Tunable cell separation using a thermo-responsive deterministic lateral displacement device

adjustments from 0.8 to 29.0 μm within a temperature range of 20-40 °C. Transient and steady-state simulations confirmed that the silicon substrate enhances thermal performance, ensuring rapid and uniform temperature regulation. Using blood samples containing human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7), we demonstrated three separation modes: (i) major separation at 25 °C, isolating MCF-7 cells (average size: 17.6 μm) with 100% purity; (ii) selective separation at 26 °C, targeting larger MCF-7 subpopulations (average size: 18.7 μm); (iii) minimal separation at 37 °C. All processes preserved cell viability. These findings highlight the potential of our thermo-responsive DLD platform for precise, temperature-controlled cell selection, offering broad applications in biomedical research and diagnostics.