Enhanced H-filter based on Fåhræus-Lindqvist effect for efficient and robust dialysis without membrane.
A novel microfluidic device for highly efficient and robust dialysis without membrane is highly desired for the development of portable or wearable microdialyzer. Here we report an enhanced H-filter with pillar array based on Fåhræus-Lindqvist effect (F-L effect) for highly efficient and robust membraneless dialysis of simplified blood for the first time. The H-filter employs two fluids laminarly flowing in the microchannel for continuously membraneless dialysis. With pillar array in the microchannel, the two laminar flows, with one containing blood cells and small molecules and another containing dialyzate solution, can form a cell-free layer at the interface as selective zones for separation. This provides enhanced mixing yet extremely low shear for extraction of small molecules from the blood-cell-containing flow into the dialyzate flow, resulting in robust separation with reduced cell loss and improved efficiency. We demonstrate this by first using Chlorella pyrenoidosa as model cells to quantitatively study the separation performances, and then using simplified human blood for dialysis. The advanced H-filter, with highly efficient and robust performance for membraneless dialysis, shows great potential as promising candidate for rapid blood analysis/separation, and as fundamental structure for portable dialyzer.
School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University , 610065 Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Wei-Chao
WC
Zheng
School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University , 610065 Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Rui
R
Xie
Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China , 230027 Hefei, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
Li-Qun
LQ
He
School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University , 610065 Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Yue-Heng
YH
Xi
School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University , 610065 Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Ying-Mei
YM
Liu
School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University , 610065 Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Zhi-Jun
ZJ
Meng
School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University , 610065 Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Wei
W
Wang
Xiao-Jie
XJ
Ju
Institute of Blood Transfusion , Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, 610052 Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Gang
G
Chen
Liang-Yin
LY
Chu