Mixed motion in deterministic ratchets due to anisotropic permeability

Abstract

Nowadays microfluidic devices are becoming popular for cell/DNA sorting and fractionation. One class of these devices, namely deterministic ratchets, seems most promising for continuous fractionation applications of suspensions (Kulrattanarak et al., 2008 [1]). Next to the two main types of particle behavior, zigzag and displacement motion as noted by the inventors (Huang et al., 2004 [2]) and (Inglis et al., 2006 [3]), we have shown recently the existence of a intermediate particle behavior, which we named 'mixed motion'. In this paper we formulate the hypothesis that the occurrence of mixed motion is correlated with anisotropy in the permeability of the obstacle array. This hypothesis we base on the comparison of experimental observations of mixed motion and the flow lane distribution as obtained from 2-D flow simulations.