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Wide-field Fluorescent Microscopy and Fluorescent Imaging Flow Cytometry on a Cell-phone
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Prototype Smartphone-Based Device for Flow Cytometry with Immunolabeling via Supra-nanoparticle Assemblies of Quantum
Zhujun Xiao1, Ghinwa H Darwish1, Kimihiro Susumu2,3
1Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada.
ACS Measurement Science Au
|February 14, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed a portable smartphone-based flow cytometer (FC) using quantum dots and machine learning. This low-cost device can detect and count specific cells, paving the way for accessible cell analysis in healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Analytical Chemistry
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Flow cytometry is crucial for cell analysis but relies on large, expensive equipment.
- Smartphones offer a potential platform for portable, low-cost diagnostic tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a prototype smartphone-based flow cytometer (FC).
- To demonstrate the feasibility of using smartphones for cell detection, enumeration, and typing.
Main Methods:
- A compact, 3D-printed device integrated a laser diode, microfluidic cell, and smartphone camera.
- Immunofluorescently labeled cells were tracked using supra-nanoparticle assemblies of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (SiO2@QDs).
- A support vector machine (SVM) algorithm classified cell types based on measured color.
Main Results:
- The smartphone-FC successfully detected and enumerated target cells against background noise.
- The system could simultaneously count two distinct cell types in a mixture.
- Multicolor quantum dot conjugates enabled selective cell identification.
Conclusions:
- Smartphone-based flow cytometry is a viable, low-cost alternative to traditional methods.
- Further material and engineering advancements could lead to clinical applications.
- This technology has the potential to democratize cell analysis in healthcare settings.
