One- and two-particle dynamics in microfluidic T-junctions

Abstract

Advances in precise focusing of colloidal particles in microfluidic systems open up the possibility of using microfluidic junctions for particle separation and filtering applications. We present a comprehensive numerical study of the dynamics of solid and porous microparticles in T-shaped junctions. Good agreement with experimental data is obtained on the location of particle-separating streamlines for single solid particles with realistic parameters corresponding to the experiments. We quantify the changes in the position of the separating line for porous, partially penetrable colloids. A prediction of the full phase diagram for particle separation is presented in the case of two successive particles entering a T-junction. Our results suggest the intriguing possibility of using the one-and two-particle T-junctions as logic gates.

Inversion of hematocrit partition at microfluidic bifurcations

“…C, D: High viscosity contrast (experiments with λ =10.3 and simulation with λ =10). effect where cells entering the bifurcation tend to be displaced towards the low flow rate branch compared to fluid streamlines (a fact that slightly reduces the Zweifach-Fung effect) (Barber et al, 2008;Doyeux et al, 2011;Li et al, 2012;Ollila et al, 2013), but this question is still debated (Hyakutake and Nagai, 2015;Xiong and Zhang, 2012).…”

“…The depletion in the low flow rate branch is accompanied by enrichment in the high flow rate branch. In addition to the CFL as the main cause of the Zweifach-Fung effect, it has been argued that there is a relatively small counteracting effect where cells entering the bifurcation tend to be displaced towards the low flow rate branch compared to fluid streamlines (a fact that slightly reduces the Zweifach-Fung effect) (Barber et al, 2008;Doyeux et al, 2011;Li et al, 2012;Ollila et al, 2013), but this question is still debated (Hyakutake and Nagai, 2015;Xiong and Zhang, 2012).…”