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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
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A Microfluidic Technique to Probe Cell Deformability
Published on: September 3, 2014
Deformability based cell margination--a simple microfluidic design for malaria-infected erythrocyte separation.
Han Wei Hou1, Ali Asgar S Bhagat, Alvin Guo Lin Chong
1Division of Bioengineering, National University of Singapore, 7 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117574, Singapore.
Lab on a Chip
|August 7, 2010
Summary
Stiffer malaria-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) marginate to blood vessel walls, enabling their separation from blood using microfluidics. This technique offers efficient iRBC enrichment for malaria diagnosis and potential applications in other blood cell diseases.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Hematology
- Parasitology
Background:
- Red blood cells (RBCs) normally flow centrally in small blood vessels.
- Leukocytes are displaced to vessel walls due to flow dynamics, a process called margination.
- Malaria infection alters RBC deformability, potentially affecting their flow behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the margination behavior of malaria-infected RBCs (iRBCs) in microfluidic channels.
- To develop a microfluidic method for separating iRBCs from whole blood based on altered deformability.
- To assess the potential of this technique for malaria diagnosis and other blood cell disorders.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic device with a straight channel design.
- Induction of cell margination by exploiting flow velocity gradients in the microchannel.
- Separation of iRBCs from other blood components using a three-outlet system.
- Quantification of device performance through outlet iRBC distribution analysis and flow cytometry.
Main Results:
- Stiffer iRBCs exhibited margination towards the sidewalls, similar to leukocytes.
- Achieved approximately 75% recovery of early-stage iRBCs and over 90% recovery of late-stage iRBCs at side outlets.
- Demonstrated successful separation of iRBCs based on reduced deformability.
Conclusions:
- Microfluidic-induced margination effectively separates iRBCs from whole blood.
- The developed system is simple, passive, and suitable for on-site iRBC enrichment in resource-limited settings.
- This technique holds promise for diagnosing malaria and managing other blood cell diseases like sickle cell anemia and leukemia.
