Multi-Vortex Regulation in a Simple Semicircular Microchannel with Ordered Micro-Obstacles for High-Throughput Buffer...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microfluidics
• Bioprocessing Engineering

Background:

• Microfluidics offers potential for buffer exchange in bioprocessing.
• Current microfluidic designs face challenges in achieving simple operation and high throughput.
• Developing efficient and straightforward microchannel designs is crucial for bioprocessing advancements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel semicircular microchannel design for efficient buffer exchange.
• To demonstrate deterministic regulation of fluid dynamics using geometric confinement.
• To achieve high particle separation efficiency and purity at high throughputs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel semicircular microchannel with micro-obstacles (900 μm wide, 100 μm high).
• Incorporated geometric confinement to regulate helical and Dean vortices.
• Operated with uniform flow rates in sheath and sample inlets for user-friendly operation.

Main Results:

• Achieved high particle separation efficiency (>96.27%) and low fluorescein purity (<4.46%).
• Demonstrated efficient buffer exchange at a flow rate of 3 mL min⁻¹.
• Enabled high throughput processing (3 × 10⁶ particles/min) due to enhanced secondary flows.

Conclusions:

• The proposed semicircular microchannel design offers a simple, user-friendly, and efficient solution for buffer exchange.
• This microfluidic system shows significant potential for applications in biological and biomedical research.
• The design facilitates advanced microfluidic systems by overcoming limitations in throughput and operational simplicity.