Continuous-flow Size-based Separation of Microparticles by Microchip Electromagnetophoresis

Abstract

A novel microchip separation method for microparticles based on electromagnetophoresis was developed. In this method, a double Y-shape microchip with two inlets and two outlets was used for particle separation. Microparticles of two different sizes were suspended in an aqueous solution and introduced into the microchannel from one inlet with a stream of the aqueous solution without particles from another inlet by a hydrodynamic flow. Then, the particles with two different sizes were migrated orthogonal to the flow by elctromagnetophoresis and separated to different outlets based on the difference in their electromagnetophoric velocities, which depended on the size of particle. Using this method, at one outlet, 89% of 3 μm polystyrene latex particles were isolated from a mixture of 3 and 10 μm particles. By combining hydrodynamic focusing, both 3 and 10 μm particles were recovered at the different outlets with 100% purity and recovery, respectively. Even the separation of 3 and 6 μm particles was also achieved with about 98% recovery and purity. Moreover, yeast cells and polystyrene particles could be separated with high separation efficiency by this technique.

Applications of magnetic and electromagnetic forces in micro-analytical systems

“…However, the hydrodynamic focusing required a large amount of sheath solution. 239 To overcome this disadvantage and improve the separation efficiency, they fabricated a microchip system composed of a 7 mm EMP focusing segment and 3 mm EMP separation segment, where the two EMP forces were applied inversely. 240 To keep the sample particles in a single flow channel, a micro-dialysis hollow fiber (o.d.…”

Staggered-electromagnetophoresis with a Split-flow System for the Separation of Microparticles by a Hollow Fiber-embedded PDMS Microchip

“…27 EMP, which was the migration phenomenon based on the Lorentz force proposed for the first time by Kolin in 1953, 28 is a force induced on a particle placed in a magnetic and electric field 2016 © The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry † To whom correspondence should be addressed. A novel microchip separation system for microparticles based on electromagnetophoresis (EMP) was developed.…”