Biomechanical analysis of RBC separation in a microchannel with an external force

Cell manipulation and separation play a pivotal role in the diagnosis and treatment of different types of cancer. Separation can occur on a micro and/or macro scale. The size of the red blood cells (RBCs) has a major role in anisocytosis disease, and any change in the size of the RBCs can impair their primary function, which is transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide. This study aims to simulate the mechanism of RBCs separation by application of external dielectrophoretic forces, and to gain a better understanding of separation data before any attempt to manufacture separation devices. Here, the simulation for the separation of three kinds of biological particles and the determination of a range of sizes for separation purposes has been investigated. The results show that the dielectrophoretic force is sensitive to particle size, and this force increases with the elevation of the particle size, causing the particles to be separated. Moreover, a size range was obtained for an effective separation. The findings may be used to improve the separation process in biomedical applications.