Toward low‐voltage dielectrophoresis‐based microfluidic systems: A review

Abstract

Dielectrophoretically driven microfluidic devices have demonstrated great applicability in biomedical engineering, diagnostic medicine, and biological research. One of the potential fields of application for this technology is in point‐of‐care (POC) devices, ideally allowing for portable, fully integrated, easy to use, low‐cost diagnostic platforms. Two main approaches exist to induce dielectrophoresis (DEP) on suspended particles, that is, electrode‐based DEP and insulator‐based DEP, each featuring different advantages and disadvantages. However, a shared concern lies in the input voltage used to generate the electric field necessary for DEP to take place. Therefore, input voltage can determine portability of a microfluidic device. This review outlines the recent advances in reducing stimulation voltage requirements in DEP‐driven microfluidics.

Amplification factor in DC insulator-based electrokinetic devices: a theoretical, numerical, and experimental approach to operation voltage reduction for particle trapping

“…25 We demonstrate that trapping voltages of ∼80 V can be attained at a standard conductivity of 20-25 μS cm −1being, to our knowledge, the lowest trapping voltages reported to date for 2D DC-iEK microfluidic systems using particles in this size range. 26 Our findings illustrate how dielectric constriction optimization can maximize the attainable E field magnitude, thereby reducing voltage requirements and enabling improved portability in DC-iEK systems.…”

From Conventional to Microfluidic: Progress in Extracellular Vesicle Separation and Individual Characterization

“…In a nonuniform electric field, dielectrophoretic (DEP) produced by the interaction between polarized dielectric particles and the field, induces the directional motion of particles owing to polarization effects. [151][152][153][154] In 2018, Lewis et al reported an electrokinetic microarray chip, which could capture and analyze EVs directly from whole blood, plasma, or serum. This chip achieved 99% sensitivity and 82% specificity in 20 Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patient samples with no pretreatment or other affinity techniques.…”

Particle trapping in electrically driven insulator‐based microfluidics: Dielectrophoresis and induced‐charge electrokinetics

“…All this goes against the main objective of the technology, which is to produce portable LOC or POC devices. Efforts have been made towards reducing voltage requirements [ 121 ], but it is clear that much more work is still needed. A second challenge to address is the lack of an analytical model of the EDL that is valid in the blank region shown in Fig.…”