Design and Simulation of Ascending Curvilinear Micro Channel for Cancer Cell Separation from Blood

Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading causes for human death. However, if cancer cells are identified at initial stage, patient treatment will be low cost and successful. This research presents the design and simulation of ascending curvilinear micro channel for separation of particles resembling cancer cells. The separation system is designed and simulated by using inertia focusing cell separation technique. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) design and simulation of ascending micro channel for cell separation using inertial focusing technique is used for separation. The simulation was carried in two stages; for focusing and separation. The mixture flow velocities were 0.105 m/s, 115 m/s and 125 m/s, and with Reynolds number Re = 8.5, 9.25 and 10.06. The ascending curvilinear channel design demonstrated favorable focusing, and separation. 100% purity and 100 % efficiency for separation of 15 µm particles was achieved at Re = 8.50 and maximum output/input ratio at velocity 0.105m/s. Cancer cells are also of size about 15 µm and the our proposed micro channel is a good candidate for cancer cells separation from blood.

A Review on Microchannel Fabrication Methods and Applications in Large-Scale and Prospective Industries

“…Most often, malignant cells are separated via these microchannels. In order to separate malignant cells from blood, Wewala et al (2012) examined the shape and simulation procedure of ascending curvilinear channel. They separated cells using the inertia-focusing method.…”

“…100 x 10 -6 m was the bare minimum inner radius. The channel had a length of 14450 x 10 -6 m and a maximum inner radius of 1150 x 10 -6 m. Only one input and three outlets were needed for the two ascending and descending microchannels to cooperate 153) . A unique design of ascending and descending curvilinear microchannels was reported by Wewala et al (2013).…”

“…Table 6 [153][154][155][156][157][158][159][160][161][162][164][165][166][167][168][169][170][171][172] represents the different information of the length, fluid and flow pattern, particles size, temperature, material, Reynolds numbers, heat fluxes, flow rates, simulational method, mathematical modelling method, and applications of the channels used by various researchers.…”

Cell Separation Through Ascending and Descending Curvilinear Microchannels

“…Recently microfluidic devices have been explored for the seperation of cancer cells from model mixtures and patient blood [13][14]. Bhagat et al (in 2008) successfully demonstrated particle separation in spiral microchannels using dean flows based on CFD modeling; they investigated that separation process based on the particle size [15]. Density variation between two fluids can create asymmetric pair of dean vortices as the fluids pass through the curve.…”

“…Carlo presented a rapid micro fluidic filtration technology for separating particles with purities from 90 to 100% and high-volume throughputs of 1 ml/min [23]. In 2008, Bhagat et al presented a passive microfluidic device of 5-loop spiral microchannel geometry [15]. Lee et al reported a contraction-expansion array (CEA) microchannel which execute inertial size separation through a force balance between dean drag and inertial lift forces.…”