Optofluidic device for label-free cell classification from whole blood

Area of Science:

• Optofluidics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Cellular Analysis

Background:

• Accurate cell classification is crucial for disease diagnosis.
• Existing methods for cell analysis can be complex and time-consuming.
• Neutrophil count is a key indicator of immune status, especially in cancer patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a novel optofluidic lab-on-a-chip device for cell classification.
• To show the device's capability in distinguishing cells based on size and stiffness.
• To validate the device for neutrophil detection and counting in whole human blood.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an optofluidic lab-on-a-chip device measuring optically encoded forward scattering signals.
• Analyzed cell position, velocity, and generated 2-D cell distribution plots.
• Applied the method to live/fixed HeLa cells and whole human blood samples with minimal preparation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated cell classification based on size and stiffness.
• Successfully detected neutrophils from other white blood cells.
• Quantified neutrophil counts in whole human blood with a simplified process.

Conclusions:

• The developed optofluidic device offers a simple, inexpensive method for cell classification by size and stiffness.
• The system shows promise for point-of-care and home-care neutrophil monitoring.
• This technology could aid in assessing immune function for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.