1
|
Zhang T, Di Carlo D, Lim CT, Zhou T, Tian G, Tang T, Shen AQ, Li W, Li M, Yang Y, Goda K, Yan R, Lei C, Hosokawa Y, Yalikun Y. Passive microfluidic devices for cell separation. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 71:108317. [PMID: 38220118 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The separation of specific cell populations is instrumental in gaining insights into cellular processes, elucidating disease mechanisms, and advancing applications in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, diagnostics, and cell therapies. Microfluidic methods for cell separation have propelled the field forward, benefitting from miniaturization, advanced fabrication technologies, a profound understanding of fluid dynamics governing particle separation mechanisms, and a surge in interdisciplinary investigations focused on diverse applications. Cell separation methodologies can be categorized according to their underlying separation mechanisms. Passive microfluidic separation systems rely on channel structures and fluidic rheology, obviating the necessity for external force fields to facilitate label-free cell separation. These passive approaches offer a compelling combination of cost-effectiveness and scalability when compared to active methods that depend on external fields to manipulate cells. This review delves into the extensive utilization of passive microfluidic techniques for cell separation, encompassing various strategies such as filtration, sedimentation, adhesion-based techniques, pinched flow fractionation (PFF), deterministic lateral displacement (DLD), inertial microfluidics, hydrophoresis, viscoelastic microfluidics, and hybrid microfluidics. Besides, the review provides an in-depth discussion concerning cell types, separation markers, and the commercialization of these technologies. Subsequently, it outlines the current challenges faced in the field and presents a forward-looking perspective on potential future developments. This work hopes to aid in facilitating the dissemination of knowledge in cell separation, guiding future research, and informing practical applications across diverse scientific disciplines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianlong Zhang
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Chwee Teck Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Guizhong Tian
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
| | - Tao Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
| | - Amy Q Shen
- Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Weihua Li
- School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Ming Li
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan 572000, China
| | - Keisuke Goda
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ruopeng Yan
- The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Cheng Lei
- The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yoichiroh Hosokawa
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Yaxiaer Yalikun
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lee LM, Bhatt KH, Haithcock DW, Prabhakarpandian B. Blood component separation in straight microfluidic channels. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:054106. [PMID: 37854890 PMCID: PMC10581738 DOI: 10.1063/5.0176457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Separation of blood components is required in many diagnostic applications and blood processes. In laboratories, blood is usually fractionated by manual operation involving a bulk centrifugation equipment, which significantly increases logistic burden. Blood sample processing in the field and resource-limited settings cannot be readily implemented without the use of microfluidic technology. In this study, we developed a small footprint, rapid, and passive microfluidic channel device that relied on margination and inertial focusing effects for blood component separation. No blood dilution, lysis, or labeling step was needed as to preserve sample integrity. One main innovation of this work was the insertion of fluidic restrictors at outlet ports to divert the separation interface into designated outlet channels. Thus, separation efficiency was significantly improved in comparison to previous works. We demonstrated different operation modes ranging from platelet or plasma extraction from human whole blood to platelet concentration from platelet-rich plasma through the manipulation of outlet port fluidic resistance. Using straight microfluidic channels with a high aspect ratio rectangular cross section, we demonstrated 95.4% platelet purity extracted from human whole blood. In plasma extraction, 99.9% RBC removal rate was achieved. We also demonstrated 2.6× concentration of platelet-rich plasma solution to produce platelet concentrate. The extraction efficiency and throughput rate are scalable with continuous and clog-free recirculation operation, in contrast to other blood fractionation approaches using filtration membranes or affinity-based purification methods. Our microfluidic blood separation method is highly tunable and versatile, and easy to be integrated into multi-step blood processing and advanced sample preparation workflows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lap Man Lee
