Integrating microfluidics and lensless imaging for point-of-care testing

• Published in: Biosensors & bioelectronics Vol. 24; no. 11; pp. 3208 - 3214
• Main Authors: Moon, SangJun, Keles, Hasan Onur, Ozcan, Aydogan, Khademhosseini, Ali, Hæggstrom, Edward, Kuritzkes, Daniel, Demirci, Utkan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.07.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; CCD-based cell counter; CD4 Lymphocyte Count - instrumentation; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HIV monitoring; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - instrumentation; Lenses; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - instrumentation; Pattern Recognition, Automated - methods; Photometry - instrumentation; POCT CD4 + monitoring; Point-of-Care Systems; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Systems Integration; HIV monitoring; CCD-based cell counter; POCT CD4 + monitoring; Fluid mechanics; Retroviridae; Imagery; Lentivirus; POCT CD4; Virus; Point of care testing; Imaging; Miniaturization; Human immunodeficiency virus; Microfluidics; Monitoring
• ISSN: 0956-5663; 1873-4235; 1873-4235
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2009.03.037

We demonstrate an integrated platform that merges a microfluidic chip with lensless imaging to target CD4 + T-lymphocyte counts for HIV point-of-care testing at resource-limited settings. The chips were designed and fabricated simply with a laser cutter without using expensive cleanroom equipment. To capture CD4 + T-lymphocytes from blood, anti-CD4 antibody was immobilized on only one side of the microfluidic chip. These captured cells were detected through an optically clear chip using a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor by lensless shadow imaging techniques. Gray scale image of the captured cells in a 24 mm × 4 mm × 50 μm microfluidic chip was obtained by the lensless imaging platform. The automatic cell counting software enumerated the captured cells in 3 s. Captured cells were also imaged with a fluorescence microscope and manually counted to characterize functionality of the integrated platform. The integrated platform achieved 70.2 ± 6.5% capture efficiency, 88.8 ± 5.4% capture specificity for CD4 + T-lymphocytes, 96 ± 1.6% CCD efficiency, and 83.5 ± 2.4% overall platform performance ( n = 9 devices) compared to the gold standard, i.e. flow cytometry count. The integrated system gives a CD4 count from blood within 10 min. The integrated platform points a promising direction for point-of-care testing (POCT) to rapidly capture, image and count subpopulations of cells from blood samples in an automated matter.