US 11,925,934 B2
Microfluidic devices for cellular sorting
Todd Sulchek, Atlanta, GA (US); Alexander Alexeev, Atlanta, GA (US); and Gonghao Wang, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATION, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Jul. 1, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/918,349.
Application 16/918,349 is a continuation of application No. 15/774,684, granted, now 10,717,084, previously published as PCT/US2016/061141, filed on Nov. 9, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/252,709, filed on Nov. 9, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2020/0330990 A1, Oct. 22, 2020
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); G01N 15/02 (2006.01); G01N 33/48 (2006.01); G01N 33/49 (2006.01); G01N 33/50 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502761 (2013.01) [G01N 15/0272 (2013.01); G01N 33/48 (2013.01); G01N 33/5005 (2013.01); B01L 3/502776 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0652 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0816 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0864 (2013.01); B01L 2400/086 (2013.01); G01N 15/01 (2024.01); G01N 2015/0288 (2013.01); G01N 33/491 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
providing a cell medium comprising cells to a microfluidic device comprising a microfluidic channel and an expansion region;
wherein the microfluidic channel comprises ridges and a wall, each of the ridges extending towards the wall and defining a compression gap between the ridge and the wall;
wherein each adjacent pair of the ridges is separated by a ridge spacing selected based on variations of a viscoelasticity of the cells; and
wherein the expansion region is disposed downstream from the ridges;
passing the cell medium through at least a portion of the microfluidic channel;
wherein the ridges affect an ability of the cells to pass through the compression gaps based on the viscoelasticity of the cells;
wherein, when the cells initially confront the ridges, the cells resist deformation through positive lateral displacement while squeezing through the compression gaps via compression;
wherein, after compression, more viscous cells remain deformed while less viscous cells relax while passing through the compression gaps; and
wherein a trajectory of the more viscous cells is dominated by a secondary flow while a trajectory of the less viscous cells is dominated by deformation energy due to compression as the less viscous cells pass through the compression gaps;
flowing the cell medium from the microfluidic channel to the expansion region in which the cells are not affected by the ridges, thereby hydrodynamic balancing a flow of the cell medium after the cell medium exits the microfluidic channel; and
collecting the cell medium downstream from the expansion region.