- CFD Research Corporation, Huntsville, Alabama 35806, USA
| | - Ketan H. Bhatt
- CFD Research Corporation, Huntsville, Alabama 35806, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang Y, Zhou Y, Yang Y, Pappas D. Microfluidics for sepsis early diagnosis and prognosis: a review of recent methods. Analyst 2021; 146:2110-2125. [PMID: 33751011 DOI: 10.1039/d0an02374d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sepsis is a complex disorder of immune system response to infections that can be caused by a wide range of clinical contexts. Traditional methods for sepsis detection include molecular diagnosis, biomarkers either based on protein concentration or cell surface expression, and microbiological cultures. Development of point-of-care (POC) instruments, which can provide high accuracy and consume less time, is in unprecedented demand. Within the past few years, applications of microfluidic systems for sepsis detection have achieved excellent performance. In this review, we discuss the most recent microfluidic applications specifically in sepsis detection, and propose their advantages and disadvantages. We also present a comprehensive review of other traditional and current sepsis diagnosis methods to obtain a general understanding of the present conditions, which can hopefully direct the development of a new sepsis roadmap.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ye Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sugihara-Seki M, Onozawa T, Takinouchi N, Itano T, Seki J. Development of margination of platelet-sized particles in red blood cell suspensions flowing through Y-shaped bifurcating microchannels. Biorheology 2021; 57:101-116. [PMID: 33523035 DOI: 10.3233/bir-201010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the blood flow through microvessels, platelets exhibit enhanced concentrations in the layer free of red blood cells (cell-free layer) adjacent to the vessel wall. The motion of platelets in the cell-free layer plays an essential role in their interaction with the vessel wall, and hence it affects their functions of hemostasis and thrombosis. OBJECTIVE We aimed to estimate the diffusivity of platelet-sized particles in the transverse direction (the direction of vorticity) across the channel width in the cell-free layer by in vitro experiments for the microchannel flow of red blood cell (RBC) suspensions containing platelet-sized particles. METHODS Fluorescence microscope observations were performed to measure the transverse distribution of spherical particles immersed in RBC suspensions flowing through a Y-shaped bifurcating microchannel. We examined the development of the particle concentration profiles along the flow direction in the daughter channels, starting from asymmetric distributions with low concentrations on the inner side of the bifurcation at the inlet of the daughter channels. RESULTS In daughter channels of 40 μm width, reconstruction of particle margination revealed that a symmetric concentration profile was attained in ∼30 mm from the bifurcation, independent of flow rate. CONCLUSIONS We presented experimental evidence of particle margination developing in a bifurcating flow channel where the diffusivity of 2.9-μm diameter particles was estimated to be ∼40 μm2/s at a shear rate of 1000 s-1 and hematocrit of 0.2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masako Sugihara-Seki
- Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Kansai University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tenki Onozawa
- Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Kansai University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nozomi Takinouchi
- Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Kansai University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Itano
- Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Kansai University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Junji Seki
- Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Kansai University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Continuous erythrocyte removal and leukocyte separation from whole blood based on viscoelastic cell focusing and the margination phenomenon. J Chromatogr A 2019; 1595:230-239. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2019.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
6
|
