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Experimental and Numerical Study of the Effect of the Channel Curvature

Angle on Inertial Focusing in Curvilinear Microchannels

Article  in  Journal of Applied Physics · December 2022

DOI: 10.1063/5.0117224

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Experimental and numerical study of the
effect of the channel curvature angle on
inertial focusing in curvilinear microchannels
Cite as: J. Appl. Phys. 132, 224703 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0117224
Submitted: 31 July 2022 • Accepted: 17 November 2022 • Published Online: 12 December 2022

D. Ince, H. Turhan, S. Cadirci, et al.

J. Appl. Phys. 132, 224703 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0117224 132, 224703

© 2022 Author(s).
 Journal of ARTICLE scitation.org/journal/jap
Applied Physics

Experimental and numerical study of the effect

of the channel curvature angle on inertial focusing
in curvilinear microchannels
Cite as: J. Appl. Phys. 132, 224703 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0117224
Submitted: 31 July 2022 · Accepted: 17 November 2022 · View Online Export Citation CrossMark
Published Online: 12 December 2022

D. Ince,1,2 H. Turhan,1 S. Cadirci,1 and L. Trabzon1,2,3,a)

AFFILIATIONS
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34437, Turkey
2
MEMS Research Center, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34469, Turkey
3
Nanotechnology Research and Application Center—ITUnano, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34469, Turkey

Note: This paper is part of the Special Topic on Multiphysics of Microfluidics and Nanofluidics.
a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: levent.trabzon@itu.edu.tr. Tel.: +90 212 293 13 00.

ABSTRACT
Passive cell separation methods have attracted great attention due to their superiority over the other methods stemming from their easy
fabrication, precise manipulation, cost-effectiveness, sensitivity, and simplicity. The fluid inertia in these methods is the main factor that is
affected by the channel design; thus, the channel design parameters should be chosen accordingly. Even though all channel design parame-
ters are well addressed in inertial microfluidics, the curvature angle of the channel has not yet been extensively studied. In this study, three
different curvilinear microchannels with curvature angles of 180°, 210°, and 270° were designed, keeping all other remaining parameters the
same. The focusing ability of the fluorescent polystyrene microparticles with diameters of 1.1, 3.3, and 9.9 μm was investigated both experi-
mentally and numerically to understand focusing efficiency affected by the curvature angle of the microchannel. The first set of experiments
was to determine the effect of the channel curvature and indicated the favorable design as channel C, which showed focusing qualities of
0.85 and 0.92 for 9.9 μm particles at volumetric concentrations of 2% and 5%, respectively. The remaining set of experiments and CFD sim-
ulations were conducted to observe the interaction of 3.3 and 9.9 μm particles and reveal the distortion of the focusing line and particulate
phase contours for 9.9 μm particles at the flow rates between 0.3 and 0.7 ml/min, which was further confirmed by enriched mixtures con-
taining 1.1, 3.3, and 9.9 μm particles. The study showed that mixtures comprising low diameter particles could not satisfy the focusing crite-
ria, which emphasized the importance of an appropriate particle size and concentration for a single focus line. On the other hand, it was
shown that geometric features of the microchannel such as the hydraulic diameter and the curvature angle together with the particle size
determine the focusing quality both experimentally and numerically. To sum up, the increment of the channel curvature angle is a deter-
mining factor for particle focusing, and a single focusing line was observed on the particles maintaining the focusing criteria even in many
particle conditions. While the focusing quality of the particles was reduced by multi-particle interactions, they were proven to be separable
achieving the appropriate concentration ratio.

Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0117224

I. INTRODUCTION systems is to create a microstructure that can control the overflow

Microfluidics’ easy fabrication, precise manipulation, cost-
effectivity, sensitivity, and simplicity make them superior to conven-
tional technologies.1–7 Among LOC (Lab on Chip) and μTAS
(micro-total-analysis-system) applications, in addition to the subjects
of chemical science, engineering disciplines, and clinics, these
systems have become more significant.8–11 The purpose of these
field, thus separating and sorting cells at high rates.3,12–14 By doing
so, microfluidics manifests its achievement, regarding fractionation
and enrichment of particles from a heterogeneous mixture, in the
scope of cancer diagnosis, water purification, and sedimentation.15–20
One of the foremost fields of microfluidics is particle–particle
separation and focusing that can be achieved by using active and
passive methods. These methods are classified according to the

