Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, 62 Talbot Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
Lab Chip. 2016 Oct 7;16(19):3689-94. doi: 10.1039/c6lc00895j. Epub 2016 Sep 7.
The quantification of blood cells provides critical information about a patient's health status. Sophisticated analytical equipment, such as hematology analyzers, have been developed to perform these measurements, but limited-resource settings often lack the infrastructure required to purchase, operate, and maintain instrumentation. To address these practical challenges, paper-based microfluidic devices have emerged as a platform to develop diagnostic assays specifically for use at the point-of-care. To date, paper-based microfluidic devices have been used broadly in diagnostic assays that apply immunoassay, clinical chemistry, and electrochemistry techniques. The analysis of cells, however, has been largely overlooked. In this communication, we demonstrate a paper-based microfluidic device that enables the controlled transport of red blood cells (RBCs) and the measurement of the hematocrit-the ratio of RBC packed cell volume to total volume of whole blood. The properties of paper, device treatment, and device geometry affect the overall extent and reproducibility of transport of RBCs. Ultimately, we developed an inexpensive (US$0.03 per device) thermometer-styled device where the distance traveled by RBCs is proportional to the hematocrit. These results provide a foundation for the design of paper-based microfluidic devices that enable the separation and detection of cells in limited-resource settings.
血细胞的定量分析提供了关于患者健康状况的关键信息。已经开发出了复杂的分析设备，如血液分析仪，以进行这些测量，但资源有限的环境通常缺乏购买、操作和维护仪器所需的基础设施。为了解决这些实际挑战，基于纸张的微流控设备已成为开发专门用于即时护理点诊断检测的平台。迄今为止，基于纸张的微流控设备已广泛应用于应用免疫测定、临床化学和电化学技术的诊断检测。然而，对细胞的分析在很大程度上被忽视了。在本通讯中，我们展示了一种基于纸张的微流控设备，该设备能够控制红细胞（RBC）的输送，并测量血细胞比容（RBC 有形成分体积与全血总体积的比值）。纸张的特性、器件处理和器件几何形状影响 RBC 输送的整体程度和可重复性。最终，我们开发了一种廉价的（每个器件 0.03 美元）温度计样式的设备，其中 RBC 移动的距离与血细胞比容成正比。这些结果为设计能够在资源有限的环境中分离和检测细胞的基于纸张的微流控设备提供了基础。
