| Info. | Vol.7 - No.4 (2013.12.20) |
|---|---|
| Title | A microfluidic device for partial cell separation and deformability assessment |
| Authors | Diana Pinho1,2, Tomoko Yaginuma1 & Rui Lima1,2 |
| Institutions | 1Polytechnic Institute of Bragan?, ESTiG/IPB, C. Sta. Apolonia, 5301-857 Bragan?, Portugal 2CEFT, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP), R. Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal |
| Abstract | Blood flow in microcirculation shows several interesting phenomena that can be used to develop microfluidic devices for blood separation and analysis in continuous flow. In this study we present a novel continuous microfluidic device for partial extraction of red blood cells (RBCs) and subsequent measurement of RBC deformability. For this purpose, we use polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels having different constrictions (25%, 50% and 75%) to investigate their effect on the cell-free layer (CFL) thickness and separation efficiency. By using a combination of image analysis techniques we are able to automatically measure the CFL width before and after an artificial constriction. The results suggest that the CFL width increases with enhancement of the constriction and contributes to partial cell separation. The subsequent measurements of RBCs deformation index reveal that the degree of deformation depends on the constriction geometries and hematocrit after the cell separation module. The proposed microfluidic device can be easily transformed into a simple, inexpensive and convenient clinical tool able to perform both RBC separation and deformability analysis in one single device. This would eliminate the need for external sample handling and thus reducing associated labor costs and potential human errors. |
| Keyword | Biomicrofluidics, Microfluidic devices, Microcirculation, Blood on chips, Red blood cells, Cell separation, Cell deformability, Deformation index |
| PDF File |
 # 2010년도 발행분 부터는 Springer 의 BioChip Journal 페이지에서 전문을 열람하실 수 있습니다.
# 학회회원 로그인 후 [ Springer BioChip Journal 열람하기 ] 버튼을 클릭하시면 새창으로 열립니다. |
