Shape-based particle sorting - A new paradigm in microfluidics

Abstract

Conventional fractionation techniques fail to fully benefit from the variety in morphology and shape that is found among biological particles. Although light scattering in conventional FACS gives some information on the size and morphology of a particle, it is generally not capable of giving a definite number on specified dimensions of a small object. We demonstrate an approach where we select which dimension of a particular object is used to determine its trajectory through an obstacle course and thereby sort not merely with respect to hydrodynamic radius but rather with respect to e.g. thickness, length or width