Efficient microfluidic particle separation arrays

Abstract

Microfluidic particle separation arrays are capable of passive sorting of microparticles or cells by size while avoiding blockage. Despite the usefulness of boundaries for concentration and parallel integration of arrays, separation efficiency is severely degraded in the areas adjacent to the boundaries due to the aberrant fluid flow found there. This letter shows how to eliminate this problem by modifying the boundary interface. At each row the boundary is moved by a specific amount to ensure a linear change in flux from row to row, which leads to uniform flow patterns and improved separation characteristics throughout the array.