SpringerLink
Log in

Quantitative characterization of the focusing process and dynamic behavior of differently sized microparticles in a spiral microchannel

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Microfluidics and Nanofluidics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, a spiral microchannel was fabricated to systematically investigate particle dynamics. The focusing process or migration behavior of different-sized particles in the outlet region was presented. Specifically, for focused microparticles, quantitative characterization and analysis of how particles migrate towards the equilibrium positions with the increase in flow rate (De = 0.31–3.36) were performed. For unfocused microparticles, the particle migration behavior and the particle-free region’s formation process were characterized over a wide range of flow rates (De = 0.31–4.58), and the emergence of double particle-free regions was observed at De ≥ 3.36. These results provide insights into the design and operation of high-throughput particle/cell filtration and separation. Furthermore, using the location markers pre-fabricated along with the microchannel structures, the focusing or migration dynamics of different-sized particles along the spiral microchannel was systematically explored. The particle migration length effects on focusing degree and particle-free region width were analyzed. These analyses may be valuable for the optimization of microchannel structures. In addition, this device was successfully used to efficiently filter rare particles from a large-volume sample and separate particles of two different sizes according to their focusing states.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Asmolov ES (1999) The inertial lift on a spherical particle in a plane Poiseuille flow at large channel Reynolds number. J Fluid Mech 381:63–87

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Berger SA, Talbot L, Yao L-S (1983) Flow in curved pipes. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 15(1):461–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhagat AAS, Kuntaegowdanahalli SS, Papautsky I (2008a) Continuous particle separation in spiral microchannels using dean flows and differential migration. Lab Chip 8(11):1906–1914

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhagat AAS, Kuntaegowdanahalli SS, Papautsky I (2008b) Enhanced particle filtration in straight microchannels using shear-modulated inertial migration. Phys Fluids 20(10):101702

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhagat AAS, Kuntaegowdanahalli SS, Papautsky I (2009) Inertial microfluidics for continuous particle filtration and extraction. Microfluid Nanofluid 7(2):217–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhagat AAS, Kuntaegowdanahalli SS, Kaval N, Seliskar CJ, Papautsky I (2010) Inertial microfluidics for sheath-less high-throughput flow cytometry. Biomed Microdevices 12(2):187–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi Y-S, Lee S-J (2010) Holographic analysis of three-dimensional inertial migration of spherical particles in micro-scale pipe flow. Microfluid Nanofluid 9(4):819–829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi Y-S, Seo K-W, Lee S-J (2011) Lateral and cross-lateral focusing of spherical particles in a square microchannel. Lab Chip 11(3):460–465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Carlo D, Irimia D, Tompkins RG, Toner M (2007) Continuous inertial focusing, ordering, and separation of particles in microchannels. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104(48):18892–18897

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Carlo D, Edd JF, Irimia D, Tompkins RG, Toner M (2008) Equilibrium separation and filtration of particles using differential inertial focusing. Anal Chem 80(6):2204–2211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edd JF, Di Carlo D, Humphry KJ, Koster S, Irimia D, Weitz DA, Toner M (2008) Controlled encapsulation of single-cells into monodisperse picolitre drops. Lab Chip 8(8):1262–1264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gossett DR, Di Carlo D (2009) Particle focusing mechanisms in curving confined flows. Anal Chem 81(20):8459–8465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim YW, Yoo JY (2008) The lateral migration of neutrally-buoyant spheres transported through square microchannels. J Micromech Microeng 18(6):065015

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Kuntaegowdanahalli SS, Bhagat AAS, Kumar G, Papautsky I (2009) Inertial microfluidics for continuous particle separation in spiral microchannels. Lab Chip 9(20):2973–2980

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee MG, Choi S, Kim H-J, Lim HK, Kim J-H, Huh N, Park J-K (2011) Inertial blood plasma separation in a contraction–expansion array microchannel. Appl Phys Lett 98(25):253702

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mach AJ, Kim JH, Arshi A, Hur SC, Di Carlo D (2011) Automated cellular sample preparation using a Centrifuge-on-a-Chip. Lab Chip 11(17):2827–2834

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ookawara S, Higashi R, Street D, Ogawa K (2004) Feasibility study on concentration of slurry and classification of contained particles by microchannel. Chem Eng J 101(1–3):171–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russom A, Gupta AK, Nagrath S, Di Carlo D, Edd JF, Toner M (2009) Differential inertial focusing of particles in curved low-aspect-ratio microchannels. New J Phys 11(7):075025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seo J, Lean MH, Kole A (2007a) Membrane-free microfiltration by asymmetric inertial migration. Appl Phys Lett 91(3):033901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seo J, Lean MH, Kole A (2007b) Membraneless microseparation by asymmetry in curvilinear laminar flows. J Chromatogr A 1162(2):126–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sim TS, Kwon K, Park JC, Lee J-G, Jung H-I (2011) Multistage-multiorifice flow fractionation (MS-MOFF): continuous size-based separation of microspheres using multiple series of contraction/expansion microchannels. Lab Chip 11(1):93–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Squires TM, Quake SR (2005) Microfluidics: fluid physics at the nanoliter scale. Rev Mod Phys 77(3):977–1026

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sudarsan AP, Ugaz VM (2006a) Fluid mixing in planar spiral microchannels. Lab Chip 6(1):74–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sudarsan AP, Ugaz VM (2006b) Multivortex micromixing. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103(19):7228–7233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Zhan Y, Ugaz VM, Lu C (2010) Vortex-assisted DNA delivery. Lab Chip 10(16):2057–2061

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xuan X, Zhu J, Church C (2010) Particle focusing in microfluidic devices. Microfluid Nanofluid 9(1):1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoon DH, Ha JB, Bahk YK, Arakawa T, Shoji S, Go JS (2009) Size-selective separation of micro beads by utilizing secondary flow in a curved rectangular microchannel. Lab Chip 9(1):87–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research work was supported by the Major Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (91023024), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51145009), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (20110092110003), and the Jiangsu Graduate Innovative Research Program (CXZZ_0138).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nan**g, 211189, People’s Republic of China

    Nan **ang, Ke Chen, Dongke Sun, Shanfang Wang, Hong Yi & Zhonghua Ni

  2. Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nan**g, 211189, People’s Republic of China

    Nan **ang, Ke Chen, Dongke Sun, Shanfang Wang, Hong Yi & Zhonghua Ni

Authors
  1. Nan **ang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ke Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dongke Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shanfang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hong Yi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zhonghua Ni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhonghua Ni.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

**ang, N., Chen, K., Sun, D. et al. Quantitative characterization of the focusing process and dynamic behavior of differently sized microparticles in a spiral microchannel. Microfluid Nanofluid 14, 89–99 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-012-1025-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-012-1025-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation