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Clinical Microfluidic Chip Platform for the Isolation of Versatile Circulating Tumor Cells
Published on: October 13, 2023
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Continuous CTC separation through a DEP-based contraction-expansion inertial microfluidic channel.
Md Sadiqul Islam1, Xiaolin Chen1
1School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave, Vancouver, Washington, 98686, USA.
Biotechnology Progress
|March 27, 2023
Summary
This study introduces a novel microfluidic device using curved channels, dielectrophoresis, and inertial microfluidics to efficiently isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from white blood cells (WBCs). The label-free method achieves high throughput and separation accuracy, regardless of cell size.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Microfluidics
- Cell Separation Technology
Background:
- Efficient isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is crucial for cancer diagnostics and treatment.
- Conventional methods struggle to separate CTCs from white blood cells (WBCs) due to overlapping sizes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, label-free microfluidic approach for isolating CTCs from WBCs, overcoming size limitations.
- To demonstrate a continuous and tunable cell separation technique.
Main Methods:
- A hybrid microfluidic system combining curved contraction-expansion (CE) channels with dielectrophoresis (DEP) and inertial microfluidics.
- Utilizing dielectric properties and cell size variations for label-free CTC separation.
- Optimizing separation by adjusting CE channel design, voltage, frequency, and flow rate.
Main Results:
- Effective isolation of A549 CTCs from WBCs irrespective of cell size.
- Achieved a high throughput of 300 μL/min and a separation distance of 233.4 μm at 50 Vp-p.
- Demonstrated tunability of cell migration characteristics through controlled parameters.
Conclusions:
- The proposed hybrid microfluidic channel offers a promising label-free, single-stage separation method for CTCs.
- This technology presents a viable alternative to existing cell separation techniques with broad biomedical applications.
