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Barbosa F, Dueñas-Pamplona J, Abreu CS, Oliveira MSN, Lima RA. Numerical Model Validation of the Blood Flow through a Microchannel Hyperbolic Contraction. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1886. [PMID: 37893323 PMCID: PMC10608998 DOI: 10.3390/mi14101886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of blood flow through hyperbolic contraction with a discrete phase model (DPM) was experimentally validated. For this purpose, the positions and velocities of red blood cells (RBCs) flowing in a microchannel with hyperbolic contraction were experimentally assessed using image analysis techniques, and were subsequently compared with the numerical results. The numerically and experimentally obtained velocity fields were in good agreement, with errors smaller than 10%. Additionally, a nearly constant strain rate was observed in the contraction region, which can be attributed to the quasilinear increase in the velocity along the hyperbolic contraction. Therefore, the numerical technique used was validated due to the close similarity between the numerically and experimentally obtained results. The tested CFD model can be used to optimize the microchannel design by minimizing the need to fabricate prototypes and evaluate them experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Barbosa
- Mechanical Engineering and Resource Sustainability Center (METRICS), University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal;
| | - Jorge Dueñas-Pamplona
- Departamento de Ingeniería Energética, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Cristiano S. Abreu
- Center for MicroElectromechanical Systems (CMEMS-UMinho), University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal;
- LABBELS—Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Physics Department, Porto Superior Engineering Institute, ISEP, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mónica S. N. Oliveira
- James Weir Fluids Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UK;
| | - Rui A. Lima
- Mechanical Engineering and Resource Sustainability Center (METRICS), University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal;
- CEFT—Transport Phenomena Research Center, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
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2
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Zainal Abidin NA, Timofeeva M, Szydzik C, Akbaridoust F, Lav C, Marusic I, Mitchell A, Hamilton JR, Ooi AS, Nesbitt WS. A microfluidic method to investigate platelet mechanotransduction under extensional strain. Res Pract Thromb Haemost 2023; 7:100037. [PMID: 36846647 PMCID: PMC9944983 DOI: 10.1016/j.rpth.2023.100037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Blood platelets have evolved a complex mechanotransduction machinery to rapidly respond to hemodynamic conditions. A variety of microfluidic flow-based approaches have been developed to explore platelet mechanotransduction; however, these experimental models primarily focus on the effects of increased wall shear stress on platelet adhesion events and do not consider the critical effects of extensional strain on platelet activation in free flow. Objectives We report the development and application of a hyperbolic microfluidic assay that allows for investigation of platelet mechanotransduction under quasi-homogenous extensional strain rates in the absence of surface adhesions. Methods Using a combined computational fluid dynamic and experimental microfluidic approach, we explore 5 extensional strain regimes (geometries) and their effect on platelet calcium signal transduction. Results We demonstrate that in the absence of canonical adhesion, receptor engagement platelets are highly sensitive to both initial increase and subsequent decrease in extensional strain rates within the range of 747 to 3319/s. Furthermore, we demonstrate that platelets rapidly respond to the rate of change in extensional strain and define a threshold of ≥7.33 × 106/s/m, with an optimal range of 9.21 × 107 to 1.32 × 108/s/m. In addition, we demonstrate a key role of both the actin-based cytoskeleton and annular microtubules in the modulation of extensional strain-mediated platelet mechanotransduction. Conclusion This method opens a window onto a novel platelet signal transduction mechanism and may have potential diagnostic utility in the identification of patients who are prone to thromboembolic complications associated with high-grade arterial stenosis or are on mechanical circulatory support systems, for which the extensional strain rate is a predominant hemodynamic driver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurul A. Zainal Abidin
- The Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mariia Timofeeva
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Crispin Szydzik
- The Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Farzan Akbaridoust
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Chitrarth Lav
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Scuderia AlphaTauri F1, Bicester, UK
| | - Ivan Marusic
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Arnan Mitchell
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Justin R. Hamilton
- The Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew S.H. Ooi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Warwick S. Nesbitt
- The Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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3