J. Appl. Phys. 132, 224703 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0117224 132, 224703-1

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 Journal of
Applied Physics
requirement of an external force.1,3,10,21 In general, active methods
require external forces such as magnetic,22–28 dielectric,29–38
acoustic,39–43 optical,44–46 Marangoni flow,47–49 and hydrophore-
sis.50,51 Moreover, the active particle separation method is known
to provide more accurate results; however, adapting them to a
device has certain complexities.52 In other words, the requirement
of expensive equipment and finding optimum parameters for the
separation phenomena restricts their ability for rapid separation.
On the other hand, passive particle separation methods utilize
hydrodynamic forces solely that make them more compatible with
medical and biological applications. Moreover, passive methods
ensure high flow rates as they operate in the continuous mode, and
the less equipment requirements make them more affordable for
the same purpose compared to the active particle separation
methods.3,53
The channel variations and designs are the most noteworthy
parameters in passive cell separation. The channel variations in
passive methods are strictly associated with hydrodynamic forces;
therefore, many researchers wend their way to the channel type
investigation for better understanding of the effects of channel vari-
ations on passive cell separation, thus inertial focusing.4,52,54–56
Microchannels used for passive cell separation can be basically clas-
sified into four configurations: straight,57,58 curved,59–63
spiral,55,64–67 and serpentine.68–72 In straight channels, the equilib-
rium positions of the particles are slightly interlinked with hydro-
dynamic forces and the hydraulic diameter of the channel.52 Pure
equilibrium position in straight channels is limited compared to
curved channels, but some researchers proved that well-designed
principles lead to more effective designs, in which full separation
can be observed.73 In contrast, curved channels enhance their effi-
ciency by the presence of an additional force called the Dean
force.64,74 This force, induced by two counter flow rotations, i.e.,
Dean vortices—occurring at the cross-sectional area of the channel,
is responsible for the particles’ migration in the transverse direction
and creates an equilibrium position in the channel cross section.
The channel design in passive cell separation is another significant
parameter. Since the hydrodynamic forces are restricted by channel
design parameters such as the channel length, width, height, radius
of curvature, and curvature angle, a better interpretation of the
sample acquisitions is required in order to design appropriate chan-
nels and to correlate flow parameters with the microfluidic systems
correctly. Although these channel parameters are embedded into
the hydrodynamic forces, the effect of the channel curvature angle
has not yet been addressed in the literature.
In this study, three different channel geometries, literally
named symmetric curvilinear channel geometries, which can
supply high flow rates, were designed. These channels possessed
curvature angles of 180°, 210°, and 270°, where all other geometri-
cal parameters such as the height, width, length of the channel, and
the number of loops remained the same. A CFD model was created
and applied to the cases investigated also experimentally. The simu-
lation results were compared to benchmark studies in the literature,
and the CFD model was proven as a robust model capable of
solving inertial microfluidics59,75 and found to be appropriate for
particle–particle separation and focusing.76 After the channels were
directed to standard manufacturing processes and produced, four
experimental sets were carried out. In the first set, the focusing
J. Appl. Phys. 132, 224703 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0117224
Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing
ARTICLE scitation.org/journal/jap
behavior of 9.9 μm fluorescent polystyrene microparticles was
examined solely. The purpose of the first set was to estimate the
most favorable channel design in terms of focusing quality. In the
second set, mixtures of 9.9 and 3.3 μm particles were injected with
an increment in the particle volumetric concentration to determine
the favorable constant concentration value of 9.9 μm particles for
better focusing quality. In the third set, the effect of volumetric
concentrations of 3.3 μm particles on the constant volumetric con-
centration of 9.9 μm particles’ focusing ability was investigated to
determine the favorable concentration for 3.3 μm particles for
better focusing. In the last set, the particle–particle interaction was
tested by using three particles, i.e., particles with diameters of 9.9,
3.3, and 1.1 μm. All the experiments were conducted at different
flow rates to observe the effect of different Reynolds and Dean
numbers. In summary, a single focusing line was provided by the
particles, which met the focusing criteria. A more efficient decom-
position was achieved by increasing the degree of the curvature.
The particles, under the focusing criteria, jeopardized the focusing
quality of the particles that met the focusing criteria. More impor-
tantly, it was revealed that as long as a sufficient particle composi-
tion was retained, particle separation could be achieved at high
rates.
II. THEORY
Hydrodynamic forces play a significant role for particle migra-
tion in inertial microfluidics. Particle migration can be controlled
by two dominant forces, which are literally known as inertial lift
and Dean drag forces. Their magnitudes are not only affected by
the flow rate, viscosity, and particle dimension but also by the
shape, size, curvature angle, and radius of the microchannel. Many
researchers, thus, concentrated on the underlying physics of the
lateral migration for better understanding of these factors.
The lateral migration of the particles was first mentioned by
Segre and Silberberg and labeled the tubular pinch effect.77 They
found that the particles in the laminar flow are prone to become
stable in an equilibrium position. The foundation of the lateral
migration made a breakthrough in the understanding of inertial
focusing.52 Saffman came up with a hypothesis, in which he men-
tioned the variance of the velocity profile surrounding particles,
which was responsible for particles’ movement due to the slipping
velocity.78 However, the importance of the particle rotations in the
focusing phenomena was not noted. Lately, plenty of experiments
showed that this mismatched with the theory of particle migration.
On the other hand, Saffman’s theory triggered some analytical
research studies related to inertial focusing. The huge contribution
to inertial focusing theory was done by leading researchers.52,56,79
They used analytical approaches to observe the effects of the
Poiseuille flow on a solid particle and put forth the shear gradient
force. The shear gradient force was assumed as one of the three
fundamental forces for inertial microfluidics; however, it was noted
as the most effective one.52
Even though working principles of the forces slightly differ
from one another, the wall interaction force and the shear gradient
lift force are together known as the inertial lift force, which is a
combined force maintaining the lateral movement. Due to the par-
abolic velocity profile of the flow in the channel, fluid velocity
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Applied Physics

surrounding the particles relatively varies relative to the wall. resulting in an increased force at the center by which fluid travels
Differences in the velocity result in a compensation movement that along the inner wall to the outer wall of the microchannel and
makes particles migrate from the center of the channel toward the causes two symmetrical vortices in the top and bottom halves of
walls. The shear gradient lift force is given in the following equa- the channel, which are perpendicular to the flow direction.64,83,84
tion: The definition of the non-dimensional number related to Dean
flow is given in the following equation:
(CSG ρUmax
2
a3p )
FSG ¼ , (1) rffiffiffiffiffiffi
Dh Dh
De ¼ Re , (6)
2R
where CSG is the shear gradient lift force coefficient, ρ and μ are the
fluid density and viscosity, respectively, Umax is the maximum
where Re is the channel Reynolds number and R is the channel
velocity, and Dh is the hydraulic diameter of the channel. The
curvature radius. The channel Reynolds number is calculated
diameter of the particles is denoted by ap. For a channel with a
based on the maximum velocity and the hydraulic diameter of
rectangular cross section, the hydraulic diameter is defined in the
the microchannel as shown in Eq. (7a). In a similar fashion, the
following equation:
particle Reynolds number can be defined based on the particle
diameter and the λ ¼ ap /Dh ratio as given in the following equa-
2HW
Dh ¼ , (2) tion:
HþW

where H is the channel height and W is the channel width. Since ρUmax Dh
Re ¼ , (7a)
particles drift along with the flow, they undergo dissimilar effects μ
of the flow on either side, where the fluid velocity is relatively
higher than the particle velocity. When the particles approach the
wall of the channel, wall interaction forces push them from ρUmax a2p
Rep ¼ λ2 Re ¼ : (7b)
the channel walls toward to the center, which is associated with μDh
the distance between the wall and the particle. In other words, the
distance between the particle and the wall of the channel creates Equation (6) shows that the Dean number (De) is associated
wall interaction force,80–82 which is given in the following equa- with the Reynolds number in Eq. (7) and the curvature radius of
tion: the channel. Thus, the Dean number is affected by the flow veloc-
ity and geometric features of the flow domain such as the hydrau-
CWI ρUmax
2
a6p lic diameter and the curvature radius of the channel. When the
FWI ¼ , (3) curvature radius increases, the channel can be assumed to be
D4h
plain, where the Dean number is approaching zero confirming
where CWI is the wall-induced force coefficient. that the Dean flow cannot be observed in the plain microchan-
During the lateral migration, in some way, the two intrinsic nels. A correlation for the average and maximum secondary flow
forces working in the opposite directions occupy an equilibrium velocities with respect to the changing Dean number was pro-
position in the channel cross section.52,60 Therefore, the inertial posed in Refs. 59 and 85.
force formulas are further reduced to formulas that depend on par- U
Dean is the average Dean flow velocity, which is expressed in
ticles’ lateral migration. When the shear gradient force is dominant the following equation:
in the channel centerline, the net lift force is expressed by the fol-
m
lowing equation:
Dean ¼ 1:8  104 De1:63
U : (8)
s
ρUmax
2
a3p
FL ¼ : (4) The following equation shows the drag force exerted on a par-
Dh
ticle due to Dean flows that can be obtained by assuming the
In addition, it changes by the increase in the wall interaction Stokes drag:
force near to the channel wall, thus becoming the following equa-
tion:
Dean ap :
FD ¼ 3πμU (9)

ρUmax
2
a6p The Dean flow leads to the Dean drag force (FD), which is sig-
FL ¼ : (5)
D4h nificant for obtaining equilibrium positions of the particles. Based
on this force, particles move along the Dean vortices regardless of
The number of focusing positions is interdependent with the their size. Considering the Stokes drag force, the Stokes flow can be
channel geometry. Introducing a curvature to the straight channels modified for the corresponding flow, which implies that the drag
initiates the secondary flow. The secondary flow, first observed by force is directly proportional to the particle diameter and μ, the
Dean, originates from the dominant lift force at the channel center, dynamic viscosity of the fluid. The Dean drag force can be

J. Appl. Phys. 132, 224703 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0117224 132, 224703-3

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 Journal of
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expressed in the following equation:
FD ¼ (5:4  104 ) πμDe1:63 ap (N):
Particles were found to be stable in four equilibrium positions
in the channel cross section.62 The shear gradient and the wall
interaction lift are the main driving forces in such channels, and
these forces push the particles in the opposite directions. Thus, par-
ticles become stable by the aid of these forces. Moreover, it is worth
to mention that particles, without effective driving forces, cannot
be stabilized in the channel cross section. In curved channels, on
the other hand, the Dean drag force restricts these four equilibrium
positions to a single position. In these channels, the net lift force
and the Dean drag force work in the opposite directions to limit
particles’ focusing positions.56,79,81,84,86,87
A. Channel design
The channel geometries with three different curvature angles
were designed, and the other geometrical parameters including the
channel height, width, and length were kept the same. The channel
FIG. 1. Microchannels used in the study: (a) channel A, (b) channel B, and (c) channel C.
J. Appl. Phys. 132, 224703 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0117224
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ARTICLE scitation.org/journal/jap
models used in the study and their dimensions are given in
Figs. 1(a)–1(c) and in Table I, respectively.
(10) The geometric design parameters of the microchannels were
selected in a way to meet the inertial focusing criteria,
λ ¼ ap /Dh . 0:07 and Rep ¼ λ2 Re . 1, as well as the required
channel length. Based on the inertial microfluidic studies, the
required channel length for the channel aspect ratio varying
between 0.5 and 2 should be provided, where CL is the lift coeffi-
cient ranging from 0.02 to 0.05.54,56,88 For each operating condition
and particle diameter, the required channel length, Lf, can be calcu-
lated using the following equation, where the total length of the
channel is 7.54 mm:
πμD2h
Lf ¼ : (11)
CSG ρUmax a2p
Important parameters for inertial focusing including channel Re
and particle Re based on the particle diameter and thresholds for
high quality focusing are tabulated in Table II, where some of
the conditions do not satisfy the optimum inertial focusing
criteria.
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TABLE I. The dimensions and features of the microchannels.

Name of the channels A B C

Curvature of the channels, R (μm) 900 900 900
Length between two loops, L (μm) 900 1280 1650
Channel width, W (μm) 50 50 50
Channel height, H (μm) 50 50 50
The number of the loops 48 48 48
The curvature angle of each loop 180 [360–(θ = 180)] 210 [360–(θ = 150)] 270 [360–(θ = 90)]

III. FABRICATION AND METHODS (Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH, Thüringen, Germany), and then, the
A. Fabrication features were measured to assess the accuracy of the pattern.

The fabrication process of the microfluidic chip is explained
in this section.
1. Pattern mask lithography
The channel pattern masks were developed based on the CFD
analysis. The channel design was prepared using PCB design soft-
ware Klayout v0.23.10 (Matthias Köfferlein) and Ledit v13 (Tanner
EDA, California, USA). The designs saved first as a GDSII format
were then converted to JOB files using proprietary conversion soft-
ware provided by Heidelberg Instruments Mikrotechnik GmbH.
The pattern masks were written on a 120 × 120 × 8 mm3 chromium
plate that fused quartz substrates with a 540 nm thick AZ1500
series positive photoresist coating (CS Hardmask Blanks, Clean
Surface Technology Co., Kanagawa, Japan) using a 4 mm write
head on a DWL 66FS series High Resolution Pattern Generator
(Heidelberg Instruments Mikrotechnik GmbH., Heidelberg,
Germany).
2. Mask development and etching
After exposure to the AZ1500 series, the photoresist was
developed in an AZ 351B solution (Microchemicals GmbH, Ulm,
Germany), which was diluted with de-ionized (DI) water to 20%
solvent for 40 s and rinsed with DI water. The development of the
photoresist was first assessed qualitatively for color changes indicat-
ing underdevelopment under an Axio Imager Upright Microscope
3. Negative photoresist coating
Separately, a 100 mm silicon wafer was cleaned first with
acetone, then with isopropyl alcohol, and finally with DI water.
The wafer was then blow-dried using nitrogen gas and left on a
hotplate set to 115 °C for 15 min. The silicon wafer was placed in a
WS-400-6NPPB single substrate spin processor (Laurell
Technologies Corporation, North Wales, USA) and spin coated
with a SU-8 3050 negative photoresist (Microchemicals GmbH,
Ulm, Germany) using a program set to spin at 3000 rpm for 30 s to
obtain 50 μm channel thickness and 1000 rpm for 30 s to obtain
100 μm channel thickness. After the first layer of spin coating, the
photoresist was soft baked at 95 °C for 10 min.
4. Photolithography and development
The photoresist coated wafer and the pattern mask were
placed in a Suss MA6 Mask Aligner (SUSS MicroTec, Garching,
Germany) and exposed to an 850 W 365 nm UV light source in
soft contact configuration. Immediately after exposure to UV light,
the wafer was placed on a hotplate set to 95 °C for 5 min for a post
exposure bake. Once the post exposure bake was completed, the
wafer was submerged in a puddle of SU-8 developer solution
(Microchemicals GmbH, Ulm, Germany) in a Petri dish gently
shaken for 5 min to allow the photoresist to develop. The wafer was
then removed from the puddle, rinsed first with a fresh developer
solution for 10 s and then with isopropyl alcohol, and blow-dried

TABLE II. Inertial focusing criteria calculations.

