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Updated: Apr 26, 2026
Clinical Microfluidic Chip Platform for the Isolation of Versatile Circulating Tumor Cells
Published on: October 13, 2023
Parallel recognition of cancer cells using an addressable array of solid-state micropores
Azhar Ilyas1, Waseem Asghar1, Young-tae Kim2
1Nano-Bio Lab, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76011, USA; Nanotechnology Research Center, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA.
This study introduces a novel multi-channel device using solid-state micropores for rapid, label-free detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The technology offers improved throughput and reliability for early cancer diagnosis without cell staining.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Oncology
Background:
- Early detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is crucial for effective cancer therapy and improved patient prognosis.
- Current CTC detection methods often face limitations such as dye dependency, low throughput, and insufficient statistical reliability at the single-cell level.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel multi-channel device utilizing solid-state micropores for simultaneous measurement of cell translocation.
- To enable rapid, label-free, and statistically reliable detection and quantification of CTCs in peripheral blood samples.
Main Methods:
- A multi-channel device with an array of solid-state micropores was employed for simultaneous cell translocation measurements.
- Ionic current across each micropore channel was continuously monitored to detect distinctive current blockade pulses generated by translocating cells.
- Red blood cells were lysed to facilitate direct processing of whole blood samples without dilution.
Main Results:
- The device demonstrated increased throughput for cell measurement due to its multi-channel design and on-chip cross-correlation capabilities.
- Tumor cells exhibited distinct ionic current blockade pulses compared to leukocytes, enabling their identification.
- The system achieved a tumor cell detection efficiency of approximately 70% with rapid sample processing.
Conclusions:
- The developed solid-state micropore device offers a simple, inexpensive, and reliable method for rapid detection of tumor cells without the need for cell staining or surface functionalization.
- This technology has the potential to significantly improve early cancer diagnosis and facilitate high-throughput electrophysiological analysis of various cell types.
