Design of a microfluidic mixer channel

Design of a microfluidic mixer channel: First steps into creating a fluorescent dye-based biosensor for mAb aggregate detection

Neves Sao Pedro, M. (TU Delft BT/Bioprocess Engineering)
Silva dos Santos, M. (TU Delft BT/Bioprocess Engineering)
Eppink, Michel H.M. (Wageningen University & Research; Byondis B.V., Nijmegen)
Ottens, M. (TU Delft BT/Design and Engineering Education)

2022

A major challenge in the transition to continuous biomanufacturing is the lack of process analytical technology (PAT) tools which are able to collect real-time information on the process and elicit a response to facilitate control. One of the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of interest during monoclonal antibodies production is aggregate formation. The development of a real-time PAT tool to monitor aggregate formation is then crucial to have immediate feedback and process control. Miniaturized sensors placed after each unit operation can be a powerful solution to speed up an analytical measurement due to their characteristic short reaction time. In this work, a micromixer structure capable of mixing two streams is presented, to be employed in the detection of mAb aggregates using fluorescent dyes. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were used to compare the mixing performance of a series of the proposed designs. A final design of a zigzag microchannel with 45° angle was reached and this structure was subsequently fabricated and experimentally validated with colour dyes and, later, with a FITC-IgG molecule. The designed zigzag micromixer presents a mixing index of around 90%, obtained in less than 30 seconds. Therefore, a micromixer channel capable of a fast and efficient mixing is hereby demonstrated, to be used as a real-time PAT tool for a fluorescence based detection of protein aggregation.

computational fluid dynamics
continuous biomanufacturing
microfluidics
Process Analytical Technology (PAT)
protein aggregation

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:1d9a4741-2932-4e48-8d36-b16bcc247605

https://doi.org/10.1002/biot.202200332

1860-6768

Biotechnology Journal, 18 (1)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2022 M. Neves Sao Pedro, M. Silva dos Santos, Michel H.M. Eppink, M. Ottens