Abstract
Blood-plasma separation is one of the main concerns for Point-of-Care devices seeking to retain cells of interest or analyze plasma biomarkers. The present work describes a novel passive device based on size-exclusion method. Starting from a particulate-trap-like filter, numerical simulations in ANSYS Fluent were performed in order to optimize the geometry for blood-plasma separation. The final layout was then embedded inside a microfluidic channel and the related master produced with standard cleanroom processes. A 1 mm thick Cyclic Olefin Copolymer wafer was chosen for hot embossing replication, since Cyclic Olefin Copolymer is a transparent, solvent-resistant and medical-grade material. Moreover, the adopted process is easily scalable to industrial levels. The filtering efficiency was finally assessed with a 4 μm fluorescent beads dispersion, mimicking the erythrocytes average diameter of 8 μm. No fluorescent particles were observed downstream of the filter after filtration, thus all the beads were retained by the optimized filtering structure.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
