High-efficiency label-free separation of natural killer cells via size-selective cell clustering in optimized...

Efficient and high-purity isolation of immune cells is a critical prerequisite for downstream immunological analyses and cell-based assays. However, conventional label-free separation methods, such as density gradient centrifugation, are limited by lengthy processing times and a suboptimal separation efficiency. To address these issues, a contraction-expansion array (CEA) microfluidic device is proposed for the label-free isolation of natural killer (NK) cells from blood samples through geometry-mediated hydrodynamic modulation. The microchannel design consists of contraction-expansion arrays featuring either square or hexagonal expansion regions, combined with contraction widths of 75 or 100 μm, enabling precise modulation of the inertial lift and Dean drag forces and inducing size-dependent particle migration and separation. Numerical simulations were performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to analyze the flow field distribution and particle migration behavior. Experimental validation with 10 and 20 μm polystyrene particles demonstrated a strong agreement with the simulation results, confirming the validity of the numerical model. The optimized device, featuring hexagonal expansion regions with a contraction width of 100 μm, achieved a recovery rate of 83.8% and a purity of 97.1% for 10 μm particles at a flow rate of 125 μL/min. To address the challenge of overlapping cell size distributions in practical blood assays, a selective cell clustering reagent was employed to aggregate the non-NK cells and red blood cells into larger clusters, thereby enhancing size-based separation. The device achieved an NK cell recovery of 70.9%, a purity of 91.2%, and a viability of 95.3%. Overall, the proposed device provides a high-throughput, label-free, and biocompatible platform for NK cell isolation, offering strong potential for integration into cancer immunotherapy and clinical diagnostic workflows.