centrifugedriven

Centrifugedriven is a term used to describe systems or processes in which centrifugal force, generated by rotation, acts as the primary driving mechanism. The concept covers conventional centrifugation for separation and also centrifugal microfluidic platforms where rotation moves liquids and particles within a disc-like substrate.

Principles: The centrifugal force on a particle of mass m at radius r rotating with angular velocity ω is F = m ω^2 r. In typical centrifugation, this force causes differential sedimentation by density, enabling separation of cells, organelles, nucleic acids, or proteins. In centrifugal microfluidics, rotation induces fluid flow and pressure gradients that drive pumping, valving, mixing, and phase separation without external pumps. By adjusting rotational speed, duration, and geometry, users can program sequential steps within a single disposable disc.

Applications include laboratory sample preparation such as blood fractionation and DNA extraction; clinical diagnostics; environmental analysis; and industrial processing of emulsions or polymer blends, often using lab-on-a-disc architectures.

Advantages and limitations: Centrifugedriven systems can reduce manual handling, enable closed workflows, and operate with minimal external power. They require specialized hardware, careful thermal management, and attention to rotor balance and sample compatibility. Limitations include equipment cost, limited applicability for very delicate samples, and potential shear-induced damage at high speeds.

See also: Centrifugation; Centrifugal microfluidics; Lab-on-a-disc; Rotor balance.