Numerical simulation for the design of a cell separation micro fluidic device using standing surface acoustic wave (SSAW)

Abstract

A surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based particle separation microfluidic device enables fast and continuous separation. A pair of interdigital transducers (IDTs) and a micro channel, which is placed between and parallel to the IDTs, are constructed on a piezoelectric substrate. Standing SAW (SSAW) is formed in the channel by applying high frequency voltage to the IDTs. The cells subjected to the SSAW field are driven by the acoustic radiation force. In this study, the computational model of SSAW-based cell separation device was constructed and the flow field was calculated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The motion of the cells in the channel was calculated considering acoustic radiation force, viscous force and pressure gradient force. The cell separation efficiency was assessed by considering the statistical dispersion of red and white blood cell volume and the injection position. The guideline to improve cell separation efficiency of the device was obtained.