Flow rate (ml/min) Dh (μm) Umax (m/s) Re Rep1 Rep2 Rep3 λ1 λ2 λ3 ap1 (μm) ap2 (μm) ap3 (μm)
0.1 50 0.667 33.3 1.307 0.145 0.016 0.198 0.066 0.022 9.9 3.3 1.1
0.2 50 1.333 66.7 2.614 0.290 0.032 0.198 0.066 0.022 9.9 3.3 1.1
0.3 50 2.000 100.0 3.920 0.436 0.048 0.198 0.066 0.022 9.9 3.3 1.1
0.4 50 2.667 133.3 5.227 0.581 0.065 0.198 0.066 0.022 9.9 3.3 1.1
0.5 50 3.333 166.7 6.534 0.726 0.081 0.198 0.066 0.022 9.9 3.3 1.1
0.6 50 4.000 200.0 7.841 0.871 0.097 0.198 0.066 0.022 9.9 3.3 1.1
0.7 50 4.667 233.3 9.148 1.016 0.113 0.198 0.066 0.022 9.9 3.3 1.1
0.8 50 5.333 266.7 10.454 1.162 0.129 0.198 0.066 0.022 9.9 3.3 1.1
0.9 50 6.000 300.0 11.761 1.307 0.145 0.198 0.066 0.022 9.9 3.3 1.1
1.0 50 6.667 333.3 13.068 1.452 0.161 0.198 0.066 0.022 9.9 3.3 1.1

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 Journal of
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with nitrogen gas. After development, the accuracy of the features
was assessed under an Axio Imager Upright Microscope (Carl
Zeiss Jena GmbH, Thüringen, Germany). After the assessment of
the accuracy of the features was made in the 100 class laminar flow
clean room with safe lighting, the microchannel mold was then
taken out of the 100 class room into the 1000 class cleanroom with
fluorescent lights, where the Axio CSM 700 (Carl Zeiss Jena
GmbH, Thüringen, Germany) was located. To further assess the
accuracy and usability of the microchannel mold, its depth and
surface roughness were measured.
5. Silicone microchannel casting
A Sylgard® 184 polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) silicone elasto-
mer and a curing agent (Dow Corning, Minnesota, USA) were
thoroughly mixed for 2 min in 10:1—the elastomer-to-curing agent
ratio. The mixture was then placed inside a vacuum chamber at
50 mbar to avoid air bubbles caused by mixing. A 2 × 2 × 90 mm3
rubber ring was placed on top of the wafer mold, which was pre-
pared in the earlier step to prevent spills, and then, the silicone
mixture was poured on the wafer mold. The wafer was placed
inside a vacuum chamber with heating capability to remove any air
bubbles that got trapped inside the PDMS mixture while poring,
and the polymer was cured for 15 min at 50 mbar pressure and
115 °C temperature. After the curing process was completed by
poking the edge of the PDMS layer with the end of a pair of
forceps, the PDMS layer on top of the wafer was peeled off and the
excess PDMS around the microchannel was cut out with a scalpel
and 0.5 mm holes for attaching the syringes were punctured.
6. Glass substrate preparation
First, 70 × 25 × 3 mm3 microscope slides (Gold Seal Products,
Hungary) were cleaned in acetone for 10 min at 35 kHz using a
UW Qi-100 ultrasonic cleaner (Ultrawave Precision Ultrasonic
Cleaning Equipment, Cardiff, U.K.). The substrates were rinsed
first with isopropyl alcohol and then with water and blow-dried
with nitrogen gas and put on a hot plate at 115 °C for 10 min.
7. Assembly
The PDMS microchannel and the glass substrate were placed
inside a PDC-32G-2 plasma cleaner (Harrick Plasma, New York,
USA) with their surfaces facing up and exposed. The chamber was
vacuumed down to 200 mTorr pressure, and oxygen gas was
pumped into the chamber while it was still being vacuumed. The
oxygen gas inside the chamber, at 200 mTorr, was subjected to
18 W RF radiation to produce oxygen plasma. Once stable plasma
was produced, the parts inside the chamber were exposed to the
plasma for 50 s and then removed. Immediately after removal from
the chamber, the surface of the glass substrate and the microchan-
nel were placed on top of the affected surface.
B. Methods
1. Computational fluid dynamic analyses
Since the masks were designed as solid bodies with the
AutoCAD program, flow-domains were extracted to be compatible
J. Appl. Phys. 132, 224703 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0117224
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ARTICLE scitation.org/journal/jap
with flow solver software, ANSYS Fluent. Modifications of the
geometry were completed with the Siemens-Nx program, and the
geometries were transferred to ANSYS Fluent in a Parasolid format
where the geometry was specified as the control volume with
appropriate boundary conditions. The boundary conditions used in
the analyses were as follows: the uniform velocity inlet at the single
opening of the channel was defined and the pressure-outlet was
used at the exit or the triple opening of the channel. The entrance
length of the microchannel is sufficient to provide fully developed
flow condition in the flow visualization section. All the walls satis-
fied no-slip boundary conditions. In addition, based on the analy-
sis, volume fractions were defined for the secondary particulate
phases at the inlet of the channel.
As the mesh type, hexahedral elements were preferred since
the convergence and accuracy of the analyses were expected to be
better than those of tetrahedral elements. The following step was
mesh-independency tests since the reliability of the CFD analysis
strictly depends on the number of elements. Mesh-independency
analyses were performed for the single-phase flow at various
number of elements meeting the same convergence criteria, and
the analyses continued until the residuals were below 10−5. As
Fig. 2 shows, the velocity profiles in the streamwise direction in the
fully developed region of the channel indicated that a mesh consist-
ing of approximately 1.4 × 106 elements was found to be sufficient
for further particle–particle analyses.
The details of two-phase CFD analyses are tabulated in
Table III. The finite-volume-based flow solver was utilized, which
can predict the flow field through the microchannel with high
accuracy. Laminar, steady, incompressible Navier–Stokes equations
with a two-phase flow approach were solved at different flow rates,
and after post-processing the simulations, detailed flow patterns
including the velocity and Dean vortices at a certain cross section
of the microchannel were obtained. To simulate the particles that
drifted along with the flow, the Eulerian–Eulerian based VOF
(volume of fluid) multiphase approach was found to be the optimum
model that matched to the experimental results since this approach
predicts the interface shape between immiscible fluid phases. In this
approach, both the fluid and particles were treated as continuous
liquid phases. However, the granular form as a characteristic was uti-
lized for the secondary or particulate phase. The SIMPLE algorithm
is utilized together with the first-order upwind scheme for spatial
discretization. For the Eulerian multi-fluid VOF model, the implicit
formulation is used for the volume fraction parameter.
In the phase-interaction, the Saffman–Mei lift coefficient was
preferred in the VOF model. The reason for adding a lift coefficient
was to represent phase-interaction lift in the laminar flow, and
Saffman buoyancy is suitable for small particles at a submicron
scale. However, the Saffman–Mei model is not fully compatible
with the flow of interest, but the model was chosen since there was
no adequate alternative and it was proven itself by benchmarking
studies in the literature. The Wen–Yu drag coefficient was used in
the VOF model since it is applicable to dilute phase flows where
the total volume fraction of the secondary phase is significantly
lower than that of the primary phase, water.89 Since the particles’
density was close to water’s density, the interphase surface tension
was assumed to be zero. The primary phase had a density of
1000 kg/m3 and an absolute viscosity of 10−3 kg/ms. The secondary
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FIG. 2. Mesh-independency tests for channel A.

