PARTICLE SEPARATIONS MODEL FOR LIQUID BIOPSY WITH INERTIAL MICROFLUIDICS METHOD ON A MODIFIED U-SHAPE CHANNEL CROSS-SECTION

• Main Author: Flaminggo, Natasha
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/41610
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Progress in cancer treatment can be made by understanding the characteristics of the cancer cell itself. Liquid biopsy is an alternative method to collect cancer cell without being invasive to the patient body. Tumor cell can be found in the blood sample of a cancer patient in the form of CTCs. However, the CTCs level in the human blood is very low, hence, the CTCs need to be enriched before they could be analyzed. Inertial microfluidics is one of the cells separating techniques which is suitable for CTCs enrichment. This technique works by focusing the cells to different equilibrium positions and discharges them through different channel outlets. Experiments using microchannel with a modified U-shape cross-section are performed by using sphericle particle model in order to separate CTCs from the blood efficiently. Coflow system is used to separate particles by using two liquid with different viscosities. First, the result between the particle separation with single-phase and coflow system was compared. Particle distribution simulation and frequency count analysis were done to find the particle positions within the channel near the inlet and outlet. Particles are focused closer to the wall for the coflow system than the single-phase system. Second, the flow rate of the system was varied to be 50, 100, and 150 ?L/min. The number of particles which could reach their equilibrium positions is higher for the lower flow rate. The focusing efficiency for the 50, 100, and 150 ?L/min flow rate are 74.1%, 70.7%, and 62.9% respectively. Third, the experiment was done for different particle size, i.e. 7, 10, 15, and 20 ?m. The inertial lift force is shown to be increased as the particle size increase. The focusing efficiency for the 7, 10, 15, and 20 ?m particles are 38.9%, 73.8%, 99.4%, and 99.1% respectively. Lastly, the distribution of particles at different length of the channel was investigated for 7, 10, and 15 ?m particle. Most of the 15 ???????? particles could reach the side channel at the length of 2 cm, while the smaller particles are still flowing through the center channel. Therefore, efficient particle separation model for liquid biopsy on a modified U-shape channel can be achieved by using the coflow system, with 50 ????????/???????????? center flow rate, and shortening the channel length to 2 cm.