New Generation of Ensemble-Decision Aliquot Ranking Based on Simplified Microfluidic Components for Large-Capacity Trapping of Circulating Tumor Cells

• Published in: Analytical chemistry (Washington) Vol. 85; no. 20; pp. 9671 - 9677
• Main Authors: Zhao, Mengxia, Nelson, Wyatt C., Wei, Bingchuan, Schiro, Perry G., Hakimi, Bejan M., Johnson, Eleanor S., Anand, Robbyn K., Gyurkey, Grace S., White, Lisa M., Whiting, Samuel H., Coveler, Andrew L., Chiu, Daniel T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 15-10-2013
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Separation - methods; Cells; Circulating; Fluid mechanics; Humans; Hydrodynamics; Lithography; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - methods; Microfluidics; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating - pathology; Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology; Ranking; Silicon - chemistry; Sorting; Trapping; Tumors
• ISSN: 0003-2700; 1520-6882
• DOI: 10.1021/ac401985r

Ensemble-decision aliquot ranking (eDAR) is a sensitive and high-throughput method to analyze circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood. Here, we report the next generation of eDAR, where we designed and optimized a new hydrodynamic switching scheme for the active sorting step in eDAR, which provided fast cell sorting with an improved reproducibility and stability. The microfluidic chip was also simplified by incorporating a functional area for subsequent purification using microslits fabricated by standard lithography method. Using the reported second generation of eDAR, we were able to analyze 1 mL of whole-blood samples in 12.5 min, with a 95% recovery and a zero false positive rate (n = 15).