Developing a novel centrifugal-based microfluidic particle focusing device; a microhydrocyclone

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Microfluidic devices are becoming an inevitable part of future technologies in many industries such as diagnostics, screening, drug discovery, cosmetic, surgical equipment, and rapid and efficient experiments on small-sample volumes. Flow and particle focusing are technologies used to form emulsions, encapsulated particles or classifying particles. Currently, centrifugal-based focusing technologies are dominant in microfluidic device development which in turn are divided into two main classes of centrifugal platforms and inertial platforms. These technologies, however, are suffering from issues such as limited throughput, working as batch and flow or particle blockage. This research program, propose a solution for the mentioned issues by introducing a microhydrocyclone microfluidic device. Microhydrocyclone is a centrifugal screening and separation device, which is proposed in this research program as an alternative technology for particle focusing. The device works on the principle using centrifugal force to separate particles from the main stream according to their density difference. Comparing the current technologies of focusing, microhydrocyclones will have significantly higher centrifugal force and at the same time work as a continuous flow unit. In fact, microhydrocyclone technology combines the main advantage of centrifugal microfluidic platforms (i.e. high centrifugal acceleration) with the main advantage of microfluidic inertial devices (i.e. continuous flow). This research program will aim in developing technical protocols for microhydrocyclones design and operation for commercial applications. In doing such, we will take steps in this discovery grant research toward developing fundamental knowledge required to bring the microhydrocyclones to practice. These are including assessing and developing correlations that a microhydrocyclone will be designed based on them. Design and fabrication of the device using advanced microscale manufacturing techniques as well as and its active control will be another important part of the research. Design and active control, however, require fundamental understanding of the device operation and flow and particle dynamics inside the microhydrocyclone. This understanding is another objective of this research program. To cover this objective, imaging techniques will be undertaken to measure the flow inside the device. The formation and dynamics of secondary vortices and the interactions between the flow element and particles that are carried with the main stream will be evaluated. To undertake this proposed research program, we will train PhD and MSc students who will be able to contribute to the further advances of the microfluidics sciences and industrial applications. The research outcomes and the associated trainings, will elevate Canada's research profile and help further progress in related microfluidics industry.