Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 3, 2026
09:11
Automation of the Micronucleus Assay Using Imaging Flow Cytometry and Artificial Intelligence
Published on: January 27, 2023
2.8K
An optofluidic system with integrated microlens arrays for parallel imaging flow cytometry.
Gregor Holzner1, Ying Du2, Xiaobao Cao1
1Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir Prelog Weg 1, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland. andrew.demello@chem.ethz.ch stavros.stavrakis@chem.ethz.ch.
Lab on a Chip
|October 26, 2018
Summary
This study introduces an optofluidic flow cytometer with microlens arrays for high-speed, high-resolution single-cell imaging. The novel platform enables efficient cell analysis at high throughputs, overcoming previous limitations in magnification and field of view.
Area of Science:
- Biophotonics
- Microfluidics
- Cellular Imaging
Background:
- High-speed imaging is crucial for analyzing single cells in flow.
- Current methods face a trade-off between magnification and throughput.
- Acquiring high-resolution data from wide fields of view remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an optofluidic flow cytometer for high-resolution, wide-field imaging of cells.
- To overcome the limitations of magnification versus field of view in cell analysis.
- To enable high-throughput single-cell analysis.
Main Methods:
- Integration of a refractive microlens array (MLA) into a flow cytometer.
- Utilizing an elasto-inertial approach for cell focusing in microfluidic channels.
- Characterization of microlens optical performance via simulations and experiments.
Main Results:
- The optofluidic platform achieves efficient imaging and magnification of micron-sized objects up to 4x.
- Demonstrated capability as an imaging flow cytometer.
- Successfully discriminated between hB and Jurkat cells at high throughputs (up to 50,000 cells/sec).
Conclusions:
- The developed optofluidic flow cytometer effectively addresses the challenge of high-resolution, wide-field imaging.
- The platform offers a significant advancement for high-throughput single-cell analysis.
- Enables efficient discrimination of cell types in flowing environments.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Flow Cytometry
16.2K
The development of flow cytometry techniques began in 1934 with initial attempts by Andrew Moldavan, a bacteriologist who counted the cells in a flowing capillary system. Moldavan pumped cells through a capillary tube focused under a microscope for visualization. The invention of photometry allowed the measurement of differentially-stained cells, and Louis Kamentsky developed the first multiparameter flow cytometer in 1965 to identify and count the cancer cells in cervical tissue specimens.
In...
In...
16.2K
01:17Steady, Laminar Flow Between Parallel Plates
866
Understanding steady, laminar flow between parallel plates is essential for analyzing and designing flow in narrow rectangular channels, commonly found in various water conveyance and drainage systems. The Navier-Stokes equations govern fluid motion and are generally challenging to solve due to their nonlinearity. However, simplifications are possible in certain cases, like the steady laminar flow between parallel plates. For this scenario, we assume steady, incompressible, laminar flow.
866
01:27Applications of Integration to Find Blood Flow
49
Blood flow through a cylindrical blood vessel can be mathematically described using the principles of laminar flow, a regime in which fluid moves smoothly in parallel layers. In this model, the velocity of the blood is not uniform across the cross-section of the vessel; rather, it varies with the radial distance from the center. The maximum velocity occurs along the central axis, decreasing progressively toward the vessel walls, where it reaches zero due to viscous drag.Approximating Blood...
49
01:23Parallel Resonance
563
The parallel RLC circuit is an arrangement where the resistor (R), inductor (L), and capacitor (C) are all connected to the same nodes and, as a result, share the same voltage across them. The parallel RLC circuit is analyzed in terms of admittance (Y), which reflects the ease with which current can flow. The admittance is given by:
563
01:20Parallel Processing
724
The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...
724
01:23Resistors In Parallel
6.2K
Resistors are in parallel when one end of all the resistors are connected to a continuous wire of negligible resistance and the other end of all the resistors are also connected to one another through a continuous wire of negligible resistance. In the case of a parallel configuration, the potential drop across each resistor is the same. Current through each resistor can be found using Ohm’s law, I = V/R, where the voltage is constant across each resistor. The sum of the individual currents...
6.2K