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Matthews K, Lamoureux ES, Myrand-Lapierre ME, Duffy SP, Ma H. Technologies for measuring red blood cell deformability. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:1254-1274. [PMID: 35266475 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01058a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Human red blood cells (RBCs) are approximately 8 μm in diameter, but must repeatedly deform through capillaries as small as 2 μm in order to deliver oxygen to all parts of the body. The loss of this capability is associated with the pathology of many diseases, and is therefore a potential biomarker for disease status and treatment efficacy. Measuring RBC deformability is a difficult problem because of the minute forces (∼pN) that must be exerted on these cells, as well as the requirements for throughput and multiplexing. The development of technologies for measuring RBC deformability date back to the 1960s with the development of micropipette aspiration, ektacytometry, and the cell transit analyzer. In the past 10 years, significant progress has been made using microfluidics by leveraging the ability to precisely control fluid flow through microstructures at the size scale of individual RBCs. These technologies have now surpassed traditional methods in terms of sensitivity, throughput, consistency, and ease of use. As a result, these efforts are beginning to move beyond feasibility studies and into applications to enable biomedical discoveries. In this review, we provide an overview of both traditional and microfluidic techniques for measuring RBC deformability. We discuss the capabilities of each technique and compare their sensitivity, throughput, and robustness in measuring bulk and single-cell RBC deformability. Finally, we discuss how these tools could be used to measure changes in RBC deformability in the context of various applications including pathologies caused by malaria and hemoglobinopathies, as well as degradation during storage in blood bags prior to blood transfusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerryn Matthews
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2054-6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Erik S Lamoureux
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2054-6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marie-Eve Myrand-Lapierre
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2054-6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Simon P Duffy
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Institute of Technology, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hongshen Ma
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2054-6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Urologic Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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4
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Foster KM, Papavassiliou DV, O’Rear EA. Elongational Stresses and Cells. Cells 2021; 10:2352. [PMID: 34572002 PMCID: PMC8471242 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluid forces and their effects on cells have been researched for quite some time, especially in the realm of biology and medicine. Shear forces have been the primary emphasis, often attributed as being the main source of cell deformation/damage in devices like prosthetic heart valves and artificial organs. Less well understood and studied are extensional stresses which are often found in such devices, in bioreactors, and in normal blood circulation. Several microfluidic channels utilizing hyperbolic, abrupt, or tapered constrictions and cross-flow geometries, have been used to isolate the effects of extensional flow. Under such flow cell deformations, erythrocytes, leukocytes, and a variety of other cell types have been examined. Results suggest that extensional stresses cause larger deformation than shear stresses of the same magnitude. This has further implications in assessing cell injury from mechanical forces in artificial organs and bioreactors. The cells' greater sensitivity to extensional stress has found utility in mechanophenotyping devices, which have been successfully used to identify pathologies that affect cell deformability. Further application outside of biology includes disrupting cells for increased food product stability and harvesting macromolecules for biofuel. The effects of extensional stresses on cells remains an area meriting further study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Edgar A. O’Rear
- Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (K.M.F.); (D.V.P.)
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5
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Sadek SH, Rubio M, Lima R, Vega EJ. Blood Particulate Analogue Fluids: A Review. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:2451. [PMID: 34065125 PMCID: PMC8126041 DOI: 10.3390/ma14092451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidics has proven to be an extraordinary working platform to mimic and study blood flow phenomena and the dynamics of components of the human microcirculatory system. However, the use of real blood increases the complexity to perform these kinds of in vitro blood experiments due to diverse problems such as coagulation, sample storage, and handling problems. For this reason, interest in the development of fluids with rheological properties similar to those of real blood has grown over the last years. The inclusion of microparticles in blood analogue fluids is essential to reproduce multiphase effects taking place in a microcirculatory system, such as the cell-free layer (CFL) and Fähraeus-Lindqvist effect. In this review, we summarize the progress made in the last twenty years. Size, shape, mechanical properties, and even biological functionalities of microparticles produced/used to mimic red blood cells (RBCs) are critically exposed and analyzed. The methods developed to fabricate these RBC templates are also shown. The dynamic flow/rheology of blood particulate analogue fluids proposed in the literature (with different particle concentrations, in most of the cases, relatively low) is shown and discussed in-depth. Although there have been many advances, the development of a reliable blood particulate analogue fluid, with around 45% by volume of microparticles, continues to be a big challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Hassan Sadek
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales and Instituto de Computación Científica Avanzada (ICCAEx), Universidad de Extremadura, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain; (S.H.S.); (M.R.)
| | - Manuel Rubio
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales and Instituto de Computación Científica Avanzada (ICCAEx), Universidad de Extremadura, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain; (S.H.S.); (M.R.)
| | - Rui Lima
- MEtRICs, Mechanical Engineering Department, Campus de Azurém, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal;
- Transport Phenomena Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Emilio José Vega
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales and Instituto de Computación Científica Avanzada (ICCAEx), Universidad de Extremadura, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain; (S.H.S.); (M.R.)
