1
|
de Los Santos-Ramirez JM, Mendiola-Escobedo CA, Cotera-Sarabia JM, Gallo-Villanueva RC, Martinez-Duarte R, Perez-Gonzalez VH. Enabling the characterization of the nonlinear electrokinetic properties of particles using low voltage. Analyst 2024; 149:3839-3849. [PMID: 38855835 DOI: 10.1039/d4an00538d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Insulator-based electrokinetically driven microfluidic devices stimulated with direct current (DC) voltages are an attractive solution for particle separation, concentration, or isolation. However, to design successful particle manipulation protocols, it is mandatory to know the mobilities of electroosmosis, and linear and nonlinear electrophoresis of the microchannel/liquid/particle system. Several techniques exist to characterize the mobilities of electroosmosis and linear electrophoresis. However, only one method to characterize the mobility of nonlinear electrophoresis has been thoroughly assessed, which generally requires DC voltages larger than 1000 V and measuring particle velocity in a straight microchannel. Under such conditions, Joule heating, electrolysis, and the DC power source cost become a concern. Also, measuring particle velocity at high voltages is noisy, limiting characterization quality. Here we present a protocol-tested on 2 μm polystyrene particles-for characterizing the mobility of nonlinear electrophoresis of the liquid/particle system using a DC voltage of only 30 V and visual inspection of particle dynamics in a microchannel featuring insulating obstacles. Multiphysics numerical modelling was used to guide microchannel design and to correlate particle location during an experiment with electric field intensity. The method was validated against the conventional characterization protocol, exhibiting excellent agreement while significantly reducing measurement noise and experimental complexity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Martin de Los Santos-Ramirez
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, NL, 64700, Mexico.
| | - Carlos A Mendiola-Escobedo
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, NL, 64700, Mexico.
| | - Jose M Cotera-Sarabia
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, NL, 64700, Mexico.
| | - Roberto C Gallo-Villanueva
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, NL, 64700, Mexico.
| | - Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte
- Multiscale Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
| | - Victor H Perez-Gonzalez
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, NL, 64700, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mehta SK, Mondal PK. AC Electrothermal Effect Promotes Enhanced Solute Mixing in a Wavy Microchannel. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:16797-16806. [PMID: 37882459 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
For liquids used in biological applications, a smaller diffusion coefficient results in a longer mixing time. We discuss, in this endeavor, the promising potential of the AC electrothermal (ACET) effect toward modulating enhanced mixing of electrolytic liquids with higher convective strength in a novel wavy micromixer. To this end, we develop a modeling framework and numerically solve the pertinent transport equations in a three-dimensional (3D) configuration numerically. By benchmarking the developed modeling framework with the experimental results available in this paradigm, we aptly demonstrate the maximum temperature rise, flow topology, species concentration field, and mixing efficiency in the proposed configuration for a set of parameters pertinent to this analysis. We find that the maximum temperature increase in the wavy micromixer, owing to the electrothermal effect, is less than 10 K even for the higher strength of the applied voltage, implying nondegradation of biological substances within the liquid sample. We report that the formation of significant lateral flow closer to the electrodes leads to a highly three-dimensional ACET flow field, which has a significant impact on the mixing efficiency for the range of diffusive Peclet numbers considered. We also report that the wave amplitude of the mixer, when intervening with the diffusive Peclet number, strongly impacts the mixing efficiency. As witnessed in this endeavor, for the smaller diffusive Peclet number, the mixing efficiency increases with amplitude, while the effect becomes the opposite for the higher Peclet number. The results of this study seem to provide an adequate basis for the design of a novel micromixer intended for enhanced solute mixing in realistic microfluidic applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Kumar Mehta
- Microfluidics and Microscale Transport Processes Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, India
| | - Pranab Kumar Mondal
- Microfluidics and Microscale Transport Processes Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, India
- School of Agro and Rural Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, India
