Microfluidic devices that allow biological particle separation and concentration have found wide applications in medical diagnosis.Here we present a viral separation polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device that combines tangential flow microfiltration and affinity capture to enrich HIV virus in a single flow-through fashion.The set-up contains a filtration device and a tandem resistance channel.
The filtration device consists of two parallel flow channels separated by a polycarbonate nanoporous membrane.The resistance channel, with dimensions design-guided by Toilet Brushes COMSOL simulation, controls flow permeation through the membrane in the filtration device.A flow-dependent viral capture efficiency is observed, which likely reflects the interplay of several processes, including specific binding of target virus, physical deposition of non-specific particles, and membrane cleaning by shear Disposable Straws flow.
At the optimal flow rate, nearly 100% of viral particles in the permeate are captured on the membrane with various input viral concentrations.With its easy operation and consistent performance, this microfluidic device provides a potential solution for HIV sample preparation in resource-limited settings.