Ozawa R, Iwadate H, Toyoda H, Yamada M, Seki M. A numbering-up strategy of hydrodynamic microfluidic filters for continuous-flow high-throughput cell sorting. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1828-1837. [PMID: 30998230 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00053d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Even though a number of microfluidic systems for particle/cell sorting have been proposed, facile and versatile platforms that provide sufficient sorting throughput and good operability are still under development. Here we present a simple but effective numbering-up strategy to dramatically increase the throughput of a continuous-flow particle/cell sorting scheme based on hydrodynamic filtration (HDF). A microfluidic channel equipped with multiple branches has been employed as a unit structure for size-based filtration, which realizes precise sorting without necessitating sheath flows. According to the concept of resistive circuit models, we designed and fabricated microdevices incorporating 64 or 128 closely assembled, multiplied units with a separation size of 5.0/7.0 μm. In proof-of-concept experiments, we successfully separated single micrometer-sized model particles and directly separated blood cells (erythrocytes and leukocytes) from blood samples. Additionally, we further increased the unit numbers by laminating multiple layers at a processing speed of up to 15 mL min-1. The presented numbering-up strategy would provide a valuable insight that is universally applicable to general microfluidic particle/cell sorters and may facilitate the actual use of microfluidic systems in biological studies and clinical diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryoken Ozawa
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Oeschger T, McCloskey D, Kopparthy V, Singh A, Erickson D. Point of care technologies for sepsis diagnosis and treatment. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:728-737. [PMID: 30724931 PMCID: PMC6392004 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc01102h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Sepsis is a rapidly progressing, life threatening immune response triggered by infection that affects millions worldwide each year. Current clinical diagnosis relies on broad physiological parameters and time consuming lab-based cell culture. If proper treatment is not provided, cases of sepsis can drastically increase in severity over the course of a few hours. Development of new point of care tools for sepsis has the potential to improve diagnostic speed and accuracy, leading to prompt administration of appropriate therapeutics, thereby reducing healthcare costs and improving patient outcomes. In this review we examine developing and commercially available technologies to assess the feasibility of rapid, accurate sepsis diagnosis, with emphasis on point of care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Oeschger
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Duncan McCloskey
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Varun Kopparthy
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ankur Singh
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - David Erickson
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ohlsson P, Petersson K, Augustsson P, Laurell T. Acoustic impedance matched buffers enable separation of bacteria from blood cells at high cell concentrations. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9156. [PMID: 29904138 PMCID: PMC6002537 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25551-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Sepsis is a common and often deadly systemic response to an infection, usually caused by bacteria. The gold standard for finding the causing pathogen in a blood sample is blood culture, which may take hours to days. Shortening the time to diagnosis would significantly reduce mortality. To replace the time-consuming blood culture we are developing a method to directly separate bacteria from red and white blood cells to enable faster bacteria identification. The blood cells are moved from the sample flow into a parallel stream using acoustophoresis. Due to their smaller size, the bacteria are not affected by the acoustic field and therefore remain in the blood plasma flow and can be directed to a separate outlet. When optimizing for sample throughput, 1 ml of undiluted whole blood equivalent can be processed within 12.5 min, while maintaining the bacteria recovery at 90% and the blood cell removal above 99%. That makes this the fastest label-free microfluidic continuous flow method per channel to separate bacteria from blood with high bacteria recovery (>80%). The high throughput was achieved by matching the acoustic impedance of the parallel stream to that of the blood sample, to avoid that acoustic forces relocate the fluid streams.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pelle Ohlsson
- Departament of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Klara Petersson
- Departament of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Per Augustsson
- Departament of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Thomas Laurell
- Departament of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chen Y, Feng Y, Wan J, Chen H. Enhanced separation of aged RBCs by designing channel cross section. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2018; 12:024106. [PMID: 29576837 PMCID: PMC5849466 DOI: 10.1063/1.5024598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Prolonged storage will alter the biophysical properties of red blood cells (RBCs), and it decreases the quality of stored blood for blood transfusion. It has been known that less deformable aged RBCs can be separated by margination, but the recognition of the storage time from the separation efficiency of the stiff RBCs is still a challenge. In this study, we realized enhanced separation of aged RBCs from normal RBCs by controlling the channel cross section and demonstrated that the storage time can be deduced from the percentage of the separated RBCs in the stored RBCs. This separation technology helps to reveal the regulation of time on the RBC aging mechanism and offer a new method to separate stiffened cells with high efficiency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuzhen Feng