phase (polystyrene particles) had a density of 1050 kg/m3 and an taken the same as that of the experimental studies, which are
absolute viscosity of 10−3 kg/ms, and the diameters of the particles shown in Table IV. The flow solver included the effect of the parti-
were selected as 9.9, 3.3, and 1.1 μm. In the simulations, the initial cle diameter to the volume fraction calculation. As an example, the
volume fractions (volumetric percent) for particulate phases were particle diameter was set in the phase definition section and the

TABLE III. Summary of CFD studies in detail.

CFD CFD CFD CFD

Parameters Set-1 Set-2 Set-3 Set-4
Dh (μm) 50 50 50 50
Curvature angle 180, 210, and 270° 270° 270° 270°
Channel type A, B, C C C C
ap (μm) 9.9 3.3 and 9.9 3.3 and 9.9 1.1, 3.3, and 9.9
Flow rate (ml/min) 0.5 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7
Multiphase model Euler–Euler Euler–Euler Euler–Euler Euler–Euler
Eulerian parameters Multi-fluid VOF model Multi-fluid VOF model Multi-fluid VOF model Multi-fluid VOF model
Volume fraction parameters Implicit Implicit Implicit Implicit
Interface modeling Dispersed Dispersed Dispersed Dispersed
Phase-interaction (drag) Wen–Yu Wen–Yu Wen–Yu Wen–Yu
Phase-interaction (lift) Saffman–Mei Saffman–Mei Saffman–Mei Saffman–Mei
Phase-1 Water Water Water Water
Phase-2 Polystyrene (9.9 μm) Polystyrene (9.9 and 3.3 Polystyrene (9.9 and 3.3 Polystyrene (9.9; 3.3 and
μm) μm) 1.1 μm)
Phase-1 characteristics Fluid Fluid Fluid Fluid
Phase-2 characteristics Granular (spec. gravity Granular (spec. gravity Granular (spec. gravity Granular (spec. gravity =
= 1.05) = 1.05) = 1.05) 1.05)
Granular viscosity Gidaspow Gidaspow Gidaspow Gidaspow
Phase-2 volumetric fraction, 2 and 5 1.5 1.4 1.5; 1.4; and 1.4
α (%)

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TABLE IV. Summary of experimental studies in detail.

Exp. Exp. Exp. Exp.

Parameters Set-1 Set-2 Set-3 Set-4
Dh (μm) 50 50 50 50
Curvature angle 180°, 210°, 270° 270° 270°
and 270°
Channel type A, B, C C C C
ap (μm) 9.9 3.3 and 9.9 3.3 and 9.9 1.1, 3.3, and 9.9
Number of exp. 60 36 30 18
Flow rate (ml/min) 0.1–1 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7
Phase-2 volumetric 2% and 5% 9.9 μm (1%–2% and 5%) 9.9 μm (1.5%) 9.9 μm (1.5%)
concentration (%) 3.3 μm (1%–2% and 5%) 3.3 μm (0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 and 3.3 μm (1.4%)
1%–2%)
(same volumetric (9.9 μm at fixed concentration 1.1 μm (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.4%,
concentration and and 3.3 μm with various and 2%)
increment) concentrations)
(9.9 and 3.3 μm at fixed
concentrations and 1.1 μm with
various concentrations)

