A Minireview on Inertial Microfluidics Fundamentals: Inertial Particle Focusing and Secondary Flow

• Published in: Biochip journal Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 53 - 63
• Main Author: Chung, Aram J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul The Korean Society for Applied Biological Chemistry 01.03.2019; Springer Nature B.V; 한국바이오칩학회
• Subjects: Approximation; Asymmetry; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biotechnology; Chemistry; Flow velocity; Fluid flow; Fluid inertia; Fluid mechanics; Inertia; Microchannels; Microelectromechanical systems; Microfluidics; Nanotechnology; Navier-Stokes equations; Physics; Pinch effect; Review Article; Reynolds number; Secondary flow; 생물공학; Inertial microfluidic physics; Inertial microfluidics; Secondary flow; Inertial particle migration; Fluid inertia
• ISSN: 1976-0280; 2092-7843
• DOI: 10.1007/s13206-019-3110-1

In 1961, Segre and Silberberg first reported the tubular pinch effect and numerous theoretical studies were subsequently published to explain the inertial particle migration phenomenon. Presently, as fluid mechanics meets micro- and nanotechnology, theoretical studies on intrinsic particle migration and flow phenomena associated with inertia are being experimentally tested and validated. This collective study on the fluid-particle-structure phenomena in microchannels involving fluid inertia is called, “ inertial microfluidics ”. Beyond theoretical studies, now inertial microfluidics has been gaining much attention from various research fields ranging from biomedicine to industry. Despite the positive contributions, there is still a lack of clear understanding of intrinsic inertial effects in microchannels. Therefore, this minireview introduces the mechanisms and underlying physics in inertial microfluidic systems with specific focuses on inertial particle migration and secondary flow, and outlines the opportunities provided by inertial microfluidics, along with an outlook on the field.