A computational model for complete separation of circulating tumor cells inside grooved microchannel under the effect of dielectrophoretic forces

Understanding the separation of particles inside a microchannel offers greater insights into several crucial issues, such as the separation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for early cancer detection and the separation of red blood cells (RBCs) and white blood cells (WBCs) from blood samples. Various microfluidic devices have been developed to successfully separate cancer cells from blood samples under the effect of various forces. These forces include hydrodynamic forces, electric forces, magnetic forces, and acoustic forces. However, complete separation efficiency has not yet been achieved with these devices. Thus, attempts were made to conduct a simulation study to completely separate CTCs from RBCs, WBCs, and platelets in a grooved microchannel. Particle tracing in a laminar flow module was employed to model the flow of WBCs, RBCs, platelets, and CTCs in a Newtonian medium. A separation efficiency of 100% for CTCs was achieved under the effect of dielectrophoretic forces inside the grooved channel. Studies were also conducted to discern that separation efficiency significantly reduces in the non-grooved channel. In addition, a maximum transmissivity of 98% was also reported for CTCs. It was reported that separation efficiency is maximum with eight flat-shaped electrodes in a grooved microchannel operating under a voltage range of 6–7 V. The simulation results will be extended to fabricate a grooved microchannel that can completely separate CTCs from blood samples. Furthermore, the study also revealed the significance of dielectrophoretic forces in separating particles of different sizes.