High Throughput Mobile Phase Microfluidic Sensing and Analytical Platforms

Miniaturization and microfluidics has enabled a new class of instruments capable of integrated multistep processes.  Such micro-total analysis systems are well suited for a wide range of cellular and molecular sensing applications, that can be conducted at the point of care or point of need.  A critical bottleneck to full microscale integration has been a lack of native on-chip particle/cell concentration and alignment technologies.  Inertial focusing provides a solution to each of these hurdles by passively focusing particles to predictable, precise lateral and longitudinal positions.  The enabling fluid dynamics of inertial focusing, as well as the possibilities and limits for the technology, will be presented.  Subsequently, applications for inertial focusing, including sample preparation, cellular processing and optical analysis, will each be discussed in turn.