A novel filter-less separation technique for separating suspended
particles from a solution is disclosed. More specifically, an on-chip
bioparticle separator is disclosed, which relies on the differential
force exerted by application of a series of high magnitude, short
duration pressure pulses on bioparticles in suspension within
microchannels, resulting in separation of suspended bioparticles. The
filter-less separation technique is inherently suited to .mu.TAS (Micro
Total Analysis System) since it exploits uniquely microscale phenomena to
achieve separation. The on-chip bioparticle separator can be easily
integrated with a disposable biochip, can be fabricated using low-cost,
rapid manufacturing techniques, and can provide high performance for
separation of bioparticles without the use of specialized or expensive
equipment. Embodiments of the present invention address a significant
challenge in the development of disposable microfluidic biochips,
specifically, providing a reliable solution for separating bioparticles
in a microfluidic system that may be immediately applied for a variety of
microfluidic biochip applications.