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6
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Hymel SJ, Lan H, Khismatullin DB. Elongation Index as a Sensitive Measure of Cell Deformation in High-Throughput Microfluidic Systems. Biophys J 2020; 119:493-501. [PMID: 32697978 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the promising approaches for high-throughput screening of cell mechanotype is microfluidic deformability cytometry (mDC), in which the apparent deformation index (DI) of the cells stretched by extensional flow at the stagnation point of a cross-slot microchannel is measured. The DI is subject to substantial measurement errors due to cell offset from the flow centerline and velocity fluctuations in inlet channels, leading to artificial widening of DI versus cell size plots. Here, we simulated an mDC experiment using a custom computational algorithm for viscoelastic cell migration. Cell motion and deformation in a cross-slot channel was modeled for fixed or randomized values of cellular mechanical properties (diameter, shear elasticity, cortical tension) and initial cell placement, with or without sinusoidal fluctuations between the inlet velocities. Our numerical simulation indicates that mDC loses sensitivity to changes in shear elasticity when the offset distance exceeds 5 μm, and just 1% velocity fluctuation causes an 11.7% drop in the DI. The obtained relationships between the cell diameter, shear elasticity, and offset distance were used to establish a new measure of cell deformation, referred to as the "elongation index" (EI). In the randomized study, the EI scatter plots were visibly separated for the low- and high-elasticity populations of cells, with a mean of 300 and 3500 Pa, whereas the standard DI output was unable to distinguish between these two groups of cells. The successful suppression of the offset artifacts with a narrower data distribution was shown for the EI output of MCF-7 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J Hymel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Hongzhi Lan
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Damir B Khismatullin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
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7
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A Microfluidic Deformability Assessment of Pathological Red Blood Cells Flowing in a Hyperbolic Converging Microchannel. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:mi10100645. [PMID: 31557932 PMCID: PMC6843121 DOI: 10.3390/mi10100645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The loss of the red blood cells (RBCs) deformability is related with many human diseases, such as malaria, hereditary spherocytosis, sickle cell disease, or renal diseases. Hence, during the last years, a variety of technologies have been proposed to gain insights into the factors affecting the RBCs deformability and their possible direct association with several blood pathologies. In this work, we present a simple microfluidic tool that provides the assessment of motions and deformations of RBCs of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients, under a well-controlled microenvironment. All of the flow studies were performed within a hyperbolic converging microchannels where single-cell deformability was assessed under a controlled homogeneous extensional flow field. By using a passive microfluidic device, RBCs passing through a hyperbolic-shaped contraction were measured by a high-speed video microscopy system, and the velocities and deformability ratios (DR) calculated. Blood samples from 27 individuals, including seven healthy controls and 20 having ESKD with or without diabetes, were analysed. The obtained data indicates that the proposed device is able to detect changes in DR of the RBCs, allowing for distinguishing the samples from the healthy controls and the patients. Overall, the deformability of ESKD patients with and without diabetes type II is lower in comparison with the RBCs from the healthy controls, with this difference being more evident for the group of ESKD patients with diabetes. RBCs from ESKD patients without diabetes elongate on average 8% less, within the hyperbolic contraction, as compared to healthy controls; whereas, RBCs from ESKD patients with diabetes elongate on average 14% less than the healthy controls. The proposed strategy can be easily transformed into a simple and inexpensive diagnostic microfluidic system to assess blood cells deformability due to the huge progress in image processing and high-speed microvisualization technology.
