Automated Blood Sample Preparation Unit (ABSPU) for Portable Microfluidic Flow Cytometry

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Background:

• Portable microfluidic devices and mobile phone imaging are advancing point-of-care diagnostics.
• Challenges include manual sample preparation and cell sedimentation, impacting accuracy.
• Automated sample handling is crucial for reliable microfluidic diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an automated blood sample preparation unit (ABSPU) for microfluidic flow cytometry.
• To prevent blood cell settling during sample loading and automate preanalytical steps.
• To enable direct whole blood analysis without manual pre-treatment.

Main Methods:

• An automated blood sample preparation unit (ABSPU) with a miniature vibration motor was designed.
• The ABSPU automates blood dilution and cell staining processes.
• The system was integrated with a microfluidic imaging flow cytometer for analysis.

Main Results:

• The ABSPU effectively prevented blood cell settling in the sample reservoir.
• Cell integrity and staining were maintained throughout the automated process.
• Integration with microfluidic flow cytometry showed reliable cell count variability.

Conclusions:

• The developed ABSPU automates critical preanalytical steps for microfluidic flow cytometry.
• This system enhances accuracy and reliability in point-of-care blood diagnostics.
• The automated unit facilitates low-cost, direct analysis of whole blood samples.