effect of its size on the volume was integrated into the volume frac-
tion section, where the numerical meaning of the volume fraction,
α, is defined in the following equation:
Volume of phase in cell
α¼ : (12)
Volume of cell
The parameters in Table III were found by completing a series
of benchmarking studies based on Eulerian-model-theory such that
the current results were confirmed by them. Therefore, it was
assumed that the CFD model had the capacity to solve inertial
focusing problems. The model was not controlled by a user defined
function, UDF, that makes the model distinctive among CFD
studies in the literature.
Although the total computation time and the number of itera-
tions required for the steady-state analysis varied according to the
number of phases of various diameters involved, the convergence
criteria of 10−5 were met for all analyses. The governing equations
such as the conservation of mass and momentum for the fluid and
particulate phases were solved in an iterative scheme until the con-
vergence criteria were achieved. In Eulerian-model-theory assuming
a VOF-based multiphase flow approach, the governing equations
for fluid–fluid and granular multiphase flows, as solved by ANSYS
Fluent, are presented for the general case of the n-phase flow. The
volume fraction of each phase is calculated from a continuity equa-
tion given in the following equation:
@ Xn
(αq ρq ) þ ∇:(αq ρq !
vq ) ¼ _ pq ,
m (13)
@t p¼1
where α is the volume fraction and p and q represent the phases.
The fluid–fluid momentum equations, i.e., laminar Navier–
Stokes equations including all external force sources, are given in
Eq. (14). Readers may refer to Ref. 89 to learn more about the
details of the governing equations and the forces denoted on the
right-hand side of the equation,
@
(αq ρq !
vq ) þ ∇:(αq ρq !
vq !
vq ) ¼ αq ∇p þ ∇:
τ q þ αq ρq~
g
@t
X
n
!!
þ (K pq (v p vq ) þ m_ pq !
vq )
p¼1
! ! !
þ αq ρq (Fq þ Flift,q þ Fvm,q ):
(14)
2. Experimental setup
Although the CFD calculations provide a deep insight into the
flow structures and hydrodynamics of the problem of interest, they
are numerical predictions based on certain assumptions and
include acceptable numerical errors due to truncation, order of sol-
ution scheme, and robustness of the flow solver. Therefore, the best
way to understand the behavior of the particulate phase within the
flow field should be experimentation, specifically flow visualizations
to observe the focusing quality of mixtures. In this section, the
experimental setup and the results are discussed in detail.
Four types of experimental sets were created to observe the
focusing quality in the symmetric curvilinear microchannels. The
first set was carried out to decide for the most favorable channel
design in terms of inertial focusing. To achieve this, a suspension
of the 9.9 μm polystyrene particles was sent into the channels at ten
different flow rates ranging from 0.1 to 1 ml/min and two different
concentration values of 2% and 5%.
The second set was arranged to determine the most effective
particle concentration proportion. To do so, the concentration of
9.9 and 3.3 μm diameter particles was increased equally, and the
concentration ratio, for which the highest focusing quality was

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achieved, was selected. For all selected concentration values, the
second experimental set was carried out at three different flow
rates: 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 ml/min.
The third set was created to investigate the effect of the con-
centration change of 3.3 μm particles on the focusing quality of
9.9 μm particles. The concentration ratio giving the best focusing
value was adjusted as a constant value for 9.9 μm particles. The
concentration value of 3.3 μm particles varied between 0.1% and
2% at flow rates of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 ml/min.
The fourth experiment, a mini-experimental set consisting of
18 tests, was conducted including particles with a diameter of
1.1 μm. In this set, 1.1 μm particles at different concentrations were
sent through the microchannel along with mixtures of 9.9 and
3.3 μm particles in the combination of 1.5% and 1.4% volumetric
concentrations, respectively. The last experimental set investigated
the particle–particle interaction behavior in microchannels within
the scope of three particle interaction. The details of the conducted
experiments are tabulated in Table IV.
3. The post-processing of the experiments
The results were obtained by performing time-lapse fluores-
cence microscopy in which two images of the last loop of the
microchannel were taken at every flow rate using an epifluorescence
Olympus EX51 microscope. The analyses of the taken images were
performed using open source software (ImageJ), which was dedi-
cated to scientific processing of images. After uploading the desired
FIG. 3. Intensity profile and distance from the inner wall of 9.9 μm particles at the flow rate of 0.7 ml/min with a volumetric concentration of 2% through the curved micro-
channel during steady-state flow regime.
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image to ImageJ, a line was drawn between the microchannel walls.
The program then conducted an intensity analysis along this line
and plotted intensity vs location.
These results were compared based on the focusing quality
Q, which, in turn, depends on these two factors: the normalized
focusing intensity (ni ) and the normalized focusing width (nw ).
The focusing width is identified as the span of the focusing
line along the channel width. This is the width of the path
taken by the particles concentrating under the effect of inertial
and Dean drag forces. In the equation, ap is the particle diame-
ter, Wch is the channel width, and WF is the focusing width of
the particle (see Fig. 3). The dispersed particles do not count in
the focus; however, their effect on the focus quality is reflected
 
in the second part of the focus quality equation with the
Ap
AT
ratio. The focusing behavior improved as this span’s width
decreased. The ideal situation arose when the width was equal-
ized to the diameter of the particle used, resulting in the situa-
tion where the particles were sequentially focused along a line.
The normalized focusing width is defined in the following equa-
tion:
 
WF  ap
nw ¼ 1 : (15)
Wch  ap
In the second part of the post-processing of the experiments,
Ap is the gray area within the focus width and AT is the sum of all
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gray areas within the channel width as shown in Fig. 3. The
assumption here is that the width of the microchannel and the par-
ticle diameter is constant. The ratio of the area under the peak’s
span to the total area under the intensity plot is the normalized
focusing intensity, which is a measure for the particles extending
along the focusing location. The equation of this measurement
based on the normalized focusing intensity is expressed in the
following equation:
 
Ap
ni ¼ : (16)
AT
The ideal focusing quality is 1, and this can be achieved when
all the particles used are lined up in a single focal line of width
equal to the particle diameter and form a particle-chain. On the
contrary, while the width of the particle focusing line increases rela-
tive to the diameter of the focused particle, the normalized focus
quality decreases. When focusing is achieved on a narrow line for
all the desired particles, the particles are easily separated from the
mixture without the aid of any additional force and can be custom-
ized with respect to the focusing width and the location of the
focusing line. Focusing quality, therefore, represents the ability of
the particle separation and enrichment process.
Forward integration was utilized in computing these areas.
The multiplication of nw by ni gives the focusing quality Q as
indicated in Eq. (17).55 Figure 3 was created to demonstrate a
typical intensity profile, where the channel width and the height
were 50 μm, the particle diameter was 9.9 μm, and the flow rate

FIG. 4. The behavior of 2% volumetric concentration of 9.9 μm particles at 0.5 ml/min flow rate: (a) in microchannel A, (b) in microchannel B, (c) in microchannel C [for
subfigures of (a), (b), and (c), the top left shows the experimental focusing line, the bottom left shows the intensity profile of the particles, and the top right and the bottom
right show the CFD contours for the particulate phase from the longitudinal and transverse midplanes of the microchannel, respectively], and (d) 2% volumetric concentra-
tion of 9.9 μm particles at various flow rates ranging from 0.1 to 1 ml/min for all microchannels.

