In this paper, we have introduced a negative Dielectrophoresis based microfluidic system using a novel arrangement of microelectrodes to perform switching of micro objects. Both the experimental and numerical results are presented. Two sets of interdigitated electrodes, extending slightly into the microchannel from each sidewall, are embedded on the bottom of the microchannel. A finite element model in COMSOL Multiphysics 5.2a was developed to demonstrate switching of Red Blood Cells in the microchannel followed by multiple parametric studies to study the effect of several parameters on cell trajectories and optimize the design parameters. To verify numerical results, a PDMS-based microfluidic device on glass wafer was fabricated. The switching of Red Blood Cells in the microfluidic device with a single inlet and three outlets was also demonstrated.
Microfluidic device for continuous magnetophoretic separation of red blood cells