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Plasma Isolation in a Syringe by Conformal Integration of Inertial Microfluidics

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Abstract

A thermoplastic microfluidic substrate is conformally integrated onto the cylindrical barrel of a conventional venipuncture syringe, forming a spiral inertial separation element supporting the isolation of plasma from diluted whole blood. The cylindrical shape of the syringe itself serves to define the flow path required for inertial separation by transforming a linear microchannel to a spiral topology. The hybrid system enables inertial plasma separation by Dean flow focusing within the same syringe used for a patient blood draw, with the seamlessly interconnected microfluidic element operated by automated or manual actuation of the syringe plunger. Plasma isolation is achieved without the need for external instrumentation. Device design and fabrication challenges are discussed, and effective plasma isolation within the system is demonstrated, with a peak separation efficiency above 97% using 25 × diluted blood.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by NSF Grants ECCS1609074 and CMMI1562468. The authors acknowledge the support of the Maryland NanoCenter and its FabLab.

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Jung Y. Han & Don L. DeVoe

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  1. Jung Y. Han
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Correspondence to Don L. DeVoe.

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Han, J.Y., DeVoe, D.L. Plasma Isolation in a Syringe by Conformal Integration of Inertial Microfluidics. Ann Biomed Eng 49, 139–148 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-020-02526-9

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