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was 0.7 ml/min with a volumetric particle concentration ratio channel. Figure 4(d) shows the relationship between normalized
of 2%, quality and the flow rate with respect to all channels. The trend
   showed that the focusing quality was around 0.85 for the channel
WF  ap Ap C. Similar to the results shown in Fig. 4, the experiments were
Q ¼ ni nw ¼ 1 : (17)
Wch  ap AT repeated for 9.9 μm particles with 5% volumetric concentration
keeping remaining parameters the same, and the results are dis-
played in Figs. 5(a)–5(c). In this case, the trend showed that the
IV. RESULTS focusing quality was increased to approximately 0.92 for the
In the first set, the focusing was accomplished in all channels channel C as shown in Fig. 5(d).
with calculated quality differences as demonstrated in Figs. 4(d) Since the differences between the focusing quality values were
and 5(d). In Figs. 4(a)–4(c), the relationship between normalized trivial for channel C, it was thought to be the most effective
quality and focusing location is shown along with the comparisons channel design among all. This idea also is consistent with the liter-
of the CFD results with experiments obtained at a flow rate of ature, and it empowers that as the curvature angle increases, the
0.5 ml/min for 9.9 μm particles with 2% volumetric concentration. focusing quality of the particles also increases.90 Although the
Concentration maps are shown on the transverse and longitudinal angle of curvature was not stated in any formula, it could be attrib-
planes of the channel and reveal particle distributions inside the uted to the change in the flow characteristics and the occurrence of

FIG. 5. The behavior of 5% volumetric concentration of 9.9 μm particles at 0.5 ml/min flow rate: (a) in microchannel A, (b) in microchannel B, (c) in microchannel C [for
subfigures of (a), (b), and (c), the top left shows the experimental focusing line, the bottom left shows the intensity profile of the particles, and the top right and the bottom
right show the CFD contours for particulate phase from the longitudinal and transverse midplanes of the microchannel, respectively], and (d) 5% volumetric concentration
of 9.9 μm particles at various flow rates ranging from 0.1 to 1 ml/min for all microchannels.

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vortices affecting the focusing criteria. While the velocity profile in
a plain channel is symmetrical and parabolic, adding a curvature to
the channel is responsible for the change of the parabolic shape.
Likewise, when the angle of curvature increases, the channel shape
becomes more dominant and changes the focusing intensity by the
Dean vortices, causing shifts in the focusing position of the parti-
cles. This shift, thus, increases the focusing intensity of the parti-
cles. Figure 5(d) shows that channel C provided the best focusing
quality at flow rates in the range of 0.1– 1 ml/min.
In addition, channel C minimized the effect of the flow rate
on the particle focusing showing a negligible change in the quality
values. The CFD analyses confirmed the experimental findings
such that the highest particulate phase distributions altered from
channels A to C as shown in Figs. 4(a)–4(c) and 5(a)–5(c). In
summary, the channel focusing performance diminished from
channels C to A as the curvature angle of the channel decreased.
In the second set, mixtures consisting of 9.9 and 3.3 μm parti-
cles were sent through channel C at the same volumetric concen-
trations or the same mixture ratios, as shown in Figs. 6(a)–6(c). As
in previous investigations, Figs. 6(a)–6(c) show normalized focus-
ing locations and comparisons of CFD simulations with corre-
sponding experiments indicating particulate phase contours of
9.9 μm sized particles. For both particle sizes with a volumetric
concentration of 1.5%, the focusing quality of 9.9 μm sized particles
was found around 0.58 at the flow rates of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 ml/min.
On the other hand, this value was around 0.85 for channel C at the
same flow rates with the volumetric concentration of 2% for 9.9 μm
particles when they were sent through the channel separately. The

FIG. 6. The behavior of 1.5% volumetric concentration of 9.9 and 3.3 μm particles in microchannel C: (a) at the flow rate of 0.3 ml/min, (b) at the flow rate of 0.5 ml/min,
(c) at the flow rate of 0.7 ml/min [for subfigures of (a), (b), and (c), the top left shows the experimental focusing line, the bottom left shows the intensity profile of the parti-
cles, and the top right and the bottom right show the CFD contours for the particulate phase from the longitudinal and transvers midplanes of the microchannel, respec-
tively], and (d) the relation between the particle concentration and the focusing quality at the flow rates of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 ml/min for microchannel C.

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decrement of the focusing quality could be expressed by the
increasing number of smaller particles preventing 9.9 μm particles
from being focused in the channel cross section. Since the small
particles with the size of 3.3 μm did not meet the focusing criteria
of Rep and λ, they dispersed along the channel and reduced the
focusing intensity of 9.9 μm particles. The focusing ability of the
particles sent at a volumetric concentration of 1.5% was higher
than the other mixing ratios. This is associated with an optimum
interaction rate of the particles at a given specific volumetric con-
centration of both particles. Moreover, having a similar volumetric
ratio of interacting particles revealed an identical focusing quality
at certain flow rates as shown in Figs. 6(a)–6(c). The experimental
findings in the second set were supported by the CFD simulations
that the highest particulate phase distribution areas have enlarged
compared to the first experimental set in Figs. 4(a)–4(c). As shown
in Fig. 6(d), focusing quality values for both particle sizes were
observed to accumulate between 0.55 and 0.65 at all flow rates.
In the third set, volumetric concentrations of 3.3 μm particles
were changed between 0.1% and 2% at the flow rates of 0.3, 0.5,
and 0.7 ml/min, and the volumetric concentration of 9.9 μm parti-
cles was kept constant at 1.5%. The first finding was that increasing
the concentration ratio to a certain limit did not disturb the focus-
ing quality of 9.9 μm particles as shown in Fig. 7(d). As the concen-
tration of 3.3 μm particles approached that of 9.9 μm particles,
there was a decrease in the focusing potential of 9.9 μm particles
due to the increasing interaction between different sized particles.
After this decrement, the focusing quality of the 9.9 μm particles
increased again as the interaction settled down. Although the
highest focusing quality was found at 0.2% volumetric concentra-
tion of 3.3 μm particles, the optimum focusing was reached at the

FIG. 7. The behavior of 1.5% volumetric concentration of 9.9 μm particles and 1.4% volumetric concentration of 3.3 μm particles in microchannel C: (a) at the flow rate of
0.3 ml/min, (b) at the flow rate of 0.5 ml/min, (c) at the flow rate of 0.7 ml/min [for subfigures of (a), (b), and (c), the top left shows the experimental focusing line, bottom
left shows the intensity profile of the particles, and the top right and the bottom right show the CFD contours for the particulate phase from the longitudinal and transverse
midplanes of the microchannel, respectively], and (d) the relation between the 3.3 μm particle concentration change and the 9.9 μm focusing quality at the flow rates of
0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 ml/min.

