What does this research mean for the field?

A geometry-tuned serpentine inertial microfluidic device with a 105 μm depth and 72° terminal outlet branch achieves up to 97.5% label-free enrichment of circulating tumor cell-sized model cells from complex biological matrices. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.METHODOLOGICAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To develop and validate a geometry-tuned serpentine inertial microfluidic platform for label-free, outlet-specific separation of circulating tumor cell-sized cells from background hematologic populations.

September 8, 2026Micro and Nano EngineeringOpen Access

Geometry-tuned inertial microfluidics for label-free enrichment of CTC-sized cells in serpentine microchannels

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Authors

ÜAÜnal Akar RCRamazan Ceylan AAAyşegül Açıksarı

Discussion

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Overview

Experimental study reveals efficient label-free enrichment of circulating tumor cell models in serpentine microfluidic channels, highlighting geometry-tuned inertial focusing for liquid biopsies.

Key Points

To develop and validate a geometry-tuned serpentine inertial microfluidic platform for label-free, outlet-specific separation of circulating tumor cell-sized cells from background hematologic populations.
Fabricated and evaluated two candidate two-outlet serpentine microchannels (width 350 μm, inner radius 800 μm, curvature 280°): a 73 μm-depth channel with a 90° outlet branch and a 105 μm-depth channel with a 72° outlet branch.
Assessed cell sorting performance using HeLa cells (CTC models) and Jurkat/K562 cells (hematologic models), along with HeLa-spiked whole blood, via numerical simulations, hemocytometer counting, flow cytometry, and confocal imaging.
The 105 μm/72° configuration demonstrated the highest separation efficiency, yielding collection-outlet HeLa fractions of 92.0% and 97.5% at a flowrate of 1000 μL/min, closely matching the simulated prediction (~92%).
Increasing the flowrate to 2000 μL/min produced greater between-run variability, resulting in collection-outlet HeLa recovery fractions of 92.5% and 71.1%.
Spiked whole-blood trials validated preferential HeLa partitioning into the targeted collection outlet within a complex biological matrix due to combined Dean-inertial migration and outlet-stream alignment.

Cite This Study

Akar et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9fd76758e84d0ff5b46141 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mne.2026.100396

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September 8, 2026Micro and Nano EngineeringOpen Access

Geometry-tuned inertial microfluidics for label-free enrichment of CTC-sized cells in serpentine microchannels

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

ÜAÜnal Akar RCRamazan Ceylan AAAyşegül Açıksarı

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Experimental study reveals efficient label-free enrichment of circulating tumor cell models in serpentine microfluidic channels, highlighting geometry-tuned inertial focusing for liquid biopsies.

Key Points

To develop and validate a geometry-tuned serpentine inertial microfluidic platform for label-free, outlet-specific separation of circulating tumor cell-sized cells from background hematologic populations.
Fabricated and evaluated two candidate two-outlet serpentine microchannels (width 350 μm, inner radius 800 μm, curvature 280°): a 73 μm-depth channel with a 90° outlet branch and a 105 μm-depth channel with a 72° outlet branch.
Assessed cell sorting performance using HeLa cells (CTC models) and Jurkat/K562 cells (hematologic models), along with HeLa-spiked whole blood, via numerical simulations, hemocytometer counting, flow cytometry, and confocal imaging.
The 105 μm/72° configuration demonstrated the highest separation efficiency, yielding collection-outlet HeLa fractions of 92.0% and 97.5% at a flowrate of 1000 μL/min, closely matching the simulated prediction (~92%).
Increasing the flowrate to 2000 μL/min produced greater between-run variability, resulting in collection-outlet HeLa recovery fractions of 92.5% and 71.1%.
Spiked whole-blood trials validated preferential HeLa partitioning into the targeted collection outlet within a complex biological matrix due to combined Dean-inertial migration and outlet-stream alignment.

Cite This Study

Akar et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9fd76758e84d0ff5b46141 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mne.2026.100396

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