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Particle migration dynamics in viscoelastic fluids in spiral channels have attracted interest in recent years due to potential applications in the 3D focusing and label-free sorting of particles and cells. Despite a number of recent studies, the underlying mechanism of Dean-coupled elasto-inertial migration in spiral microchannels is not fully understood. In this work, for the first time, we experimentally demonstrate the evolution of particle focusing behavior along a channel downstream length at a high blockage ratio. We found that flow rate, device curvature, and medium viscosity play important roles in particle lateral migration. Our results illustrate the full focusing pattern along the downstream channel length, with side-view imaging yielding observations on the vertical migration of focused streams. Ultimately, we anticipate that these results will offer a useful guide for elasto-inertial microfluidics device design to improve the efficiency of 3D focusing in cell sorting and cytometry applications. 

We developed a potentiometric sensor system that includes a portable device and a multiplexed sensor based on solid-contact ion-selective electrodes (SCISE). SCISEs are fabricated using printed circuit board (PCB) and mesoporous carbon black (MCB) as the ion-to-electron transducer. The device supports sensor readout as well as automated sensor calibration, making it suitable for long term, in situ measurements. 

In this work, full 3-D numerical simulations are performed to study the combined effects of elastic and inertial forces along the Y and Z-midline of the channel. Ultimately, simulation results are compared and matched with experimental fluorescent streak images of the focusing of particles under the same parametric conditions. We reported that shear-gradient (FSG), N2-induced secondary flow transversal drag (FSF), and elastic (FEL) lift are the main forces responsible for the focusing of particles in the elasto-inertial regime. 

Inertial migration of spherical particles has been investigated extensively using experiments, theory, and computational modeling. Yet, a systematic investigation of the effect of particle shape on inertial migration is still lacking. Herein, we numerically mapped the migration dynamics of a prolate particle in a straight rectangular microchannel using smoothed particles hydrodynamics (SPH). For the first time, we identified a new logrolling behavior of a prolate ellipsoidal particle in the confined channel. Our findings are especially relevant to the applications where particle shape and alignment are used for sorting and analysis, such as shape-based enrichment of microalgae, bacteria, and chromosomes. 

Massive growth of the microfluidics field has triggered numerous advances in focusing, separating, ordering, concentrating, and mixing of microparticles. Microfluidic systems capable of performing these functions are rapidly finding applications in industrial, environmental, and biomedical fields. Passive and label-free methods are one of the major categories of such systems that have received enormous attention owing to device operational simplicity and low costs. With new platforms continuously being proposed, our aim here is to provide an updated overview of the state of the art for passive label-free microparticle separation, with emphasis on performance and operational conditions. In addition to the now common separation approaches using Newtonian flows, such as deterministic lateral displacement, pinched flow fractionation, cross-flow filtration, hydrodynamic filtration, and inertial microfluidics, we also discuss separation approaches using non-Newtonian, viscoelastic flow. We then highlight the newly emerging approach based on shear-induced diffusion, which enables direct processing of complex samples such as untreated whole blood. Finally, we hope that an improved understanding of label-free passive sorting approaches can lead to sophisticated and useful platforms toward automation in industrial, environmental, and biomedical fields.