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dutta A, Santra AK, Ganguly R. Temperature gradient focusing of bio-analyte in a microfluidic channel dealing with non-Newtonian electrolyte considering temperature-dependent zeta potential. Electrophoresis 2023; 44:1369-1376. [PMID: 37332180 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202300033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Temperature gradient focusing (TGF) relies on establishing a precise balance between the electrophoretic motility of a target analyte and the advective flow of the background electrolyte (BGE) to locally concentrate the analyte in a microfluidic configuration. This paper presents a finite-element-based numerical analysis where the coupled electric field and the transport equations are solved to describe the effects of the shear-dependent apparent viscosity of a non-Newtonian BGE on the localized concentration buildup of a charged bio-sample inside a microchannel by TGF via Joule heating. Effects of the temperature-dependent nature of the wall zeta potential and the flow behavior index (n) of BGE on the flow, thermal, and species concentration profiles inside the microchannel have been investigated. Study using a fluorescein-Na analyte sample shows that the maximum normalized analyte concentration (Cmax /C0 ) reduces as the zeta potential increases linearly with temperature. The maximum concentration enhancement is achieved when the BGE displays the Newtonian rheology. For example, Cmax /C0 increases 134- to 280-fold when n is increased from 0.8 to 1 (pseudoplastic regime) and again reduces to 190-fold when n increases further from 1 to 1.2 (dilatant regime).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amitava Dutta
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aliah University, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Ranjan Ganguly
- Department of Power Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Alazzam A, Alamoodi N, Mathew B, Abutayeh M, Khashan S. Transparent, patterned graphene oxide films with tunable electrical conductivity using thermal, chemical, and photoreduction techniques for lab-on-a-chip applications. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:1339-1346. [PMID: 36633621 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-04524-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
This work demonstrates the fabrication of electrically tunable films of graphene oxide (GO). GO thin films were deposited and micropatterned on a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) substrate using a plasma-enhanced liftoff technique. This article discusses thermal, chemical, and photoreduction methods for controlling the electrical conductivity of the patterned film. The patterned graphene oxide films were used to manipulate cells after embedding them in a microfluidic channel. Cells were manipulated under dielectrophoresis (DEP) using patterned reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films with varying electrical conductivities. The non-uniform electric field required for DEP was created either by arranging and shaping a set of electrodes (eDEP) or by simply implementing low conductivity rGO as an insulator between two metal electrodes (iDEP).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anas Alazzam
- System On Chip Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
| | - Nahla Alamoodi
- System On Chip Lab, Research and Innovation Center in Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen (RICH), Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Bobby Mathew
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
- Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
| | - Mohammad Abutayeh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Saud Khashan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Yuan Q, Huang J, Wu JJ, Islam N. Numerical investigation of microchannel geometry for effective on‐chip biofluid delivery by AC electrothermal effect. Electrophoresis 2022; 43:2130-2140. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.202100362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Quan Yuan
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science The University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee USA
| | - Jiamei Huang
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science The University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee USA
| | - Jie Jayne Wu
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science The University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee USA
| | - Nazmul Islam
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg Texas USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fernández-Mateo R, Calero V, Morgan H, Ramos A, García-Sánchez P. Concentration-Polarization Electroosmosis near Insulating Constrictions within Microfluidic Channels. Anal Chem 2021; 93:14667-14674. [PMID: 34704741 PMCID: PMC8581963 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Electric fields are
commonly used to trap and separate micro- and
nanoparticles near channel constrictions in microfluidic devices.
The trapping mechanism is attributed to the electrical forces arising
from the nonhomogeneous electric field caused by the constrictions,
and the phenomenon is known as insulator-based-dielectrophoresis (iDEP).