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jiandi Wan
- Department of Microsystem Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 14623-5608, USA
| | - Haosheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Tay HM, Dalan R, Li KHH, Boehm BO, Hou HW. A Novel Microdevice for Rapid Neutrophil Purification and Phenotyping in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2018; 14:1702832. [PMID: 29168915 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201702832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Neutrophil dysfunction is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pathophysiology, but the prognostic potential of neutrophil biomarkers remains largely unexplored due to arduous leukocyte isolation methods. Herein, a novel integrated microdevice is reported for single-step neutrophil sorting and phenotyping (chemotaxis and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETosis)) using small blood volumes (fingerprick). Untouched neutrophils are purified on-chip from whole blood directly using biomimetic cell margination and affinity-based capture, and are exposed to preloaded chemoattractant or NETosis stimulant to initiate chemotaxis or NETosis, respectively. Device performance is first characterized using healthy and in vitro inflamed blood samples (tumor necrosis factor alpha, high glucose), followed by clinical risk stratification in a cohort of subjects with T2DM. Interestingly, "high-risk" T2DM patients characterized by severe chemotaxis impairment reveal significantly higher C-reactive protein levels and poor lipid metabolism characteristics as compared to "low-risk" subjects, and their neutrophil chemotaxis responses can be mitigated after in vitro metformin treatment. Overall, this unique and user-friendly microfluidics immune health profiling strategy can significantly aid the quantification of chemotaxis and NETosis in clinical settings, and be further translated into a tool for risk stratification and precision medicine methods in subjects with metabolic diseases such as T2DM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Min Tay
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Clinical Sciences Building Level 11, Singapore, 308232, Singapore
| | - Rinkoo Dalan
- Endocrine and Diabetes, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore, 308433, Singapore
| | - King Ho Holden Li
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Block N3, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Bernhard O Boehm
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Clinical Sciences Building Level 11, Singapore, 308232, Singapore
- Endocrine and Diabetes, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore, 308433, Singapore
| | - Han Wei Hou
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Clinical Sciences Building Level 11, Singapore, 308232, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yan S, Yuan D, Zhao Q, Zhang J, Li W. The Continuous Concentration of Particles and Cancer Cell Line Using Cell Margination in a Groove-Based Channel. MICROMACHINES 2017; 8:mi8110315. [PMID: 30400505 PMCID: PMC6189968 DOI: 10.3390/mi8110315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In the capillary venules, blood cells auto-separate with red blood cells aggregating near the centre of vessel and the nucleated cells marginating toward the wall of vessel. In this experiment, we used cell margination to help enrich the Jurkat cells via a groove-based channel which provides a vertical expansion-contraction structure, wherein the red blood cells invade the grooves and push the Jurkat cells to the bottom of the channel. The secondary flows induced by the anisotropic grooves bring the Jurkat cells to the right sidewall. Rigid, 13-µm diameter polystyrene particles were spiked into the whole blood to verify the operating principle under various working conditions, and then tests were carried out using Jurkat cells (~15 µm). The performance of this device was quantified by analysing the cell distribution in a transverse direction at the outlet, and then measuring the cell concentration from the corresponding outlets. The results indicate that Jurkat cells were enriched by 22.3-fold with a recovery rate of 83.4%, thus proving that this microfluidic platform provides a gentle and passive way to isolate intact and viable Jurkat cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Yan
- School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Dan Yuan
- School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Qianbin Zhao
- School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Jun Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China.
