The Use of Rippled Pdms within Microfluidic Channels as a Means of Particle Separation

Sheets of Poly (Di-Methyl-Siloxane) or PDMS are stretched and exposed to Ultraviolet/Ozone (UVO) radiation and then released. The strain and radiation causes the PDMS to ripple upon contraction. These rippled PDMS sheets can be attached as the bottom wall to microfluidic channels, and used as particle separators. If the ripples are angled toward one wall of the channel, the particles that sediment down during the laminar flow through the channel will sediment into the ripples and travel in the direction of the ripples instead of the direction of the fluid flow. Particles that are smaller in size and more dense will separate from larger/less dense particles.