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Inertia-magnetic particle sorting in microfluidic devices: a numerical parametric investigation

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Abstract

Microfluidic-based sorting systems are an integral part of many biological applications, where sorting of cells, microorganisms, and particles is of interest. In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics model is established to expand investigations on a hybrid microparticle sorting method, which combines inertia-magnetic focusing and hydrodynamic separation, known as multiplex inertia-magnetic fractionation (MIMF). This microfluidic device consists of two regions, i.e. a narrow microchannel with a magnet on its side for inertial and magnetophoretic focusing of particles and a downstream wide hydrodynamic expansion zone for particles’ separation and imaging. A Lagrangian–Eulerian framework was adopted to simulate particle trajectories using the ANSYS-Fluent discrete phase modeling (DPM) approach. Acting forces that were considered to predict particle trajectories included the drag, inertial lift, Saffman lift, gravitational, and magnetophoretic forces. User-defined functions were used for inertial lift and magnetophoretic forces that are not built-in relations in the ANSYS-Fluent DPM. Numerical results were verified and validated against the experimental data for MIMF of 5 and 11 µm magnetic particles at flow rates of 0.5–5 mL/h. Particles fractionation throughput and purity in the expansion region could be predicted with errors of 6% and 2%, respectfully. The validated model was then used to perform a numerical parametric study on the unknown effects of magnetization, particle size, higher flow rates, and fluid viscosity on MIMF. The presented numerical approach can be used as a tool for future experimental design of inertia-magnetophoretic microfluidic particle sorting devices.

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Acknowledgements

This research has received funding support from Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences under project code: PN18-15EC-04 (PR, AE) and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (PR). Such support does not indicate endorsement by Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences or the Government of Ontario of the contents of this material.

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, York University, BRG 433B, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada

    Mohammad Charjouei Moghadam & Pouya Rezai

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Australian College of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait

    Armin Eilaghi

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  1. Mohammad Charjouei Moghadam
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Correspondence to Pouya Rezai.

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Charjouei Moghadam, M., Eilaghi, A. & Rezai, P. Inertia-magnetic particle sorting in microfluidic devices: a numerical parametric investigation. Microfluid Nanofluid 23, 135 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-019-2301-3

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