Title:
Towards Passive Unlabeled Cell Sorting in a Microfluidic Flow Chamber
Towards Passive Unlabeled Cell Sorting in a Microfluidic Flow Chamber
Towards Passive Unlabeled Cell Sorting in a Microfluidic Flow Chamber
Towards Passive Unlabeled Cell Sorting in a Microfluidic Flow Chamber
Authors
Frohberg, Nicholas James
Advisors
Qiu, Peng
Qiu, Peng
Qiu, Peng
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Abstract
Cell separation is utilized for a variety of purposes in biomedicine, including
clinical diagnosis, or batch purification or rare cell isolation within a research laboratory
setting. The currently used methods for cell separation are mostly limited to fluorescent
or magnetic activated cell sorting, or density-gradient methods. These methods have clear
weaknesses; the former two have high monetary cost, and the requirement for tags can
delay project completion by months, while density-gradient methods have poor accuracy.
This work discusses a label-free passive method for sorting cells, through mechanical
forces created by flow in a microfluidic chamber. This project aims to mathematically
model the ways that a particular set of modifiable flow chamber parameters will
influence the trajectory of cells with differing physical parameters. Water velocity within
the device was modeled through the use of the finite element method and computational
fluid dynamics. An analysis is performed on what the flow field inside this device looks
like and how this can be manipulated for cell sorting. Initial observation shows that large,
stiff, and weakly viscous cells will move upwards. This research and model could make it
possible to successfully use this microfluidic flow chamber design to sort cell groups
which had not previously been researched in this device.
Sponsor
Date Issued
2018-05
Extent
Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Undergraduate Thesis