Differential inertial focusing of particles in curved low-aspect-ratio microchannels.
Microfluidic-based manipulation of particles is of great interest due to the insight it provides into the physics of hydrodynamic forces. Here, we study a particle-size-dependent phenomenon based on differential inertial focusing that utilizes the flow characteristics of curved, low aspect ratio (channel width ≫ height), microfluidic channels. We report the emergence of two focusing points along the height of the channel (z-plane), where different sized particles are focused and ordered in evenly spaced trains at correspondingly different lateral positions within the channel cross-section. We applied the system for continuous ordering and separation of suspension particles.
Russom
Aman
A
BioMEMS Resource Center, Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Shriners Hospital for Children, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Gupta
Amit K
AK
Nagrath
Sunitha
S
Di Carlo
Dino
D
Edd
Jon F
JF
Toner
Mehmet
M