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Optimal control of particle separation in inertial microfluidics

The European Physical Journal E volume 36, Article number: 118 (2013) Cite this article

Abstract

Recently, inertial mircofluidics has emerged as a promising tool to manipulate complex liquids with possible biomedical applications, for example, to particle separation. Indeed, in experiments different particle types were separated based on their sizes (A.J. Mach, D. Di Carlo, Biotechnol. Bioeng. 107, 302 (2010)). In this article we use a theoretical study to demonstrate how concepts from optimal control theory help to design optimized profiles of control forces that allow to steer particles to almost any position at the outlet of a microfluidic channel. We also show that one specific control force profile is sufficient to guide two types of particles to different locations at the channel outlet, where they can be separated from each other. The particles just differ by their size which determines the strength of the inertial lift forces they experience. Our approach greatly enhances the efficiency of particle separation in the inertial regime.

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Affiliations

  1. Institute of Theoretical Physics, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstr. 36, 10623, Berlin, Germany

    Christopher Prohm & Holger Stark

  2. Institut für Mathematik, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 136, 10623, Berlin, Germany

    Fredi Tröltzsch

Authors
  1. Christopher Prohm
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  2. Fredi Tröltzsch
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  3. Holger Stark
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Correspondence to Christopher Prohm.

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Prohm, C., Tröltzsch, F. & Stark, H. Optimal control of particle separation in inertial microfluidics. Eur. Phys. J. E 36, 118 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2013-13118-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2013-13118-8

Keywords

  • Soft Matter: Colloids and Nanoparticles