MICROFLOW CYTOMETER: HYDRODYNAMIC FOCUSING AND SEPARATION OF SAMPLE STREAM

Using grooves in the walls of a microchannel and two sheath streams, we have passively focused a sample stream in the center of the microchannel for optical analysis. Even though the sample stream is completely surrounded by sheath fluid, reversing the orientation of the grooves in the channel walls returns the sample stream to its original position with respect to the sheath streams. The use of this sheathing technique has already been demonstrated in a sensitive microflow cytometer; the unsheathing capability now provides the opportunity to recover particles from the sensor with minimal dilution or to recycle the sheath fluid for long-term unattended operation. The ability to reverse focused laminar flows opens a variety of options for combining target transport, processing and analysis procedures.