Fluid dynamic simulation of single cell sorting by fiber laser in microfluidics

Abstract

Abstract Optofluidic devices have immense potential for single cell manipulation, including trapping, sorting, counting and stretching. Commercially available devices remain costly and technical. Embedded optical fibers within the microfluidic device simplify the construction and supply stable, sensitive, high throughput scattering measurements for particles and cells. We present numerical simulations on flow field in micro channels embedded with an optical fiber, which are able to provide optical sorting and controlled movement of single particles. We simulate the displacement and deflection of micro particles by single laser with different optical forces. We believe that this simulation method can be used to emulate the process of optical trapping and sorting for cells at constriction channels of different cross-sectional areas.