Professional Education

  • Ph.D., Ryerson University, Canada, Biomedical Engineering
  • M.Sc., University of Calgary, Canada, Electrical Engineering
  • M.Sc., Sharif University of Technology, Iran, Mechanical Engineering
  • B.Sc., Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, Mechanical Engineering

Stanford Advisors

Contact

  • Academic
    asalari@stanford.edu
    University - Scholar Department: Biology Position: Postdoctoral Scholar

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 5020

All Publications

  • Editorial on the Special Issue on Microelectrode Arrays and Application to Medical Devices. Micromachines Salari, A., Dalton, C. 2020; 11 (8)

    Abstract

    In this editorial note, we briefly review the major findings of the 10 articles published in the Special Issue on microelectrode arrays and application to medical devices [...].

    View details for DOI 10.3390/mi11080776

    View details for PubMedID 32823968

  • Magnetic water-in-water droplet microfluidics: Systematic experiments and scaling mathematical analysis BIOMICROFLUIDICS Navi, M., Abbasi, N., Salari, A., Tsai, S. H. 2020; 14 (2): 024101

    Abstract

    A major barrier to the clinical utilization of microfluidically generated water-in-oil droplets is the cumbersome washing steps required to remove the non-biocompatible organic oil phase from the droplets. In this paper, we report an on-chip magnetic water-in-water droplet generation and manipulation platform using a biocompatible aqueous two-phase system of a polyethylene glycol-polypropylene glycol-polyethylene glycol triblock copolymer (PEG-PPG-PEG) and dextran (DEX), eliminating the need for subsequent washing steps. By careful selection of a ferrofluid that shows an affinity toward the DEX phase (the dispersed phase in our microfluidic device), we generate magnetic DEX droplets in a non-magnetic continuous phase of PEG-PPG-PEG. We apply an external magnetic field to manipulate the droplets and sort them into different outlets. We also perform scaling analysis to model the droplet deflection and find that the experimental data show good agreement with the model. We expect that this type of all-biocompatible magnetic droplet microfluidic system will find utility in biomedical applications, such as long-term single cell analysis. In addition, the model can be used for designing experimental parameters to achieve a desired droplet trajectory.

    View details for DOI 10.1063/1.5144137

    View details for Web of Science ID 000519010300001

    View details for PubMedID 32161632

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC7056455

  • Expansion-mediated breakup of bubbles and droplets in microfluidics PHYSICAL REVIEW FLUIDS Salari, A., Xu, J., Kolios, M. C., Tsai, S. H. 2020; 5 (1)

    View details for DOI 10.1103/PhysRevFluids.5.013602

    View details for Web of Science ID 000509509700001

  • Dancing with the Cells: Acoustic Microflows Generated by Oscillating Cells SMALL Salari, A., Appak-Baskoy, S., Ezzo, M., Hinz, B., Kolios, M. C., Tsai, S. H. 2020; 16 (9): e1903788

    Abstract

    The interaction of a sound or ultrasound wave with an elastic object, such as a microbubble, can give rise to a steady-state microstreaming flow in its surrounding liquid. Many microfluidic strategies for cell and particle manipulation, and analyte mixing, are based on this type of flow. In addition, there are reports that acoustic streaming can be generated in biological systems, for instance, in a mammalian inner ear. Here, new observations are reported that individual cells are able to induce microstreaming flow, when they are excited by controlled acoustic waves in vitro. Single adherent cells are exposed to an acoustic field inside a microfluidic device. The cell-induced microstreaming is then investigated by monitoring flow tracers around the cell, while the structure and extracellular environment of the cell are altered using different chemicals. The observations suggest that the maximum streaming flow induced by an MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell can reach velocities on the order of mm s-1 , and this maximum velocity is primarily governed by the overall cell stiffness. Therefore, such cell-induced microstreaming measurements, including flow pattern and velocity magnitude, may be used as label-free proxies of cellular mechanical properties, such as stiffness.

    View details for DOI 10.1002/smll.201903788

    View details for Web of Science ID 000502164600001

    View details for PubMedID 31829522

  • AC Electrothermal Effect in Microfluidics: A Review MICROMACHINES Salari, A., Navi, M., Lijnse, T., Dalton, C. 2019; 10 (11)

    Abstract

    The electrothermal effect has been investigated extensively in microfluidics since the 1990s and has been suggested as a promising technique for fluid manipulations in lab-on-a-chip devices. The purpose of this article is to provide a timely overview of the previous works conducted in the AC electrothermal field to provide a comprehensive reference for researchers new to this field. First, electrokinetic phenomena are briefly introduced to show where the electrothermal effect stands, comparatively, versus other mechanisms. Then, recent advances in the electrothermal field are reviewed from different aspects and categorized to provide a better insight into the current state of the literature. Results and achievements of different studies are compared, and recommendations are made to help researchers weigh their options and decide on proper configuration and parameters.

    View details for DOI 10.3390/mi10110762

    View details for Web of Science ID 000502255300048

    View details for PubMedID 31717932

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6915365

  • Simultaneous Pumping and Mixing of Biological Fluids in a Double-Array Electrothermal Microfluidic Device MICROMACHINES Salari, A., Dalton, C. 2019; 10 (2)

    Abstract

    Transport and mixing of minute amounts of biological fluids are significantly important in lab-on-a-chip devices. It has been shown that the electrothermal technique is a suitable candidate for applications involving high-conductivity biofluids, such as blood, saliva, and urine. Here, we introduce a double-array AC electrothermal (ACET) device consisting of two opposing microelectrode arrays, which can be used for simultaneous mixing and pumping. First, in a 2D simulation, an optimum electrode-pair configuration capable of achieving fast transverse mixing at a microfluidic channel cross-section is identified by comparing different electrode geometries. The results show that by adjusting the applied voltage pattern and position of the asymmetrical microelectrodes in the two arrays, due to the resultant circular flow streamlines, the time it takes for the analytes to be convected across the channel cross-section is reduced by 95% compared to a diffusion-only-based transport regime, and by 80% compared to a conventional two-layer ACET device. Using a 3D simulation, the fluid transport (pumping and mixing) capabilities of such an electrode pair placed at different angles longitudinally relative to the channel was studied. It was found that an asymmetrical electrode configuration placed at an angle in the range of 30 ° ≤ θ ≤ 45 ° can significantly increase transversal mixing efficiency while generating strong longitudinal net flow. These findings are of interest for lab-on-a-chip applications, especially for biosensors and immunoassays, where mixing analyte solutions while simultaneously moving them through a microchannel can greatly enhance the sensing efficiency.

    View details for DOI 10.3390/mi10020092

    View details for Web of Science ID 000460798200017

    View details for PubMedID 30696037

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6413218

  • Recent advances in AC electrokinetic sample enrichment techniques for biosensor development SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL Salari, A., Thompson, M. 2018; 255: 3601–15

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.snb.2017.09.069

    View details for Web of Science ID 000414686500135

  • Periodic assembly of nanoparticle arrays in disclinations of cholesteric liquid crystals PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Li, Y., Prince, E., Cho, S., Salari, A., Golestani, Y., Lavrentovich, O. D., Kumacheva, E. 2017; 114 (9): 2137–42

    Abstract

    An important goal of the modern soft matter science is to discover new self-assembly modalities to precisely control the placement of small particles in space. Spatial inhomogeneity of liquid crystals offers the capability to organize colloids in certain regions such as the cores of the topological defects. Here we report two self-assembly modes of nanoparticles in linear defects-disclinations in a lyotropic colloidal cholesteric liquid crystal: a continuous helicoidal thread and a periodic array of discrete beads. The beads form one-dimensional arrays with a periodicity that matches half a pitch of the cholesteric phase. The periodic assembly is governed by the anisotropic surface tension and elasticity at the interface of beads with the liquid crystal. This mode of self-assembly of nanoparticles in disclinations expands our ability to use topological defects in liquid crystals as templates for the organization of nanocolloids.