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8
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A Passive Microfluidic Device Based on Crossflow Filtration for Cell Separation Measurements: A Spectrophotometric Characterization. BIOSENSORS-BASEL 2018; 8:bios8040125. [PMID: 30544881 PMCID: PMC6316345 DOI: 10.3390/bios8040125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic devices have been widely used as a valuable research tool for diagnostic applications. Particularly, they have been related to the successful detection of different diseases and conditions by assessing the mechanical properties of red blood cells (RBCs). Detecting deformability changes in the cells and being able to separate those cells may be a key factor in assuring the success of detection of some blood diseases with diagnostic devices. To detect and separate the chemically modified RBCs (mimicking disease-infected RBCs) from healthy RBCs, the present work proposes a microfluidic device comprising a sequence of pillars with different gaps and nine different outlets used to evaluate the efficiency of the device by measuring the optical absorption of the collected samples. This latter measurement technique was tested to distinguish between healthy RBCs and RBCs chemically modified with glutaraldehyde. The present study indicates that it was possible to detect a slight differences between the samples using an optical absorption spectrophotometric setup. Hence, the proposed microfluidic device has the potential to perform in one single step a partial passive separation of RBCs based on their deformability.
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9
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Bento D, Rodrigues RO, Faustino V, Pinho D, Fernandes CS, Pereira AI, Garcia V, Miranda JM, Lima R. Deformation of Red Blood Cells, Air Bubbles, and Droplets in Microfluidic Devices: Flow Visualizations and Measurements. MICROMACHINES 2018; 9:E151. [PMID: 30424085 PMCID: PMC6187860 DOI: 10.3390/mi9040151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Techniques, such as micropipette aspiration and optical tweezers, are widely used to measure cell mechanical properties, but are generally labor-intensive and time-consuming, typically involving a difficult process of manipulation. In the past two decades, a large number of microfluidic devices have been developed due to the advantages they offer over other techniques, including transparency for direct optical access, lower cost, reduced space and labor, precise control, and easy manipulation of a small volume of blood samples. This review presents recent advances in the development of microfluidic devices to evaluate the mechanical response of individual red blood cells (RBCs) and microbubbles flowing in constriction microchannels. Visualizations and measurements of the deformation of RBCs flowing through hyperbolic, smooth, and sudden-contraction microchannels were evaluated and compared. In particular, we show the potential of using hyperbolic-shaped microchannels to precisely control and assess small changes in RBC deformability in both physiological and pathological situations. Moreover, deformations of air microbubbles and droplets flowing through a microfluidic constriction were also compared with RBCs deformability.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bento
- Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, ESTiG/IPB, C. Sta. Apolónia, 5301-857 Bragança, Portugal.
- CEFT, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP) Rua Roberto Frias, 4800-058 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Raquel O Rodrigues
- Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, ESTiG/IPB, C. Sta. Apolónia, 5301-857 Bragança, Portugal.
- LCM-Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials-Associate Laboratory LSRE/LCM, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP) Rua Roberto Frias, 4800-058 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Vera Faustino
- MEMS-UMinho Research Unit, Universidade do Minho, DEI, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Diana Pinho
- Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, ESTiG/IPB, C. Sta. Apolónia, 5301-857 Bragança, Portugal.
- CEFT, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP) Rua Roberto Frias, 4800-058 Porto, Portugal.
- Centro de Investigação em Digitalização e Robótica Inteligente (CeDRI), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal.
| | - Carla S Fernandes
- Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, ESTiG/IPB, C. Sta. Apolónia, 5301-857 Bragança, Portugal.
| | - Ana I Pereira
- Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, ESTiG/IPB, C. Sta. Apolónia, 5301-857 Bragança, Portugal.
- Centro de Investigação em Digitalização e Robótica Inteligente (CeDRI), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal.
- Algoritmi R&D Centre, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Valdemar Garcia
- Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, ESTiG/IPB, C. Sta. Apolónia, 5301-857 Bragança, Portugal.
| | - João M Miranda
- CEFT, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP) Rua Roberto Frias, 4800-058 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Rui Lima
- CEFT, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP) Rua Roberto Frias, 4800-058 Porto, Portugal.
- MEtRiCS, Mechanical Engineering Department, Campus de Azurém, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal.
