Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

High-Throughput, Label-Free Isolation of White Blood Cells From Whole Blood Using Parallel Spiral Microchannels With U-Shaped Cross-Section

Version 1 : Received: 28 September 2021 / Approved: 29 September 2021 / Online: 29 September 2021 (09:35:31 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Mehran, A.; Rostami, P.; Saidi, M.S.; Firoozabadi, B.; Kashaninejad, N. High-Throughput, Label-Free Isolation of White Blood Cells from Whole Blood Using Parallel Spiral Microchannels with U-Shaped Cross-Section. Biosensors 2021, 11, 406. Mehran, A.; Rostami, P.; Saidi, M.S.; Firoozabadi, B.; Kashaninejad, N. High-Throughput, Label-Free Isolation of White Blood Cells from Whole Blood Using Parallel Spiral Microchannels with U-Shaped Cross-Section. Biosensors 2021, 11, 406.

Abstract

Rapid isolation of white blood cells (WBCs) from whole blood is an essential part of any WBC examination platform. However, most conventional cell separation techniques are labor-intensive and low throughput, require large volumes of samples, need extensive cell manipulation, and have low purity. To address these challenges, we report the design and fabrication of a passive, label-free microfluidic device with a unique U-shaped cross-section to separate WBCs from whole blood using hydrodynamic forces that exist in a microchannel with curvilinear geometry. It is shown that the spiral microchannel with a U-shaped cross-section concentrates larger blood cells (e.g., WBCs) in the inner cross-section of the microchannel by moving smaller blood cells (e.g., red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets) to the outer microchannel section and preventing them from returning to the inner microchannel section. Therefore, it overcomes the major limitation of a rectangular cross-section where secondary Dean vortices constantly enforce particles throughout the entire cross-section and decrease its isolation efficiency. Under optimal settings, more than 95% of WBCs can be isolated from whole blood under high-throughput (6 ml/min), high-purity (88%), and high-capacity (180 ml of sample in 1 hour) conditions. High efficiency, fast processing time, and non-invasive WBC isolation from large blood samples without centrifugation, RBC lysis, cell biomarkers, and chemical pre-treatments make this method an ideal choice for downstream cell study platforms.

Keywords

WBC isolation; Spiral microchannels; Inertial microfluidics; Passive cell separation; High-throughput separation

Subject

Engineering, Bioengineering

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