing microfluidic-based cell separation technologies.