    View details for DOI 10.1073/pnas.1615006114

    View details for Web of Science ID 000395101200034

    View details for PubMedID 28193865

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5338481

  • Optimized AC electrothermal micromixing design for biofluid systems Salari, A., Navi, M., Dalton, C., Gray, B. L., Becker, H. SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING. 2017

    View details for DOI 10.1117/12.2253815

    View details for Web of Science ID 000405953000020

  • Microfluidic Studies of Polymer Adsorption in Flow MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS Salari, A., Kumacheva, E. 2017; 218 (2)

    View details for DOI 10.1002/macp.201600328

    View details for Web of Science ID 000393408500004

  • AC electrothermal technique in microchannels Salari, A., Navi, M., Dalton, C., Gray, B. L., Becker, H. SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING. 2017

    View details for DOI 10.1117/12.2253813

    View details for Web of Science ID 000405953000007

  • A microfluidic study of liquid-liquid extraction mediated by carbon dioxide LAB ON A CHIP Lestari, G., Salari, A., Abolhasani, M., Kumacheva, E. 2016; 16 (14): 2710–18

    Abstract

    Liquid-liquid extraction is an important separation and purification method; however, it faces a challenge in reducing the energy consumption and the environmental impact of solvent (extractant) recovery. The reversible chemical reactions of switchable solvents (nitrogenous bases) with carbon dioxide (CO2) can be implemented in reactive liquid-liquid extraction to significantly reduce the cost and energy requirements of solvent recovery. The development of new effective switchable solvents reacting with CO2 and the optimization of extraction conditions rely on the ability to evaluate and screen the performance of switchable solvents in extraction processes. We report a microfluidic strategy for time- and labour-efficient studies of CO2-mediated solvent extraction. The platform utilizes a liquid segment containing an aqueous extractant droplet and a droplet of a solution of a switchable solvent in a non-polar liquid, with gaseous CO2 supplied to the segment from both sides. Following the reaction of the switchable solvent with CO2, the solvent becomes hydrophilic and transfers from the non-polar solvent to the aqueous droplet. By monitoring the time-dependent variation in droplet volumes, we determined the efficiency and extraction time for the CO2-mediated extraction of different nitrogenous bases in a broad experimental parameter space. The platform enables a significant reduction in the amount of switchable solvents used in these studies, provides accurate temporal characterization of the liquid-liquid extraction process, and offers the capability of high-throughput screening of switchable solvents.

    View details for DOI 10.1039/c6lc00597g

    View details for Web of Science ID 000385291600016

    View details for PubMedID 27327198

  • FLUID FLOW STUDY OF AN AC ELECTROTHERMAL MICROPUMP CONSISTING OF MULTIPLE ARRAYS OF MICROELECTRODES FOR BIOFLUID APPLICATIONS Salari, A., Dalton, C., Gray, B. L., Becker, H. SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING. 2015

    View details for DOI 10.1117/12.2076664

    View details for Web of Science ID 000354516300012

  • VIBRATION EFFECT ON CROSS-FLOW AND CO-FLOW FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR DROPLET GENERATION Salari, A., Dalton, C., Gray, B. L., Becker, H. SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING. 2015

    View details for DOI 10.1117/12.2081537

    View details for Web of Science ID 000354516300030

  • HIGH EFFICIENT BIOFLUID MICROMIXING USING ULTRA-FAST AC ELECTROTHERMAL FLOW Salari, A., Dalton, C., Gray, B. L., Becker, H. SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING. 2015

    View details for DOI 10.1117/12.2081573

    View details for Web of Science ID 000354516300031

  • A NOVEL AC ELECTROTHERMAL MICROPUMP FOR BIOFLUID TRANSPORT USING CIRCULAR INTERDIGITATED MICROELECTRODE ARRAY Salari, A., Dalton, C., Gray, B. L., Becker, H. SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING. 2015

    View details for DOI 10.1117/12.2077794

    View details for Web of Science ID 000354516300028

  • Breakup of microdroplets in asymmetric T junctions. Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics Samie, M., Salari, A., Shafii, M. B. 2013; 87 (5): 053003

    Abstract

    Symmetric T junctions have been used widely in microfluidics to generate equal-sized microdroplets, which are applicable in drug delivery systems. A newly proposed method for generating unequal-sized microdroplets at a T junction is investigated theoretically and experimentally. Asymmetric T junctions with branches of identical lengths and different cross sections are utilized for this aim. An equation for the critical breakup of droplets at asymmetric T junctions and one for determining the breakup point of droplets are developed. A good agreement was observed between the theories (present and previous) and the experiments.

    View details for DOI 10.1103/PhysRevE.87.053003

    View details for PubMedID 23767616