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A Microfluidic Chip for the Versatile Chemical Analysis of Single Cells
Published on: October 15, 2013
Microfluidic cytometer for the characterization of cell lysis
Jeffrey R SooHoo1, Joshua K Herr, J Michael Ramsey
1Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
Analytical Chemistry
|January 17, 2012
Summary
This study developed a microfluidic cytometer for rapid erythrocyte lysis, completing the process in 0.7 seconds. This innovation significantly speeds up blood analysis preparation, improving downstream results.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Hematology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Erythrocyte lysis is crucial for blood cytometry and intercellular analysis.
- Current lysis methods can alter downstream analysis results.
- There is a need for faster and more controlled lysis techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate a microfluidic cytometer for characterizing erythrocyte lysis kinetics.
- To optimize lysis reagent concentration and exposure time.
- To develop a predictive model for erythrocyte lysis.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a microfluidic chip for controlled reagent delivery.
- Utilizing forward light scatter for erythrocyte enumeration.
- Employing diffusive transport and laminar flow to manage lysis reagent concentration and exposure time.
Main Results:
- Achieved complete erythrocyte lysis in 0.7 seconds under optimal conditions, a significant improvement over the standard 10 minutes.
- Determined the lysis reaction began after 0.2 seconds.
- Established a lysis equation: [B] = -0.77[A](0.29)t, relating lysis reagent concentration to erythrocyte lysis.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidic cytometer enables rapid and controlled erythrocyte lysis.
- This technology has the potential to improve the accuracy and efficiency of blood cytometry and intercellular analyses.
- The established lysis kinetics model provides a quantitative understanding of the process.