In this paper, we describe stationary electroosmotic flows of electrolytes
around insulating constrictions induced by low frequency AC electric
fields (below 10 kHz). Experimental characterization of the flows
is described for two different channel heights (50 and 10 μm),
together with numerical simulations based on an electrokinetic model
that considers the modification of the local ionic concentration due
to surface conductance on charged insulating walls. We term this phenomenon
concentration–polarization electroosmosis (CPEO). The observed
flow characteristics are in qualitative agreement with the predictions
of this model. However, for shallow channels (10 μm),
trapping of the particles on both sides of the constrictions is also
observed. This particle and fluid behavior could play a major role
in iDEP and could be easily misinterpreted as a dielectrophoretic
force.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Fernández-Mateo
- School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Víctor Calero
- Departamento de Electrónica y Electromagnetismo, Facultad de Física, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Hywel Morgan
- School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Ramos
- Departamento de Electrónica y Electromagnetismo, Facultad de Física, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pablo García-Sánchez
- Departamento de Electrónica y Electromagnetismo, Facultad de Física, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Perez‐Gonzalez VH. Particle trapping in electrically driven insulator-based microfluidics: Dielectrophoresis and induced-charge electrokinetics. Electrophoresis 2021; 42:2445-2464. [PMID: 34081787 PMCID: PMC9291494 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202100123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Electrokinetically driven insulator‐based microfluidic devices represent an attractive option to manipulate particle suspensions. These devices can filtrate, concentrate, separate, or characterize micro and nanoparticles of interest. Two decades ago, inspired by electrode‐based dielectrophoresis, the concept of insulator‐based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) was born. In these microfluidic devices, insulating structures (i.e., posts, membranes, obstacles, or constrictions) built within the channel are used to deform the spatial distribution of an externally generated electric field. As a result, particles suspended in solution experience dielectrophoresis (DEP). Since then, it has been assumed that DEP is responsible for particle trapping in these devices, regardless of the type of voltage being applied to generate the electric field—direct current (DC) or alternating current. Recent findings challenge this assumption by demonstrating particle trapping and even particle flow reversal in devices that prevent DEP from occurring (i.e., unobstructed long straight channels stimulated with a DC voltage and featuring a uniform electric field). The theory introduced to explain those unexpected observations was then applied to conventional “DC‐iDEP” devices, demonstrating better prediction accuracy than that achieved with the conventional DEP‐centered theory. This contribution summarizes contributions made during the last two decades, comparing both theories to explain particle trapping and highlighting challenges to address in the near future.
Collapse
|
8
|
Xuan X. Review of nonlinear electrokinetic flows in insulator-based dielectrophoresis: From induced charge to Joule heating effects. Electrophoresis 2021; 43:167-189. [PMID: 33991344 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202100090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) has been increasingly used for particle manipulation in various microfluidic applications. It exploits insulating structures to constrict and/or curve electric field lines to generate field gradients for particle dielectrophoresis. However, the presence of these insulators, especially those with sharp edges, causes two nonlinear electrokinetic flows, which, if sufficiently strong, may disturb the otherwise linear electrokinetic motion of particles and affect the iDEP performance. One is induced charge electroosmotic (ICEO) flow because of the polarization of the insulators, and the other is electrothermal flow because of the amplified Joule heating in the fluid around the insulators. Both flows vary nonlinearly with the applied electric field (either DC or AC) and exhibit in the form of fluid vortices, which have been utilized to promote some applications while being suppressed in others. The effectiveness of iDEP benefits from a comprehensive understanding of the nonlinear electrokinetic flows, which is complicated by the involvement of the entire iDEP device into electric polarization and thermal diffusion. This article is aimed to review the works on both the fundamentals and applications of ICEO and electrothermal flows in iDEP microdevices. A personal perspective of some future research directions in the field is also given.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangchun Xuan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Liu W, Tao Y, Xue R, Song C, Wu Q, Ren Y. Continuous-Flow Nanoparticle Trapping Driven by Hybrid Electrokinetics in Microfluidics. Electrophoresis 2021; 42:939-949. [PMID: 32705697 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202000110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We introduce herein an efficient microfluidic approach for continuous transport and localized collection of nanoparticles via hybrid electrokinetics, which delicately combines linear and nonlinear electrokinetics driven by a composite DC-biased AC voltage signal. The proposed technique utilizes a simple geometrical structure, in which one or a series of metal strips serving as floating electrode (FE) are attached to the substrate surface and arranged in parallel between a pair of coplanar driving electrodes (DE) in a straight microchannel. On application of a DC-biased AC electric