Simple microfluidic continuous concentration of microparticles with different dielectric constants using dielectrophoretic force in a V-shaped electrode array

We show here that the viscous drag and dielectrophoretic force generated in a V-shaped ladder electrode array in a microfluidic channel cause both attracted and repelled microparticles to move to the electrodes at the centre of the channel. Both Bacillus spores and 1-μm polystyrene spheres in a flow concentrated at the edges of V-shaped electrodes to which a 20 V_pp 1 MHz AC voltage was applied. The results indicated the advantages of this simple setup for concentrating microparticles regardless of their dielectric constants, which is essential for highly precise cell separation and analysis.