Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hoop stress-assisted three-dimensional particle focusing under viscoelastic flow

  • Original Contribution
  • Published:
Rheologica Acta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Three-dimensional particle focusing is a prerequisite for a wide range of lab-on-a-chip applications such as cell counting and sorting. We have demonstrated that when side-wells are inserted in a rectangular channel, the particles form an almost single stream (>99 %) within ±0.9× particle diameter from the channel centerline under viscoelastic flow. Recently, viscoelasticity-based particle focusing technique has attracted much attention since it operates by flowing particles in extremely simple channels. However, the particles move along multiple equilibrium positions in rectangular channels under elasticity-dominant flow, and this is not favorable for practical applications. We show that the hoop stress along curved streamlines in side-wells can be engineered to reduce the multiple particle lanes to a single stream. Further, we achieve highly efficient focusing under inertialess viscoelastic flow with high throughput (>2000/s). We expect that our novel method will find applications in accurate cell counting, sorting, and deformability measurement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bird RB, Armstrong RC, Hassager O (1987) Dynamics of polymeric liquids. Wiley Interscience, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Cha S, Shin T, Lee SS, Shim W, Lee G, Lee SJ, Kim Y, Kim JM (2012) Cell stretching measurement utilizing viscoelastic particle focusing. Anal Chem 84:10471–10477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, Nawaz AA, Zhao Y, Huang PH, McCoy JP, Levine SJ, Wang L, Huang TJ (2014) Standing surface acoustic wave (SSAW)-based microfluidic cytometer. Lab Chip 14:916–923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chung AJ, Gossett DR, Di Carlo D (2013) Three dimensional, sheathless, and high-throughput microparticle inertial focusing through geometry-induced secondary flows. Small 9:685–690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Avino G, Romeo G, Villone MM, Greco F, Netti PA, Maffettone PL (2012) Single line particle focusing induced by viscoelasticity of the suspending liquid: theory, experiments and simulations to design a micropipe flow-focuser. Lab Chip 12:1638–1645

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Carlo D (2009) Inertial microfluidics. Lab Chip 9:3038–3046

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Carlo D, Irimia D, Tompkins RG, Toner M (2007) Continuous inertial focusing, ordering, and separation of particles in microchannels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104:18892–18897

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giudice F, Romeo G, D’Avino G, Greco F, Netti PA, Maffettone PL (2013) Particle alignment in a viscoelastic liquid flowing in a square-shaped microchannel. Lab Chip 13:4263–4271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ho BP, Leal LG (1976) Migration of rigid spheres in a two-dimensional unidirectional shear flow of a second-order fluid. J Fluid Mech 76:783–799

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hur SC, Tse HTK, Di Carlo D (2010) Sheathless inertial cell ordering for extreme throughput flow cytometry. Lab Chip 10:274–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Im SG, Bong KW, Lee CH, Doyle PS, Gleason KK (2009) A conformal nano-adhesive via initiated chemical vapor deposition for microfluidic devices. Lab Chip 9:411–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang K, Lee SS, Hyun K, Lee SJ, Kim JM (2013) DNA-based highly tunable particle focuser. Nat Commun 4:2567–2575

    Google Scholar 

  • Karimi A, Yazdi S, Ardekani AM (2013) Hydrodynamic mechanisms of cell and particle trapping in microfluidics. Biomicrofluidics 7:021501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim JY, Ahn S, Lee SS, Kim JM (2012) Lateral migration and focusing of colloidal particles and DNA molecules under viscoelastic flow. Lab Chip 12:2807–2814

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee DJ, Brenner H, Youn JR, Song YS (2013) Multiplex particle focusing via hydrodynamic force in viscoelastic fluids. Sci Rep 3:3258–3266

    Google Scholar 

  • Leshansky AM, Bransky A, Korin N, Dinnar U (2007) Tunable nonlinear viscoelastic “focusing” in a microfluidic device. Phys Rev Lett 98:234501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nam J, Lim H, Kim D, Jung H, Shin S (2012) Continuous separation of microparticles in a microfluidic channel via the elasto-inertial effect of non-Newtonian fluid. Lab Chip 12:1347–1354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romeo G, D’Avino G, Greco F, Netti PA, Maffettone PL (2013) Viscoelastic flow-focusing in microchannels: scaling properties of the particle radial distributions. Lab Chip 13:2802–2807

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seo KW, Byeon HJ, Huh HK, Lee SJ (2014) Particle migration and single-line particle focusing in microscale pipe flow of viscoelastic fluids. RSC Adv 4:3512–3520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sollier E, Murray C, Maoddi P, Di Carlo D (2011) Rapid prototyping polymers for microfluidic devices and high pressure injections. Lab Chip 11:3752–3765

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tabeling P (2006) Introduction to microfluidics. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Tehrani MA (1996) An experimental study of particle migration in pipe flow of viscoelastic fluids. J Rheol 40:1057–1077

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xia Y, Whitesides GM (1998) Soft lithography. Angew Chem Int Ed 37:550–575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xuan XC, Zhu JJ, Church C (2010) Particle focusing in microfluidic devices. Microfluid Nanofluid 9:1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang S, Kim JY, Lee SJ, Lee SS, Kim JM (2011) Sheathless elasto-inertial particle focusing and continuous separation in a straight rectangular microchannel. Lab Chip 11:266–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang S, Lee SS, Ahn SW, Kang K, Shim W, Lee G, Hyun K, Kim JM (2012) Deformability-selective particle entrainment and separation in a rectangular microchannel using medium viscoelasticity. Soft Matter 8:5011–5019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • You JB, Min KI, Lee B, Kim DP, Im SG (2013) A doubly cross-linked nano-adhesive for the reliable sealing of flexible microfluidic devices. Lab Chip 13:1266–1272

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the research programs through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (nos. 2009-0093826, NRF-2013R1A1A1A05007406, and NRF-2013R1A1A2A10004353). This research was funded by the MSIP (Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning), Korea in the ICT R&D Program (The core technology development of light and space adaptable energy-saving I/O platform for future advertising service) and the EEWS Research Project of the Office of the KAIST EEWS Initiative. The authors are thankful to Prof. Seong Jae Lee at The University of Suwon for kindly providing us with PS beads and also the measurement of viscosities with a rheometer (MCR 300).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 443-749, Republic of Korea

    Ju Min Kim

  2. Department of Energy Systems Research, Ajou University, Suwon, 443-749, Republic of Korea

    Kyowon Kang & Ju Min Kim

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, 139-701, Republic of Korea

    Sukgyun Cha & Younghun Kim

  4. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and KI for NanoCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea

    Jae Bem You & Sung Gap Im

  5. Engineering Research Institute, Ajou University, Suwon, 443-749, Republic of Korea

    Sukgyun Cha

Authors
  1. Sukgyun Cha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kyowon Kang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jae Bem You
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sung Gap Im
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Younghun Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ju Min Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Sung Gap Im, Younghun Kim or Ju Min Kim.

Additional information

Special issue devoted to Novel Trends in Rheology

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

(WMV 713 kb)

ESM 2

(PDF 488 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Cha, S., Kang, K., You, J.B. et al. Hoop stress-assisted three-dimensional particle focusing under viscoelastic flow. Rheol Acta 53, 927–933 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-014-0808-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-014-0808-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation