Immunological analyses of whole blood via "microfluidic drifting" based flow cytometric chip

Ann Biomed Eng. 2014 Nov;42(11):2303-13. doi: 10.1007/s10439-014-1041-5. Epub 2014 Jun 4.

Abstract

Cost-effective, high-performance diagnostic instruments are vital to providing the society with accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare. Here we present an integrated, "microfluidic drifting" based flow cytometry chip as a potential inexpensive, fast, and reliable diagnostic tool. It is capable of analyzing human blood for cell counting and diagnosis of diseases. Our device achieves a throughput of ~3754 events/s. Calibration with Flow-Check calibration beads indicated good congruency with a commercially available benchtop flow cytometer. Moreover, subjection to a stringent 8-peak rainbow calibration particle test demonstrated its ability to perform high-resolution immunological studies with separation resolution of 4.28 between the two dimmest fluorescent populations. Counting accuracy at different polystyrene bead concentrations showed strong correlation (r=0.9991) with hemocytometer results. Finally, reliable quantification of CD4+ cells in healthy human blood via staining with monoclonal antibodies was demonstrated. These results demonstrate the potential of our microfluidic flow cytometry chip as an inexpensive yet high-performance point-of-care device for mobile medicine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Calibration
  • Equipment Design
  • Flow Cytometry / instrumentation*
  • Humans
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques
  • Point-of-Care Systems