| | - Weihua Li
- School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Buchanan CM, Wood RL, Hoj TR, Alizadeh M, Bledsoe CG, Wood ME, McClellan DS, Blanco R, Hickey CL, Ravsten TV, Husseini GA, Robison RA, Pitt WG. Rapid separation of very low concentrations of bacteria from blood. J Microbiol Methods 2017; 139:48-53. [PMID: 28495585 PMCID: PMC5533616 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A rapid and accurate diagnosis of the species and antibiotic resistance of bacteria in septic blood is vital to increase survival rates of patients with bloodstream infections, particularly those with carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections. The extremely low levels in blood (1 to 100CFU/ml) make rapid diagnosis difficult. In this study, very low concentrations of bacteria (6 to 200CFU/ml) were separated from 7ml of whole blood using rapid sedimentation in a spinning hollow disk that separated plasma from red and white cells, leaving most of the bacteria suspended in the plasma. Following less than a minute of spinning, the disk was slowed, the plasma was recovered, and the bacteria were isolated by vacuum filtration. The filters were grown on nutrient plates to determine the number of bacteria recovered from the blood. Experiments were done without red blood cell (RBC) lysis and with RBC lysis in the recovered plasma. While there was scatter in the data from blood with low bacterial concentrations, the mean average recovery was 69%. The gender of the blood donor made no statistical difference in bacterial recovery. These results show that this rapid technique recovers a significant amount of bacteria from blood containing clinically relevant low levels of bacteria, producing the bacteria in minutes. These bacteria could subsequently be identified by molecular techniques to quickly identify the infectious organism and its resistance profile, thus greatly reducing the time needed to correctly diagnose and treat a blood infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clara M Buchanan
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Ryan L Wood
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Taalin R Hoj
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Mahsa Alizadeh
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Colin G Bledsoe
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Madison E Wood
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Daniel S McClellan
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Rae Blanco
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Caroline L Hickey
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Tanner V Ravsten
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Ghaleb A Husseini
- Chemical Engineering Department, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Richard A Robison
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - William G Pitt
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Alizadeh M, Wood RL, Buchanan CM, Bledsoe CG, Wood ME, McClellan DS, Blanco R, Ravsten TV, Husseini GA, Hickey CL, Robison RA, Pitt WG. Rapid separation of bacteria from blood - Chemical aspects. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2017; 154:365-372. [PMID: 28365426 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2017.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
To rapidly diagnose infectious organisms causing blood sepsis, bacteria must be rapidly separated from blood, a very difficult process considering that concentrations of bacteria are many orders of magnitude lower than concentrations of blood cells. We have successfully separated bacteria from red and white blood cells using a sedimentation process in which the separation is driven by differences in density and size. Seven mL of whole human blood spiked with bacteria is placed in a 12-cm hollow disk and spun at 3000rpm for 1min. The red and white cells sediment more than 30-fold faster than bacteria, leaving much of the bacteria in the plasma. When the disk is slowly decelerated, the plasma flows to a collection site and the red and white cells are trapped in the disk. Analysis of the recovered plasma shows that about 36% of the bacteria is recovered in the plasma. The plasma is not perfectly clear of red blood cells, but about 94% have been removed. This paper describes the effects of various chemical aspects of this process, including the influence of anticoagulant chemistry on the separation efficiency and the use of wetting agents and platelet aggregators that may influence the bacterial recovery. In a clinical scenario, the recovered bacteria can be subsequently analyzed to determine their species and resistance to various antibiotics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Alizadeh
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - Ryan L Wood
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - Clara M Buchanan
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - Colin G Bledsoe
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - Madison E Wood
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - Daniel S McClellan
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - Rae Blanco
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - Tanner V Ravsten
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - Ghaleb A Husseini
- Chemical Engineering Department, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Caroline L Hickey
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - Richard A Robison
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - William G Pitt