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composition of concentrations of 1.5% and 1.4% for 9.9 and 3.3 μm
particles, respectively. Particles persist the stable focusing quality
independence from the flow rate, and the particles achieved the
optimum focusing when the volumetric concentration of 3.3 μm
particles was 1.4%. CFD analyses at the flow rates of 0.3, 0.5, and
0.7 ml/min indicating particulate phase distributions of 9.9 μm par-
ticles are shown in Figs. 7(a)–7(c). It was concluded that there was
a certain critical concentration ratio for each channel design and
the particle size. Once the particles reached this threshold composi-
tion, they tended to recover again.
In the fourth and last experimental set, it was observed that
the quality of focusing was decreased with increasing number of
involved particles. This was due to the push–pull principle formed
by the interaction between particles. In other words, increasing the
number of the particles involved, for instance, by adding 1.1 μm
triggered the possibility of the interaction between particles. These
particles were responsible for increased collisions between the parti-
cles and, thus, made the particles instable in the channel flow. In
the third experimental set, the focusing quality of 9.9 μm particles
was around 0.65, where a mixture consisting of 9.9 and 3.3 μm par-
ticles was sent at the flow rates of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 ml/min with vol-
umetric concentrations of 1.5% and 1.4%, respectively. This value,
on the other hand, decreased to almost 0.6 by the addition of
1.1 μm particles at a volumetric concentration of 1.4% as shown in
Fig. 8(d). The degradation can be explained by the focusing criteria
that the 3.3 and 1.1 μm particles did not satisfy the critical thresh-
old values for Rep and λ. These particles dispersed along the
channel since they did not meet the requirements for focusing.

FIG. 8. The behavior of 1.5% volumetric concentration of 9.9 μm particles and 1.4% volumetric concentration of 3.3 μm and 1.1 μm particles in microchannel C: (a) at the
flow rate of 0.3 ml/min, (b) at the flow rate of 0.5 ml/min, (c) at the flow rate of 0.7 ml/min [for subfigures (a), (b), and (c), the top left shows the experimental focusing line,
the bottom left shows the intensity profile of the particles, the top right and the bottom right show the CFD contours for the particulate phase from the longitudinal and
transverse midplanes of the microchannel, respectively], and (d) the effects of the addition of 1.1 μm particles at various concentrations to mixture of 9.9 and 3.3 μm parti-
cles at different flow rates.

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Therefore, equilibrium force acting on 9.9 μm particles did not
remain the same, resulting in non-homogenous focusing in the
channel flow, and the particles chose to focus on different lines
rather than lining up like a string as confirmed by particulate phase
contours for 9.9 μm particles shown in Figs. 8(a)–8(c).
V. DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the
particle–particle interaction in detail and to show the importance
of the channel curvature angle in the focusing quality of inertial
microfluidics with CFD modeling. The first finding of the study
was that the gradual increase in the channel curvature angle
improved the focusing quality of the particles. Although the curva-
ture radii of the channels were the same, in other words, the Dean
drag forces acting on the particles were the same, the focusing posi-
tions of the particles within the channel cross section changed at
different flow rates. The change could be addressed by both posi-
tional shift of the force acting on the particles, i.e., the Dean drag
and net inertial forces, and the velocity profile altering with the
increment in the channel curvature angle. The flow rate effect was
minimized as the curvature angle was increased, so channel C was
chosen because it provided independence from the flow rate. In the
case of FFLD  1, as the velocity increases, CL decreases below 0.5,
and the focusing line of the particles approached the channel
center. This finding was also consistent with the studies in the liter-
ature—280 degree symmetrical channels (similar to channel C).90
The last finding of the first experimental set was that the effect of
the particle concentration on particle behavior was so low, which
was considered benign. In the second experimental set, it was
observed that the quality of focusing was remarkably reduced by
the addition of 3.3 μm particles to the 9.9 μm particles as a
mixture. λ and Re p values were responsible for the decrement of
the focusing quality since these criteria limit the focusing ability of
the particles. Even though the focusing ability of the particles was
deteriorated, the particle separation would be still possible as long
as proper concentration values were set.
In the third experimental set, 3.3 μm particles with different
concentration values were added to 9.9 μm particles, where the con-
centration of 9.9 μm particles was kept constant. The result showed
that the change in the focusing positions of the particles was
resembling a parabola. Since 3.3 μm particles created a virtual wall,
by natural migration, they prevented 9.9 μm particles from being
focused. Therefore, the concentration values of 3.3 μm particles, in
other words small particles, revealed their matter on the inertial
focusing performance. In the fourth experimental set, the aim of
the set was to strengthen inertial focusing theory. The addition of
1.1 μm particles to the 3.3 and 9.9 μm mixture heavily degraded the
focusing quality of the 9.9 μm particles. This tendency confirmed
inertial focusing theory.
To summarize the results,
• A single focus line was observed on the particles meeting the
focusing criteria.
• Particles below the focusing criteria impaired the focusing
quality of the particles above the focusing criteria. On the other
hand, the separation of the particles in a high yield would be still
possible if the appropriate concentration rate was achieved.
J. Appl. Phys. 132, 224703 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0117224
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• The degree of curvature increased the focus quality, and more
efficient decomposition was achieved. This revealed the necessity
of a formula to integrate the curvature angle to the channel
design phase. If achieved, microchannels would be fully under
control in terms of focusing ability.
• The CFD studies also suggest that an appropriate multiphase
CFD model could be harnessed to predict a flow field and a
channel’s focusing potential.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We acknowledge the financial support of the Scientific and
Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) through the
project “Investigation on the Effects of Mechanical Forces on
Endothelial Cells Behavior by Using Microfluidics Systems in the
domain of Mechanobiology” under Grant No. 114R037 and partial
financial support by the Scientific Research Projects Department
(BAP) of Istanbul Technical University through a research project
under Project No. 41825.
AUTHOR DECLARATIONS
Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts to disclose.
Author Contributions
D. Ince: Investigation (equal); Validation (equal); Writing – origi-
nal draft (equal). H. Turhan: Visualization (equal). S. Cadirci:
Validation (equal); Visualization (equal); Writing – original draft
(lead); Writing – review & editing (equal). L. Trabzon:
Conceptualization (equal); Funding acquisition (lead); Investigation
(equal); Methodology (equal); Project administration (lead);
Supervision (lead); Validation (equal); Visualization (equal);
Writing – original draft (lead); Writing – review & editing (lead).
DATA AVAILABILITY
The data that support the findings of this study are available
from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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