title: High-speed discrimination and sorting of submicron particles using a microfluidic device.
abstract: The size- and fluorescence-based sorting of micro- and nanoscale particles suspended in fluid presents a significant and important challenge for both sample analysis and for manufacturing of nanoparticle-based products. Here, we demonstrate a disposable microfluidic particle sorter that enables high-throughput, on-demand counting and binary sorting of submicron particles and cells using either fluorescence or an electrically based determination of particle size. Size-based sorting uses a resistive pulse sensor integrated on-chip, whereas fluorescence-based discrimination is achieved using on-the-fly optical image capture and analysis. Following detection and analysis, the individual particles are deflected using a pair of piezoelectric actuators, directing the particles into one of two desired output channels; the main flow goes into a third waste channel. The integrated system can achieve sorting fidelities of better than 98%, and the mechanism can successfully count and actuate, on demand, more than 60,000 particles/min.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.
authors.forename: Sukumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajauria
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Axline
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gottstein
authors.forename: Andrew N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Cleland
keywords: fluorescence; high-throughput; nanoparticles; size; sorting