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Updated: Sep 13, 2025
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Multimodal Analytical Platform on a Multiplexed Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging Chip for the Analysis of Extracellular Vesicle Subsets
Published on: March 17, 2023
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Microfluidic nano-plasmonic imaging platform for purification- and label-free single small extracellular vesicle
Omid Mohsen Daraei1, Avinash Kumar Singh1, Saswat Mohapatra1
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX 77204 USA.
Npj Biosensing
|August 4, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel microfluidic chip for label-free detection of circulating small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in plasma. The purification-free PANORAMA platform enables rapid, sensitive single sEV characterization, advancing non-invasive disease diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Biomarkers and Diagnostics
- Nanotechnology and Microfluidics
Background:
- Circulating small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are promising non-invasive biomarkers for disease diagnosis.
- Current detection methods face challenges due to sEV size and plasma complexity, often requiring extensive sample preparation like purification and labeling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a purification-free and label-free method for sensitive single sEV characterization in plasma.
- To demonstrate the utility of a microfluidic chip integrated with PlAsmonic NanO-apeRture lAbel-free iMAging (PANORAMA) for sEV analysis.
Main Methods:
- A microfluidic chip utilizing arrayed gold nanodisks on invisible substrates (AGNIS) functionalized with sEV-specific antibodies (CD63, CD9, CD81) for selective capture.
- An automated platform enabling precise control over flow parameters for optimization.
- Label-free single sEV imaging and characterization using PANORAMA technology.
Main Results:
- The PANORAMA platform successfully performs label-free, single sEV characterization directly from plasma.
- The system requires minimal plasma volume (20 µL) and completes analysis within 60 minutes.
- The automated microfluidic approach minimizes operational errors and biases.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidic platform offers a sensitive and effective tool for detecting and characterizing circulating sEVs without the need for purification or labeling.
- This approach holds significant potential for advancing non-invasive disease diagnostics through improved sEV analysis.
