Deterministic lateral displacement for particle separation: a review

McGrath, J., Jimenez, M. and Bridle, H. (2014) Deterministic lateral displacement for particle separation: a review. Lab on a Chip, 14(21), pp. 4139-4158. (doi: 10.1039/C4LC00939H)

Abstract

Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD), a hydrodynamic, microfluidic technology, was first reported by Huang et al. in 2004 to separate particles on the basis of size in continuous flow with a resolution of down to 10 nm. For 10 years, DLD has been extensively studied, employed and modified by researchers in terms of theory, design, microfabrication and application to develop newer, faster and more efficient tools for separation of millimetre, micrometre and even sub-micrometre sized particles. To extend the range of potential applications, the specific arrangement of geometric features in DLD has also been adapted and/or coupled with external forces (e.g. acoustic, electric, gravitational) to separate particles on the basis of other properties than size such as the shape, deformability and dielectric properties of particles. Furthermore, investigations into DLD performance where inertial and non-Newtonian effects are present have been conducted. However, the evolvement and application of DLD has not yet been reviewed. In this paper, we collate many interesting publications to provide a comprehensive review of the development and diversity of this technology but also provide scope for future direction and detail the fundamentals for those wishing to design such devices for the first time.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: HB would like to acknowledge The Royal Academy of Engineering/EPSRC for her research fellowship. JM would like to acknowledge the Science and Technology Facilities Council for provision of PhD funding. Both HB and MJ would like to acknowledge EU funding for the project “AQUAVALENS: protecting the health of Europeans by improving methods for the detection of pathogens in drinking water and water used in food preparation”.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Jimenez, Dr Melanie
• Authors: McGrath, J., Jimenez, M., and Bridle, H.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Biomedical Engineering
• Journal Name: Lab on a Chip
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• ISSN: 1473-0197
• ISSN (Online): 1473-0189
• Published Online: 04 September 2014
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry
• First Published: First published in Lab on a Chip 14(21):4139-4158
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a creative commons license