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yamada M, Seko W, Yanai T, Ninomiya K, Seki M. Slanted, asymmetric microfluidic lattices as size-selective sieves for continuous particle/cell sorting. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:304-314. [PMID: 27975084 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc01237j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Hydrodynamic microfluidic platforms have been proven to be useful and versatile for precisely sorting particles/cells based on their physicochemical properties. In this study, we demonstrate that a simple lattice-shaped microfluidic pattern can work as a virtual sieve for size-dependent continuous particle sorting. The lattice is composed of two types of microchannels ("main channels" and "separation channels"). These channels cross each other in a perpendicular fashion, and are slanted against the macroscopic flow direction. The difference in the densities of these channels generates an asymmetric flow distribution at each intersection. Smaller particles flow along the streamline, whereas larger particles are filtered and gradually separated from the stream, resulting in continuous particle sorting. We successfully sorted microparticles based on size with high accuracy, and clearly showed that geometric parameters, including the channel density and the slant angle, critically affect the sorting behaviors of particles. Leukocyte sorting and monocyte purification directly from diluted blood samples have been demonstrated as biomedical applications. The presented system for particle/cell sorting would become a simple but versatile unit operation in microfluidic apparatus for chemical/biological experiments and manipulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masumi Yamada
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
| | - Wataru Seko
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
| | - Takuma Yanai
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
| | - Kasumi Ninomiya
- Asahi Kasei Corp, 2-1 Samejima, Fuji-shi, Shizuoka 416-8501, Japan
| | - Minoru Seki
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Prieto JL, Su HW, Hou HW, Vera MP, Levy BD, Baron RM, Han J, Voldman J. Monitoring sepsis using electrical cell profiling. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:4333-4340. [PMID: 27722555 PMCID: PMC5535304 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00940a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Sepsis is a potentially lethal condition that may be ameliorated through early monitoring of circulating activated leukocytes for faster stratification of severity of illness and improved administration of targeted treatment. Characterization of the intrinsic electrical properties of leukocytes is label-free and can provide a quick way to quantify the number of activated cells as sepsis progresses. Iso-dielectric separation (IDS) uses dielectrophoresis (DEP) to characterize the electrical signatures of cells. Here, we use IDS to show that activated and non-activated leukocytes have different electrical properties. We then present a double-sided version of the IDS platform to increase throughput to characterize thousands of cells. This new platform is less prone to cell fouling and allows faster characterization. Using peripheral blood samples from a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model of polymicrobial sepsis in mice, we estimate the number of activated leukocytes by looking into differences in the electrical properties of cells. We show for the first time using animal models that electrical cell profiling correlates with flow cytometry (FC) results and that IDS is therefore a good candidate for providing rapid monitoring of sepsis by quantifying the number of circulating activated leukocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hao-Wei Su
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.
| | | | | | - Bruce D Levy
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Pitt WG, Alizadeh M, Husseini GA, McClellan DS, Buchanan CM, Bledsoe CG, Robison RA, Blanco R, Roeder BL, Melville M, Hunter AK. Rapid separation of bacteria from blood-review and outlook. Biotechnol Prog 2016; 32:823-39. [PMID: 27160415 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The high morbidity and mortality rate of bloodstream infections involving antibiotic-resistant bacteria necessitate a rapid identification of the infectious organism and its resistance profile. Traditional methods based on culturing the blood typically require at least 24 h, and genetic amplification by PCR in the presence of blood components has been problematic. The rapid separation of bacteria from blood would facilitate their genetic identification by PCR or other methods so that the proper antibiotic regimen can quickly be selected for the septic patient. Microfluidic systems that separate bacteria from whole blood have been developed, but these are designed to process only microliter quantities of whole blood or only highly diluted blood. However, symptoms of clinical blood infections can be manifest with bacterial burdens perhaps as low as 10 CFU/mL, and thus milliliter quantities of blood must be processed to collect enough bacteria for reliable genetic analysis. This review considers the advantages and shortcomings of various methods to separate bacteria from blood, with emphasis on techniques that can be done in less than 10 min on milliliter-quantities of whole blood. These techniques include filtration, screening, centrifugation, sedimentation, hydrodynamic focusing, chemical capture on surfaces or beads, field-flow fractionation, and dielectrophoresis. Techniques with the most promise include screening, sedimentation, and magnetic bead capture, as they allow large quantities of blood to be processed quickly. Some microfluidic techniques can be scaled up. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:823-839, 2016.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William G Pitt
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Mahsa Alizadeh
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Ghaleb A Husseini
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | | | - Clara M Buchanan
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Colin G Bledsoe
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Richard A Robison
- Dept. of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Rae Blanco
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | | | - Madison Melville
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Alex K Hunter
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| |
Collapse
|