(403f) Advancement in the Modeling of Insulator Based Dielectrophoresis

Microfluidics is a new field that has gained a lot of interest in the past decade because of the potential for bioanalytical and biomedical applications. Electro-osmotic and Dielectrophoretic forces can be selectively applied to bioparticles and cells to separate or concentrate in a microfluidic device. These forces can be well manipulated in insulator-based dielectrophoretic (iDEP) devices using direct and alternating current sources with the advantage of having little or no contact of the cell or particles with the electrodes. Modeling is an essential tool to understand and tailor the dielectrophoresis systems for specific applications. The present project discusses the advancement of modeling in iDEP devices. These devices have been successfully used for the enrichment of many types of bioparticles, by trapping particles inside microchannels with arrays of insulating structures. The effect of trapped particles and their properties on the electric field distribution is studied with the aid of modeling. Factors like particle concentration and size distribution on the particle trapping is also analyzed. The study also addresses how 3D models and simulations can offer a better understanding of the volume of the particles and the trapping region and help with design improvisations.