field across the channel, nanoparticles can be transported continuously by DC bulk electroosmotic flow, and then trapped selectively onto the metal strips due to AC-field induced-charge electrokinetic (ICEK) phenomenon, which behaves as counter-rotating micro-vortices around the ideally polarizable surfaces of FE. Finite-element simulation is carried out by coupling the dual-frequency electric field, flow field and sample mass transfer in sequence, for guiding a practical design of the microfluidic nanoparticle concentrator. With the optimal device geometry, the actual performance of the technique is investigated with respect to DC bias, AC voltage amplitude, and field frequency by using both latex nanospheres (∼500 nm) and BSA molecules (∼10 nm). Our experimental observation indicates nanoparticles are always enriched into a narrow bright band on the surface of each FE, and a horizontal concentration gradient even emerges in the presence of multiple metal strips, which therefore permits localized analyte enrichment. The proposed trapping method is supposed to guide an elaborate design of flexible electrokinetic frameworks embedding FE for continuous-flow analyte manipulation in modern microfluidic systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiyu Liu
- School of Electronics and Control Engineering, Chang'an University, Middle-Section of Nan'er Huan Road, Xi'an, 710064, P. R. China
| | - Ye Tao
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China
| | - Rui Xue
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China
| | - Chunlei Song
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China
| | - Qisheng Wu
- School of Electronics and Control Engineering, Chang'an University, Middle-Section of Nan'er Huan Road, Xi'an, 710064, P. R. China
| | - Yukun Ren
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-Zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150001, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Song L, Yu L, Brumme C, Shaw R, Zhang C, Xuan X. Joule heating effects on electrokinetic flows with conductivity gradients. Electrophoresis 2020; 42:967-974. [PMID: 33253436 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202000264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Instability occurs in the electrokinetic flow of fluids with conductivity and/or permittivity gradients if the applied electric field is beyond a critical value. Understanding such an electrokinetic instability is significant for both improved transport (via the suppressed instability) and enhanced mixing (via the promoted instability) of liquid samples in microfluidic applications. This work presents the first study of Joule heating effects on electrokinetic microchannel flows with conductivity gradients using a combined experimental and numerical method. The experimentally observed flow patterns and measured critical electric fields under Joule heating effects to different extents are reasonably predicted by a depth-averaged numerical model. It is found that Joule heating increases the critical electric field for the onset of electrokinetic instability because the induced fluid temperature rise and in turn the fluid property change (primarily the decreased permittivity) lead to a smaller electric Rayleigh number.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Le Song
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-Electronic Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, P. R. China
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Liandong Yu
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-Electronic Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, P. R. China
- College of Controlling Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, P. R. China
| | - Christian Brumme
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Ryan Shaw
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, USA
| | - Xiangchun Xuan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Malekanfard A, Liu Z, Song L, Kale A, Zhang C, Yu L, Song Y, Xuan X. Joule heating-enabled electrothermal enrichment of nanoparticles in insulator-based dielectrophoretic microdevices. Electrophoresis 2020; 42:626-634. [PMID: 32935875 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202000192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) exploits the electric field gradients formed around insulating structures to manipulate particles for diverse microfluidic applications. Compared to the traditional electrode-based dielectrophoresis, iDEP microdevices have the advantages of easy fabrication, free of water electrolysis, and robust structure, etc. However, the presence of in-channel insulators may cause thermal effects because of the locally amplified Joule heating of the fluid. The resulting electrothermal flow circulations are exploited in this work to trap and concentrate nanoscale particles (of 100 nm diameter and less) in a ratchet-based iDEP microdevice. Such Joule heating-enabled electrothermal enrichment of nanoparticles are found to grow with the increase of alternating current or direct current electric field. It also becomes more effective for larger particles and in a microchannel with symmetric ratchets. Moreover, a depth-averaged numerical model is developed to understand and simulate the various parametric effects, which is found to predict the experimental observations with a good agreement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhijian Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.,College of Marine Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, P. R. China
| | - Le Song
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.,School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronic Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, P. R. China
| | - Akshay Kale
- Electrical Engineering Division, CAPE Building, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, USA
| | - Liandong Yu
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronic Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, P. R. China
