Session: 06-05-01: Biomedical Devices

Paper Number: 109340

109340 - A Travelling Wave Ferro-Microfluidic Device Platform for Potential Cell Separation and Sorting 

The timely detection and diagnosis of diseases and accurate monitoring of specific genetic conditions require rapid and accurate separation, sorting, and direction of target cell types toward a sensor device surface.  In that regard, cellular manipulation, separation, and sorting are progressively finding application potential within various bioassay applications such as medical disease diagnosis, pathogen detection, and medical testing. Using functionalized magnetic beads to separate target molecules and cells can overcome these challenges using magnetic fields instead of electric fields.  The downside of this technique is the lengthy incubation times and wash cycles and the difficulty of removing the label post priori.  The deterministic hydrodynamics approach, can achieve high resolution separation without the use of any electromagnetic fields.  However, high throughput with this device requires high-resolution lithography on a large area, keeping the cost per device high. To address performance limitations, our group aims to design and develop a microfluidic platform based on ferrohydrodynamic for the manipulation and separation of cells and microorganisms within dynamic ferrofluids under an applied transient field.  This technique involves a water-based ferrofluid as a uniform magnetic environment that surrounds the cells within a microfluidic channel.  Cells and other nonmagnetic particles within the ferrofluid act as “magnetic voids”, in a manner comparable to electronic holes in a semiconductor. 

Thias paper presents the design and development of a simple traveling wave ferro-microfluidic device and system rig purposed for manipulation and separation of cells in biocompatible water-based ferrofluids.  This paper details in full: (1) the development of a computational model for a theoretical proof of concept method for predicting the force and torque on non-magnetic microparticles for particle separation, (2) a newly developed method for tailoring cobalt ferrite microparticles, (3) the development of a ferro-microfluidic device for potentially separating cells and magnetic microparticles, (4) the development of a water-based ferrofluid with magnetic and non-magnetic microparticles and (5) the design and development of a system rig for producing the electric field within the ferro-microfluidic channel device for magnetizing and manipulating microparticles in the ferrofluid for static and dynamic flow.  The theoretical and experimental results reported in this work demonstrate a proof of concept for high performance manipulation and separation of non-magnetic and magnetic microparticles in a simple ferro-microfluidic device with near 98% microparticle purity and 100% separation efficiency.  The approach reported in this paper for separating magnetic and non-magnetic particles has the advantage that particle manipulation does not rely on labeling or surface modification, significantly reducing operation time and cost compared over conventional approaches. 

Presenting Author: Rodward Hewlin University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Rodward Hewlin, Jr is a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State
University. He earned his bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctoral degrees in the discipline of
Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering during his doctoral
studies. He is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) at the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC-C), a research associate for the Center for
Biomedical Engineering and Science (CBES), and an affiliate faculty member (graduate advisor)
in the department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science. During his tenure at
UNC-C, he has developed a research program that focuses on topics related to computational and
experimental fluid dynamics specifically in the areas of medical drug delivery and implant
design, fluid flow instrumentation design and development, ferrofluids and magnetics,
microfluidics for cell separation and sorting applications, and renewable energy topics. His
research has been funded by state funding institutions such as the North Carolina Department of
Transportation (NCDOT), North Carolina Renewable and Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP),
North Carolina Space Grant (NCSG) through NASA, and he was awarded a federal National
Science Foundation (NSF) Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) award.
Dr. Hewlin has taught fluid mechanics, CAD modelling and simulation, junior design practicum,
and special topics courses in the undergraduate program in addition to computational fluid
dynamics for energy applications and energy generation and conversion courses in the Applied
Energy and Electromechanical Engineering graduate program at UNC-C. He was the first to
teach and develop course content for the CFD graduate course in the Applied Energy and
Electromechanical Engineering graduate program. Prior to becoming a faculty member at UNC
Charlotte, Dr. Hewlin served as the Department Chair of the Engineering, Physics and
Astronomy department at Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC). During his tenure at
GTCC, Dr. Hewlin developed curriculum for the North Carolina Community College
Engineering Transfer Program offered at GTCC as well at the North Carolina A&T State
University and GTCC Engineering Transfer Program (developed by an articulation agreement).
He also proposed an engineering transfer programming course for the engineering transfer
program which was voted on and accepted by the community college system. Dr. Hewlin was
also the Secretary for the North Carolina Engineering Pathways Program. Dr. Hewlin is also an
active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and the
Electrostatics Society of America.

Authors:

Rodward Hewlin University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Maegan Edwards University of North Carolina at Charlotte