skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Attention:The NSF Public Access Repository (NSF-PAR) system and access will be unavailable from 7:00 AM ET to 7:30 AM ET on Friday, April 24 due to maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience.


Search for: All records

Creators/Authors contains: "Sainz, Cynthia"

Note: When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval).
What is a DOI Number?

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.

  1. Hydrodynamic sorting of microchip particles in microchannels is essential in microfluidic systems used for applications requiring particle-based multiplexing. Understanding the forces acting on the particle, as well as the dependencies of the forces on channel and fluid flow parameters, allows for prediction of the flow conditions needed to initiate particle movement, or lift-off. This study presents the experimental characterization of the lift-off of a single, flat-plate, non-neutrally buoyant microchip particle initially sedimented near the inlet of straight, rectangular microfluidic channels of different channel sizes and solvents at moderate Archimedes number of 191 to 2820. The critical shear Reynolds number, corresponding to the minimum required for lift-off, was found to increase with larger Archimedes number and the relationship was found to exhibit particle-channel size dependency. The observed critical lift-off for the flat-plate particle was lower than that predicted using a previous generalized lift-off model based on modified particle Reynolds and Archimedes numbers which may be explained by entrance effects and fluid film lubrication pressure under the particle. Numerical evaluations of the hydrodynamic forces acting on the particle revealed that electrostatic forces are significant. A remodified Archimedes number, based on the channel width, particle diameter, and solvent relative permittivity, is introduced as a correction to the generalized lift-off model to account for hydrodynamics and electrostatics affecting the lift-off of a flat-plate particle. This model is in good agreement with the generalized particle lift-off model and allows for prediction of flat-plate particle lift-off in microfluidic channels for a moderate range of Archimedes numbers. 
    more » « less