A Novel Microfluidic Device for Blood Plasma Filtration

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Proteins and blood cells interfere with clinical laboratory analysis of biological specimens.
• Previous microfluidic devices (e.g., electrokinetic size and mobility trap) have been developed for sample preparation.
• On-chip extraction and separation of small molecules from whole blood were previously achieved.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel microfluidic device for efficient on-chip plasma filtration from whole blood.
• To enable out-of-chip collection of blood plasma with high extraction yield.
• To demonstrate the device's capability in removing interfering substances for improved analyte detection.

Main Methods:

• Development of a microfluidic device with a nano-junction formed by dielectric breakdown.
• On-chip filtration of whole blood to separate plasma.
• Out-of-chip collection of filtered plasma.
• Analysis of filtered plasma using a previously developed microfluidic device.

Main Results:

• Achieved on-chip plasma filtration and out-of-chip collection within 5 minutes.
• Obtained a high plasma extraction yield of 62%.
• Demonstrated effective removal of blood cells and plasma proteins, enabling detection of low-concentration analytes.

Conclusions:

• The novel microfluidic filtration device efficiently separates plasma from whole blood.
• High plasma yield facilitates the detection of trace analytes in clinical diagnostics.
• This technology enhances the capabilities of clinical laboratory analysis by overcoming sample matrix interferences.