Design of a Three-Dimensional Inlet Structure for Preventing Cell Deposition of Microfluidic Flow Cytometry

Microfluidic flow cytometry has the advantage of simple structure and easy sample handling, with a promising application for point-of-care testing. Long time imaging at low flow rates leads to inlet cell deposition and inaccurate counting. In this paper, we propose a three-dimensional inlet structure that can effectively reduce cell deposition and achieve a smaller dead zone area. First, the geometric design of the structure is presented and the flow path and dead zone distribution of the structure are analysed. Then, the design method and preparation process of the structure are described. In order to test the optimised performance of the structure, analytical experiments were carried out and cell counts were analysed and counted using image detection methods. The results show that the junction structure is able to assist in sample feeding and increase the cell throughput values by approximately 21%.