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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
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Separating Beads and Cells in Multi-channel Microfluidic Devices Using Dielectrophoresis and Laminar Flow
Published on: February 4, 2011
Spatially programmable deterministic lateral displacement for multi-stage microfluidic separation
Ze Jiang1, Yusuke Kanno2, Takasi Nisisako2,3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan.
Lab on a Chip
|August 4, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a programmable microfluidic chip for size-based particle separation. By adjusting temperature, the device dynamically alters its separation characteristics, enabling versatile fractionation of complex mixtures and cell isolation with high viability.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) is a common microfluidic method for size-based particle separation.
- Conventional DLD arrays have a fixed critical diameter (Dc), limiting their use with diverse particle sizes.
- This limitation hinders the fractionation of complex samples containing multiple particle populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel DLD platform capable of programming its critical diameter (Dc) after fabrication.
- To enable dynamic, size-based particle separation within a single microfluidic device.
- To demonstrate the platform's utility in reconfigurable particle grouping and cell isolation.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a uniform DLD array with uniform initial pillar geometry.
- Spatially programming the geometrically estimated Dc by thermally modulating pillar geometry using Peltier elements.
- Establishing a longitudinal temperature field to create a Dc(x) profile along the array.
- Utilizing a three-outlet architecture for reconfigurable particle grouping.
Main Results:
- Generated a programmable Dc(x) profile ranging from 4.7 to 19.2 μm within a single array.
- Achieved sequential separation of particles based on size-dependent migration mode transitions.
- Successfully reconfigured particle grouping of a four-component mixture into three outlet fractions.
- Demonstrated selective isolation of tumor cells (MCF-7), white blood cells, and red blood cells from whole blood.
- Confirmed high post-processing viability of isolated MCF-7 cells.
Conclusions:
- The developed DLD platform allows post-fabrication programming of the separation profile by thermal modulation.
- The same physical array can be reconfigured for different separation tasks by adjusting the applied temperature window.
- This approach enhances the versatility and applicability of DLD technology for complex biological sample analysis and cell separation.
