Filters with high throughput, minimal dead volume, and greater sensitivity to particle size are needed, which traditional benchtop filtration cannot provide. Leveraging microfabrication techniques developed by the electronics and optics industries, the filters presented here feature a unique serpentine “NanoRidge” structure, offering a continuous filtration gap spanning over three meters on a compact 4 × 14.5 mm2 footprint. This design provides more precise size filtration cut-offs and consistent flow paths compared to traditional membrane filtration systems. Despite challenges associated with glass substrate deformation impacting uniform filter gap sizes, the study provides valuable insights into the development of NanoRidge filters (NRFs) for enhancing filtration efficiency in preparatory techniques and sample analysis. This study describes the fabrication and testing of these new filter types and directly compares the performance to traditional membrane filters using the metrics of particle size cut-off (the smallest difference in particle size which can be filtered vs passed) and particle loss. The NanoRidge filters were characterized using imaging (during fabrication, post-fabrication and use, fluorescent particles captured and small molecule dye), pressure and flow measurements, and a series of particle sizes “filter or pass” studies. Particle capacity (100–250 nm) ranged from 5 × 108 to 7 × 109 in 1 ml samples at a flow rate of 100 μl/min with backpressure in the range of 1–3 Bar. The optimized fabrication procedure for the 150 nm NRF yielded a small particle recovery of 95% while also achieving a large particle filtration of 73%. High filtration efficiency was also proven in the final 60 and 80 nm NRF fabrication procedures at 96% and 91%, respectively.
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September 2024
Research Article|
September 05 2024
NanoRidge filters: Fabrication strategies and performance optimization for nano-scale microfluidic particle filtration
Jared P. Smithers
;
Jared P. Smithers
(Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing)
1
School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University
, Tempe, Arizona 85282, USA
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Jerry Sheu
;
Jerry Sheu
(Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing – original draft)
1
School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University
, Tempe, Arizona 85282, USA
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Brian Richardson;
Brian Richardson
(Conceptualization, Project administration, Supervision)
2
Imagine TF, LLC
, 1350 Dell Ave. #102, Campbell, California 95008, USA
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Mark A. Hayes
Mark A. Hayes
c)
(Funding acquisition, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing)
1
School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University
, Tempe, Arizona 85282, USA
c)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: mhayes@asu.edu. Phone: (480) 965-2566. Fax: (480) 965-2747.
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c)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: mhayes@asu.edu. Phone: (480) 965-2566. Fax: (480) 965-2747.
a)
Deceased December 2022.
Biomicrofluidics 18, 054102 (2024)
Article history
Received:
March 25 2024
Accepted:
July 13 2024
Citation
Jared P. Smithers, Jerry Sheu, Brian Richardson, Mark A. Hayes; NanoRidge filters: Fabrication strategies and performance optimization for nano-scale microfluidic particle filtration. Biomicrofluidics 1 September 2024; 18 (5): 054102. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0210149
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