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10
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Merola F, Barroso Á, Miccio L, Memmolo P, Mugnano M, Ferraro P, Denz C. Biolens behavior of RBCs under optically-induced mechanical stress. Cytometry A 2017; 91:527-533. [DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.23085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Merola
- Istituto di Scienze Applicate e Sistemi Intelligenti del CNR (ISASI-CNR); Via Campi Flegrei 34 Pozzuoli 80078 Italy
| | - Álvaro Barroso
- Institute of Applied Physics, University of Muenster; Corrensstrasse 2-4 Muenster 48149 Germany
| | - Lisa Miccio
- Istituto di Scienze Applicate e Sistemi Intelligenti del CNR (ISASI-CNR); Via Campi Flegrei 34 Pozzuoli 80078 Italy
| | - Pasquale Memmolo
- Istituto di Scienze Applicate e Sistemi Intelligenti del CNR (ISASI-CNR); Via Campi Flegrei 34 Pozzuoli 80078 Italy
| | - Martina Mugnano
- Istituto di Scienze Applicate e Sistemi Intelligenti del CNR (ISASI-CNR); Via Campi Flegrei 34 Pozzuoli 80078 Italy
| | - Pietro Ferraro
- Istituto di Scienze Applicate e Sistemi Intelligenti del CNR (ISASI-CNR); Via Campi Flegrei 34 Pozzuoli 80078 Italy
| | - Cornelia Denz
- Institute of Applied Physics, University of Muenster; Corrensstrasse 2-4 Muenster 48149 Germany
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11
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An On-Chip RBC Deformability Checker Significantly Improves Velocity-Deformation Correlation. MICROMACHINES 2016; 7:mi7100176. [PMID: 30404351 PMCID: PMC6190329 DOI: 10.3390/mi7100176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
An on-chip deformability checker is proposed to improve the velocity–deformation correlation for red blood cell (RBC) evaluation. RBC deformability has been found related to human diseases, and can be evaluated based on RBC velocity through a microfluidic constriction as in conventional approaches. The correlation between transit velocity and amount of deformation provides statistical information of RBC deformability. However, such correlations are usually only moderate, or even weak, in practical evaluations due to limited range of RBC deformation. To solve this issue, we implemented three constrictions of different width in the proposed checker, so that three different deformation regions can be applied to RBCs. By considering cell responses from the three regions as a whole, we practically extend the range of cell deformation in the evaluation, and could resolve the issue about the limited range of RBC deformation. RBCs from five volunteer subjects were tested using the proposed checker. The results show that the correlation between cell deformation and transit velocity is significantly improved by the proposed deformability checker. The absolute values of the correlation coefficients are increased from an average of 0.54 to 0.92. The effects of cell size, shape and orientation to the evaluation are discussed according to the experimental results. The proposed checker is expected to be useful for RBC evaluation in medical practices.
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12
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Haward SJ. Microfluidic extensional rheometry using stagnation point flow. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2016; 10:043401. [PMID: 27099647 PMCID: PMC4826384 DOI: 10.1063/1.4945604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of the extensional rheometry of fluids with complex microstructures is of great relevance to the optimization of a wide range of industrial applications and for understanding various natural processes, biological functions, and diseases. However, quantitative measurement of the extensional properties of complex fluids has proven elusive to researchers, particularly in the case of low viscosity, weakly elastic fluids. For some time, microfluidic platforms have been recognized as having the potential to fill this gap and various approaches have been proposed. This review begins with a general discussion of extensional viscosity and the requirements of an extensional rheometer, before various types of extensional rheometers (particularly those of microfluidic design) are critically discussed. A specific focus is placed on microfluidic stagnation point extensional flows generated by cross-slot type devices, for which some important developments have been reported during the last 10 years. Additional emphasis is placed on measurements made on relevant biological fluids. Finally, the operating limits of the cross-slot extensional rheometer (chiefly imposed by the onset of elastic and inertial flow instabilities) are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Haward
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University , Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
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Abstract
Traditionally, cell analysis has focused on using molecular biomarkers for basic research, cell preparation, and clinical diagnostics; however, new microtechnologies are enabling evaluation of the mechanical properties of cells at throughputs that make them amenable to widespread use. We review the current understanding of how the mechanical characteristics of cells relate to underlying molecular and architectural changes, describe how these changes evolve with cell-state and disease processes, and propose promising biomedical applications that will be facilitated by the increased throughput of mechanical testing: from diagnosing cancer and monitoring immune states to preparing cells for regenerative medicine. We provide background about techniques that laid the groundwork for the quantitative understanding of cell mechanics and discuss current efforts to develop robust techniques for rapid analysis that aim to implement mechanophenotyping as a routine tool in biomedicine. Looking forward, we describe additional milestones that will facilitate broad adoption, as well as new directions not only in mechanically assessing cells but also in perturbing them to passively engineer cell state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Darling
- Center for Biomedical Engineering.,Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology.,Department of Orthopaedics, and.,School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912;
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Bioengineering.,California NanoSystems Institute, and.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095;
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