Flow cytometer for a dilution-free measurement approach with sample recollection

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Flow cytometry is a standard technique for blood sample analysis and patient diagnosis.
• Current methods often dilute and discard samples after initial testing, limiting further analysis.
• Recollecting samples for additional measurements is challenging due to dilution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and build a specialized flow cytometer capable of preserving undiluted samples.
• To enable multiple downstream analyses on the same blood sample aliquot.
• To reduce sample consumption and facilitate advanced analytical techniques.

Main Methods:

• Development of a purpose-built flow cytometer utilizing syringes, acoustic focusing, and an open fluidics system.
• Implementation of a sample recollection and reuse mechanism for unadulterated sample aliquots.
• Acquisition of forward, sideward, and fluorescence signals for comprehensive data collection.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated instrument performance and compared it with standard hydrodynamic focusing cytometers.
• Successfully performed multiple measurements on the same undiluted sample.
• Validated the concept for utilizing the same sample for diverse downstream applications.

Conclusions:

• The developed flow cytometer effectively preserves sample integrity for subsequent analyses.
• This technology supports advanced applications such as mass spectrometry and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
• The compact design and sample preservation capabilities offer significant advantages in biomedical research and diagnostics.