Trajectory of microscale entities in a microdevice for field-flow fractionation based on dielectrophoresis

This article deals with the development of a two-dimensional dynamic model for tracking the path of cells subjected to dielectrophoresis, in a continuous flow microfluidic device, for purposes of field-flow fractionation. The nonuniform electric field exists between the top and bottom surface of the microchannel; the top electrode runs over the entire length of the microchannel while the bottom surface of the same holds multiple finite sized electrodes of opposite polarity. The model consists of two governing equations with each describing the movement of the cell in one of the two dimensions of interest. The equations governing of the cell trajectories as well as that of the electric potential inside the microchannel are solved using finite difference method. The model is subsequently used for parametric study; the parameters considered include cell radii, actuation voltage, microchannel height and volumetric flow rate. The model is particularly useful in the design of microfluidic device employing dielectrophoresis for field flow fractionation.