An Open-Type Crossflow Microfluidic Chip for Deformable Droplet Separation Driven by a Centrifugal Field

This study presents an innovative wedge-shaped inlet weir-type microfluidic chip designed to address common issues of clogging and inefficiency in microfiltration processes. Driven solely by centrifugal force, the chip integrates a crossflow separation mechanism and enables selective droplet sorting based on size, without the need for external pumps. Fabricated from PMMA, the device features a central elliptical chamber, a wedge-shaped inlet, and spiral microchannels. These structures leverage shear stress and Dean vortices under centrifugal fields to achieve high-throughput separation of droplets with different diameters. Using water-in-oil emulsions as a model system, we systematically investigated the effects of geometric parameters and rotational speed on separation performance. A theoretical model was developed to derive the critical droplet size based on force balance, accounting for centrifugal force, viscous drag, pressure differentials, and surface tension. Experimental results demonstrate that the chip can effectively separate droplets ranging from 0 to 400 μm in diameter at 200 rpm, achieving a sorting efficiency of up to 72% and a separation threshold (cutoff accuracy) of 98.2%. Fluorescence analysis confirmed the absence of cross-contamination during single-chip operation. This work offers a structure-guided, efficient, and contamination-free droplet sorting strategy with broad potential applications in biomedical diagnostics and drug screening.