| | - Yongxin Song
- College of Marine Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, P. R. China
| | - Xiangchun Xuan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ertugrul I, Ulkir O. Dielectrophoretic separation of platelet cells in a microfluidic channel and optimization with fuzzy logic. RSC Adv 2020; 10:33731-33738. [PMID: 35519028 PMCID: PMC9056726 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra06271e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It is the aim to develop optimization techniques to separate platelets from Red Blood Cells (RBCs) after designing and analyzing a microfluidic chip in this study. RBCs and platelets are present in the blood, but some healthcare applications require either platelets or RBCs. Therefore, it is necessary to separate platelets from RBCs. In this study, the design and analysis of the microfluidic chip were carried out with the Comsol Multiphysics program. Since the separation of platelets and RBCs in the blood flowing from a channel is provided by the Dielectrophoretic (DEP) force technique, the DEP force feature was given importance in the design of microfluidic channels. Much data was obtained while designing and analyzing processes. It has been observed that the voltage applied to the microfluidic channel and the inlet velocity of the blood affect the fluidic velocity and pressure along the microfluidic channel. It was also understood that the separation of platelets from RBCs depends on input data. Input and output data were analyzed in the Comsol Multiphysics program, and the optimization of the microfluidic chip was realized with the Matlab-Fuzzy Logic program. In order for the platelets to be separated from the RBCs, the optimum voltage to be applied to the microfluidic chip should be in the range of 4–6 V and the inlet velocity of the blood in the range of 800–900 μm s−1. When these input values are given, the maximum pressure affecting the microfluidic outlet channel is 10–12 Pa, and the maximum velocity is in the range of 1.25–1.5 mm s−1. These results are the optimum values required to separate platelets from RBCs. It is the aim to develop optimization techniques to separate platelets from Red Blood Cells (RBCs) after designing and analyzing a microfluidic chip in this study.![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ishak Ertugrul
- Department of Mechatronics, University of Mus Alparslan Mus 49100 Turkey
| | - Osman Ulkir
- Department of Electronics and Automation, University of Mus Alparslan Mus 49100 Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kale A, Malekanfard A, Xuan X. Analytical Guidelines for Designing Curvature-Induced Dielectrophoretic Particle Manipulation Systems. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E707. [PMID: 32708326 PMCID: PMC7407939 DOI: 10.3390/mi11070707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Curvature-induced dielectrophoresis (C-iDEP) is an established method of applying electrical energy gradients across curved microchannels to obtain a label-free manipulation of particles and cells. This method offers several advantages over the other DEP-based methods, such as increased chip area utilisation, simple fabrication, reduced susceptibility to Joule heating and reduced risk of electrolysis in the active region. Although C-iDEP systems have been extensively demonstrated to achieve focusing and separation of particles, a detailed mathematical analysis of the particle dynamics has not been reported yet. This work computationally confirms a fully analytical dimensionless study of the electric field-induced particle motion inside a circular arc microchannel, the simplest design of a C-iDEP system. Specifically, the analysis reveals that the design of a circular arc microchannel geometry for manipulating particles using an applied voltage is fully determined by three dimensionless parameters. Simple equations are established and numerically confirmed to predict the mutual relationships of the parameters for a comprehensive range of their practically relevant values, while ensuring design for safety. This work aims to serve as a starting point for microfluidics engineers and researchers to have a simple calculator-based guideline to develop C-iDEP particle manipulation systems specific to their applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akshay Kale
- Electrical Engineering Division, CAPE Building, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK
| | - Amirreza Malekanfard
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; (A.M.); (X.X.)
| | - Xiangchun Xuan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; (A.M.); (X.X.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Passive Dielectrophoretic Focusing of Particles and Cells in Ratchet Microchannels. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11050451. [PMID: 32344887 PMCID: PMC7281238 DOI: 10.3390/mi11050451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Focusing particles into a tight stream is critical for many microfluidic particle-handling devices such as flow cytometers and particle sorters. This work presents a fundamental study of the passive focusing of polystyrene particles in ratchet microchannels via direct current dielectrophoresis (DC DEP). We demonstrate using both experiments and simulation that particles achieve better focusing in a symmetric ratchet microchannel than in an asymmetric one, regardless of the particle movement direction in the latter. The particle focusing ratio, which is defined as the microchannel width over the particle stream width, is found to increase with an increase in particle size or electric field in the symmetric ratchet microchannel. Moreover, it exhibits an almost linear correlation with the number of ratchets, which can be explained by a theoretical formula that is obtained from a scaling analysis. In addition, we have demonstrated a DC dielectrophoretic focusing of yeast cells in the symmetric ratchet microchannel with minimal impact on the cell viability.
