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Updated: Feb 3, 2026
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Fabrication, Operation and Flow Visualization in Surface-acoustic-wave-driven Acoustic-counterflow Microfluidics
Published on: August 27, 2013
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Surface Acoustic Wave-Based Assessment of Red Blood Cell Viability Following Cryopreservation
Xi Chen1,2, Zhaojiang Chen1, Shiqing Liu1
1College of Physics and Electronic Information Engineering, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, Zhejiang, China.
Analytical Chemistry
|February 2, 2026
Summary
A novel surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor offers noninvasive, real-time assessment of red blood cell (RBC) viability post-cryopreservation. This label-free method achieves high throughput and sensitivity, overcoming limitations of current techniques.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Sensor Technology
- Hematology
Background:
- Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are vital, necessitating cryopreservation for supply stability.
- Cryopreservation can compromise RBC integrity, requiring accurate post-thaw viability assessment.
- Existing viability assessment methods lack noninvasiveness, high throughput, real-time capability, label-free operation, and interference resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor system for label-free, real-time RBC viability assessment.
- To demonstrate the sensor's ability to distinguish between viable RBCs, damaged cells, and solutions.
- To compare the sensor's performance against established methods like UV spectrophotometry.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a microfluidic channel integrated with a SAW sensor to analyze RBC suspensions post-centrifugation.
- Monitored differential signal responses (amplitude-phase) between detection and reference channels.
- Defined RBC viability based on the ratio of amplitude differential responses.
Main Results:
- The SAW sensor reliably distinguished packed RBCs from hemoglobin solutions and was insensitive to RBC ghosts.
- RBC viability measurements strongly correlated with UV spectrophotometry (R² = 0.99625).
- Achieved a high assessment rate (~5.1 × 10⁵ cells/s) and a low limit of detection (0.05 μL), surpassing UVS sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- The SAW sensor provides a label-free, high-throughput, real-time, and nondestructive method for RBC viability assessment.
- This technology overcomes limitations of current methods, offering enhanced sensitivity and on-chip separation capabilities.
- The developed system holds significant potential for improving blood banking and transfusion medicine.
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