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Updated: Feb 8, 2026
08:28
Microfluidic Dry-spinning and Characterization of Regenerated Silk Fibroin Fibers
Published on: September 4, 2017
10.5K
A microfluidic band-pass filter for flexible fiber separation.
Zhibo Li1, Clément Bielinski1,2, Anke Lindner1,3
1Laboratoire de Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la ville de Paris, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris 75005, France.
Summary
Tilted pillar arrays act as band-pass filters, separating flexible fibers by length. This microfluidic method efficiently sorts fibers based on their interaction with tilted pillars, enabling new separation technologies.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) advances particle sorting in microfluidics.
- Current DLD methods primarily focus on rigid, spherical particles.
- Sorting flexible, anisotropic objects like fibers remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate efficient, length-based separation of flexible fibers using tilted pillar arrays.
- To investigate the underlying mechanisms of fiber migration and transport in these arrays.
- To develop a microfluidic device for collecting monodisperse fiber suspensions.
Main Methods:
- Combined experimental studies with computational simulations.
- Utilized tilted pillar arrays in microfluidic channels.
- Analyzed fiber behavior, including zigzagging, wrapping, jumping, and deformation.
Main Results:
- Tilted pillar arrays function as band-pass filters, selectively migrating fibers near the array period.
- Fiber migration is driven by fluid-structure and steric interactions with pillars.
- Distinct transport regimes observed: short fibers zigzag, intermediate fibers migrate laterally, long fibers deform extensively.
- Mechanical tension during pillar wrapping identified as key to cross-streamline transport.
Conclusions:
- Tilted pillar arrays offer efficient length-based separation of flexible fibers.
- This approach expands the capabilities of DLD-like microfluidic systems.
- Findings provide insights into anisotropic object transport in porous media.
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