Collapse
|
15
|
Salari A, Navi M, Lijnse T, Dalton C. AC Electrothermal Effect in Microfluidics: A Review. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:E762. [PMID: 31717932 PMCID: PMC6915365 DOI: 10.3390/mi10110762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The electrothermal effect has been investigated extensively in microfluidics since the 1990s and has been suggested as a promising technique for fluid manipulations in lab-on-a-chip devices. The purpose of this article is to provide a timely overview of the previous works conducted in the AC electrothermal field to provide a comprehensive reference for researchers new to this field. First, electrokinetic phenomena are briefly introduced to show where the electrothermal effect stands, comparatively, versus other mechanisms. Then, recent advances in the electrothermal field are reviewed from different aspects and categorized to provide a better insight into the current state of the literature. Results and achievements of different studies are compared, and recommendations are made to help researchers weigh their options and decide on proper configuration and parameters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alinaghi Salari
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada;
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Maryam Navi
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada;
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Thomas Lijnse
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
| | - Colin Dalton
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Multifrequency Induced-Charge Electroosmosis. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:mi10070447. [PMID: 31277290 PMCID: PMC6680487 DOI: 10.3390/mi10070447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
We present herein a unique concept of multifrequency induced-charge electroosmosis (MICEO) actuated directly on driving electrode arrays, for highly-efficient simultaneous transport and convective mixing of fluidic samples in microscale ducts. MICEO delicately combines transversal AC electroosmotic vortex flow, and axial traveling-wave electroosmotic pump motion under external dual-Fourier-mode AC electric fields. The synthetic flow field associated with MICEO is mathematically analyzed under thin layer limit, and the particle tracing experiment with a special powering technique validates the effectiveness of this physical phenomenon. Meanwhile, the simulation results with a full-scale 3D computation model demonstrate its robust dual-functionality in inducing fully-automated analyte transport and chaotic stirring in a straight fluidic channel embedding double-sided quarter-phase discrete electrode arrays. Our physical demonstration with multifrequency signal control on nonlinear electroosmosis provides invaluable references for innovative designs of multifunctional on-chip analytical platforms in modern microfluidic systems.
Collapse
|
17
|
Hill N, Lapizco‐Encinas BH. On the use of correction factors for the mathematical modeling of insulator based dielectrophoretic devices. Electrophoresis 2019; 40:2541-2552. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.201900177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Hill
- Microscale Bioseparations Laboratory and Biomedical Engineering DepartmentRochester Institute of Technology Rochester NY USA
| | - Blanca H. Lapizco‐Encinas
- Microscale Bioseparations Laboratory and Biomedical Engineering DepartmentRochester Institute of Technology Rochester NY USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Sun H, Ren Y, Hou L, Tao Y, Liu W, Jiang T, Jiang H. Continuous Particle Trapping, Switching, and Sorting Utilizing a Combination of Dielectrophoresis and Alternating Current Electrothermal Flow. Anal Chem 2019; 91:5729-5738. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b05861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
|
19
|
Xuan X. Recent advances in direct current electrokinetic manipulation of particles for microfluidic applications. Electrophoresis 2019; 40:2484-2513. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.201900048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangchun Xuan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering; Clemson University; Clemson SC USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Kunti G, Dhar J, Bhattacharya A, Chakraborty S. Joule heating-induced particle manipulation on a microfluidic chip. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2019; 13:014113. [PMID: 30867883 PMCID: PMC6404938 DOI: 10.1063/1.5082978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We develop an electrokinetic technique that continuously manipulates colloidal particles to concentrate into patterned particulate groups in an energy efficient way, by exclusive harnessing of the intrinsic Joule heating effects. Our technique exploits the alternating current electrothermal flow phenomenon which is generated due to the interaction between non-uniform electric and thermal fields. Highly non-uniform electric field generates sharp temperature gradients by generating spatially-varying Joule heat that varies along the radial direction from a concentrated point hotspot. Sharp temperature gradients induce a local variation in electric properties which, in turn, generate a strong electrothermal vortex. The imposed fluid flow brings the colloidal particles at the centre of the hotspot and enables particle aggregation. Furthermore, maneuvering structures of the Joule heating spots, different patterns of particle clustering may be formed in a low power budget, thus opening up a new realm of on-chip particle manipulation process without necessitating a highly focused laser beam which is much complicated and demands higher power budget. This technique can find its use in Lab-on-a-chip devices to manipulate particle groups, including biological cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Golak Kunti
