Inertial focusing of non-spherical microparticles

We have investigated the focusing and dynamics of non-spherical polymeric particles in microfluidic flows at finite Reynolds number. The rotational diameter, D-max, of a particle, regardless of its cross-sectional shape, was found to determine the final focused position, except for the case of asymmetric disks. Additionally, elongated particles with larger D-max exhibited longer residence times in a horizontal orientation than those with smaller D-max. These findings inform approaches to hydrodynamically control shaped and barcoded particles for multiplexed biochemical assays. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3608115]