A Triplet Parallelizing Spiral Microfluidic Chip for Continuous Separation of Tumor Cells

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Microfluidics
• Cell Separation Technology

Background:

• Particle separation using inertial and deformability-based methods is gaining traction.
• Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are crucial biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and monitoring.
• Existing methods for CTC isolation often face limitations in throughput and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a hybrid microfluidic chip integrating inertial and deformability-based principles for continuous CTC separation.
• To enhance the efficiency and throughput of circulating tumor cell isolation.
• To create a device capable of substituting Red Blood Cells Lysis (RBCL) procedures.

Main Methods:

• A triplet parallelizing spiral inertial microfluidic chip design was employed.
• The chip features numerous tilted slits (Spiral-Slits Chip) to transport segregated particles.
• Inertial lift and viscous drag forces were utilized to achieve particle separation.
• Ellipse filters were incorporated for robust CTC capture at high flow rates.

Main Results:

• The Spiral-Slits Chip demonstrated effective separation of particles based on size using inertial forces.
• Frequent particle transport into a smaller parallel microchannel led to a dramatic reduction of specific particle sizes.
• Robust and reproducible capture of CTCs was achieved at high flow rates.
• Preliminary tests of optical absorption detection suggest a simplified overall process.

Conclusions:

• The Spiral-Slits Chip offers a promising hybrid approach for continuous and high-throughput CTC separation.
• This technology has the potential to replace conventional Red Blood Cells Lysis (RBCL) methods.
• The integration of inertial and deformability principles, along with ellipse filters, enhances CTC capture efficiency and reliability.