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| | - Jayabrata Dhar
- CNRS, Universite de Rennes 1, Geosciences Rennes UMR6118, Rennes, France
| | - Anandaroop Bhattacharya
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| | - Suman Chakraborty
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Affiliation(s)
- Daihyun Kim
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Mukul Sonker
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Alexandra Ros
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Ko C, Li D, Malekanfard A, Wang Y, Fu L, Xuan X. Electroosmotic flow of non‐Newtonian fluids in a constriction microchannel. Electrophoresis 2018; 40:1387-1394. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.201800315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chien‐Hsuan Ko
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Clemson University Clemson SC USA
- Graduate Institute of Materials Engineering National Pingtung University of Science and Technology Taiwan
| | - Di Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Clemson University Clemson SC USA
| | | | - Yao‐Nan Wang
- Department of Vehicle Engineering National Pingtung University of Science and Technology Pingtung Taiwan
| | - Lung‐Ming Fu
- Graduate Institute of Materials Engineering National Pingtung University of Science and Technology Taiwan
- Department of Engineering Science National Cheng Kung University Tainan Taiwan
| | - Xiangchun Xuan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Clemson University Clemson SC USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Liu W, Wu Q, Ren Y, Cui P, Yao B, Li Y, Hui M, Jiang T, Bai L. On the Bipolar DC Flow Field-Effect-Transistor for Multifunctional Sample Handing in Microfluidics: A Theoretical Analysis under the Debye⁻Huckel Limit. MICROMACHINES 2018; 9:E82. [PMID: 30393361 PMCID: PMC6187470 DOI: 10.3390/mi9020082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We present herein a novel method of bipolar field-effect control on DC electroosmosis (DCEO) from a physical point of view, in the context of an intelligent and robust operation tool for stratified laminar streams in microscale systems. In this unique design of the DC flow field-effect-transistor (DC-FFET), a pair of face-to-face external gate terminals are imposed with opposite gate-voltage polarities. Diffuse-charge dynamics induces heteropolar Debye screening charge within the diffuse double layer adjacent to the face-to-face oppositely-polarized gates, respectively. A background electric field is applied across the source-drain terminal and forces the face-to-face counterionic charge of reversed polarities into induced-charge electroosmotic (ICEO) vortex flow in the lateral direction. The chaotic turbulence of the transverse ICEO whirlpool interacts actively with the conventional plug flow of DCEO, giving rise to twisted streamlines for simultaneous DCEO pumping and ICEO mixing of fluid samples along the channel length direction. A mathematical model in thin-layer approximation and the low-voltage limit is subsequently established to test the feasibility of the bipolar DC-FFET configuration in electrokinetic manipulation of fluids at the micrometer dimension. According to our simulation analysis, an integrated device design with two sets of side-by-side, but upside-down gate electrode pair exhibits outstanding performance in electroconvective pumping and mixing even without any externally-applied pressure difference. Moreover, a paradigm of a microdevice for fully electrokinetics-driven analyte treatment is established with an array of reversed bipolar gate-terminal pairs arranged on top of the dielectric membrane along the channel length direction, from which we can obtain almost a perfect liquid mixture by using a smaller magnitude of gate voltages for causing less detrimental effects at a small Dukhin number. Sustained by theoretical analysis, our physical demonstration on bipolar field-effect flow control for the microfluidic device of dual functionalities in simultaneous electroconvective pumping and mixing holds great potential in the development of fully-automated liquid-phase actuators in modern microfluidic systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiyu Liu
- School of Electronics and Control Engineering, Chang'an University, Middle-Section of Nan'er Huan Road, Xi'an 710064, Shanxi, China.
| | - Qisheng Wu
- School of Electronics and Control Engineering, Chang'an University, Middle-Section of Nan'er Huan Road, Xi'an 710064, Shanxi, China.
| | - Yukun Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang, China.
| | - Peng Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang, China.
| | - Bobin Yao
- School of Electronics and Control Engineering, Chang'an University, Middle-Section of Nan'er Huan Road, Xi'an 710064, Shanxi, China.
| | - Yanbo Li
- School of Electronics and Control Engineering, Chang'an University, Middle-Section of Nan'er Huan Road, Xi'an 710064, Shanxi, China.
| | - Meng Hui
- School of Electronics and Control Engineering, Chang'an University, Middle-Section of Nan'er Huan Road, Xi'an 710064, Shanxi, China.
| | - Tianyi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang, China.
| | - Lin Bai
- School of Electronics and Control Engineering, Chang'an University, Middle-Section of Nan'er Huan Road, Xi'an 710064, Shanxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|