3.6.3. Particle sorting
Particle sorting is an essential procedure for biological analysis and
treatment (Gómez-Pastora, Karampelas, Bringas, Furlani, & Ortiz, 2017),
diagnostic (D. Kim, Luo, Arriaga, & Ros, 2018), and targeted drug
development (Antfolk, Kim, Koizumi, Fujii, & Laurell, 2017). Although
the ICEK flow demonstrated its high capability for particle/cell
manipulation, there are a few researches with the focus on particle/cell
sorting. Zhang and Li (F. Zhang & Li, 2014) used a numerical model to
simulate ICEO MVs around a pair of metal plates located on opposite
sides of the microchannel walls and evaluated their ability to sort
particles based on the applied electric field, polarizability and size
of the particles. A similar model was developed to assess sorting of
Janus particles (F. Zhang & Li, 2015), where the model tuned dominant
determinants of the particle’s path through the microchannels (relative
polarizability ratio and the size of Janus particles) to sort them by
steering their streamline path to the desired branch outlets under DC
electric field (F. Zhang & Li, 2015). There are still limited numbers
of studies on ICEK particle/cell manipulation, especially for particle
trapping and sorting. Further experimental works and characterizations
are needed to demonstrate the inexpensive, easy fabrication, and
high-performance ICEK particle/cell manipulation.