Computational Inertial Microfluidics: Optimal Design for Particle Separation

Following the emergence of many blood transfusion-associated diseases, novel passive cell separation technologies, such as microfluidic devices, are increasingly designed and optimized to separate red cells (RBCs) white (WBCs) from whole blood. These systems allow for rapid diagnosis diseases without relying on complicated expensive hematology instruments flow microscopes, coagulation analyzers, cytometers. The inertia effect impact intrinsic hydrodynamic forces, Dean drag force (FD), inertial lift (FL) migration particles within curved complex confined channels have been explored theoretically, computationally, experimentally. This study aimed optimize dimensions a channel fast particle propagation separation. Several spiral geometries with different cross-sections were tested using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) two types representing RBCs WBCs. chosen three consist single inlet, outlets, turns, each having cross-sectional height (120, 135, 150 µm). Particle was successfully achieved in 135 µm-height microchannel, while other microchannels demonstrated mixed at outlets.