10 µm Particle 1 µm Particle PDMS

ROI Channel

Medium

TAMA TAMA
Si Substrate

PDMS
ROI Channel

Medium
TAMA TAMA
Si Substrate
 10 µm Particle PDMS
ROI Channel

Medium

TAMA TAMA
Si Substrate

PDMS
ROI Channel

Medium
TAMA TAMA
Si Substrate
 1 µm Particle PDMS
ROI Channel

Medium

TAMA TAMA
Si Substrate

PDMS
ROI Channel

Medium
TAMA TAMA
Si Substrate
ROI

ROI
INTRODUCTION
Biological Analysis Application
• In biological analysis, separation
and isolation from the samples
plays an important role to its
success.
• In conventional methods the
process is time consuming, need
a lot of sample and also high cost.
Microfluidics
• Alternative to conventional
method.
• Study of the fluid manipulation at
the microscale level (less than 1
mm).
• At this scale, surface area is larger
than the volume. So surface
related force is dominant
relatively to the volume related
force.
• Take advantage of the many
scaling physical laws for example
rapid diffusion, laminar flow, dean
flow and rapid thermal transport.
INTRODUCTION • Active and passive.
• Active methods utilise external fields
such as electric, magnetic, acoustic,
and optical to drive cells for separation,
while passive methods utilise channel
structures, intrinsic hydrodynamic
forces, and steric hindrances to
manipulate cells.
• However, when processing complex
biological samples such as whole blood
with rare cells, separation with a single
module microfluidic device is difficult.
Hybrid microfluidics is an emerging
technique which utilises active and
passive methods whilst fulfilling higher
requirements for stable performance,
versatility, and convenience, including
(i) the ability to process multi-target
cells, (ii) enhanced ability for
multiplexed separation, (iii) higher
sensitivity, and (iv) tunability for a
wider operational range.

In this work, we want to fabricated DEP-

assisted separation with the help of
hydrodynamic focusing techniques.
INTRODUCTION
• Dielectrophoresis (DEP) refers to the motion of polarizable particles suspended in a fluid flow,
generating by polarization forces in a non-uniform electric field (NUEF). Converse to
electrophoresis, the particles in DEP do not carry electrical charges, but they must be polarizable.
These particles and medium that are exposed to an electric field and become polarized forming
electric dipoles; the resulting force on these dipoles is called DEP force (FDEP). These particles will
move toward the regions of strong electrical field if they are more polarizable than the suspended
medium and such a motion is called positive dielectrophoresis (p-DEP). While, the particles will
move towards the region of low electrical field if the suspended medium are more polarizable
than the particles. This motion is called negative dielectrophoresis (n-DEP).
INTRODUCTION
• Dielectrophoresis (DEP) refers to the motion of polarizable particles suspended in a fluid flow,
generating by polarization forces in a non-uniform electric field (NUEF). Converse to
electrophoresis, the particles in DEP do not carry electrical charges, but they must be polarizable.
These particles and medium that are exposed to an electric field and become polarized forming
electric dipoles; the resulting force on these dipoles is called DEP force (FDEP). These particles will
move toward the regions of strong electrical field if they are more polarizable than the suspended
medium and such a motion is called positive dielectrophoresis (p-DEP). While, the particles will
move towards the region of low electrical field if the suspended medium are more polarizable
than the particles. This motion is called negative dielectrophoresis (n-DEP).