We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




Events

09 Apr 2024 - 12 Apr 2024
15 Apr 2024 - 17 Apr 2024
23 Apr 2024 - 26 Apr 2024

Microfluidic Device Could Improve Biomarker Analyses

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 08 Jul 2014
Print article
Image: Visualization from a numerical simulation of a cell flowing past the obstacle through the microfluidic device (Image courtesy of KTH – The Royal Institute of Technology).
Image: Visualization from a numerical simulation of a cell flowing past the obstacle through the microfluidic device (Image courtesy of KTH – The Royal Institute of Technology).
A new microfluidic device could offer a more reliable alternative for detecting biomarkers in patients facing such illnesses as cancer or malaria.

The physical attributes of cells are important biomarkers in medicine, whether extracting circulating tumor cells from the blood of a cancer patient, or to measure the elasticity of red blood cells due to malaria infection.

Scientists at The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH; Stockholm, Sweden) proposed a microfluidic device that can sort elastic capsules by their deformability. The device consists of a duct embedded with a semi-cylindrical obstacle, and a diffuser which further enhances the sorting capability. The KTH team used extensive computational simulations to model a microfluidic device that would sort cells according to their elasticity. The work draws on numerical techniques and computational capabilities developed in the last decade to handle the complexity of microscale flows.

Most cell sorting techniques rely on the difference between chemical properties of the cells. The problem is chemical properties do not give pathologists the full picture. Two cells can have very similar chemical properties, but different physical properties. Size, shape and elasticity, or deformability, are important attributes that can be also enable cell sorting, given the right kind of device.

The scientists demonstrated that the device can operate reasonably well under changes in the initial position of the capsule. The efficiency of the device remains essentially unaltered under small changes of the obstacle shape from semicircular to semi-elliptic cross-section. Confinement along the direction perpendicular to the plane of the device increases its efficiency. This work is the first numerical study of cell sorting by a realistic microfluidic device.

Dhrubaditya Mitra, PhD, an assistant professor in theoretical physics and a coauthor of the study offers an example of why elasticity matters. “If you are infected with malaria, the physical nature of your red blood cells changes. They become harder and red blood cells also become harder as they get older too. These harder red blood cells are filtered by the spleen which acts like a sieve. The softer red blood cells can squeeze through the gaps but the harder ones cannot.” The study was published on June 20, 2014, in the journal Soft Matter.

Related Links:

The Royal Institute of Technology


Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
Specimen Collection & Transport
Complement 3 (C3) Test
GPP-100 C3 Kit
New
Gold Member
Plasma Control
Plasma Control Level 1

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)

POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection

Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: MOF materials efficiently enrich cfDNA and cfRNA in blood through simple operational process (Photo courtesy of Science China Press)

Blood Circulating Nucleic Acid Enrichment Technique Enables Non-Invasive Liver Cancer Diagnosis

The ability to diagnose diseases early can significantly enhance the effectiveness of clinical treatments and improve survival rates. One promising approach for non-invasive early diagnosis is the use... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The low-cost portable device rapidly identifies chemotherapy patients at risk of sepsis (Photo courtesy of 52North Health)

POC Finger-Prick Blood Test Determines Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Neutropenia, a decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections), is a frequent side effect of certain cancer treatments. This condition elevates the risk of infections,... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The OvaCis Rapid Test discriminates benign from malignant epithelial ovarian cysts (Photo courtesy of INEX)

Intra-Operative POC Device Distinguishes Between Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cysts within 15 Minutes

Ovarian cysts represent a significant health issue for women globally, with up to 10% experiencing this condition at some point in their lives. These cysts form when fluid collects within a thin membrane... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.