A Combined Microfluidic and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging(FLIM) Platform to Identify Mammalian Circulating Cancer Cells in Whole Blood

Brief Description

Separating and classifying circulating cancer cells from whole blood using a single cell trap microfluidic platform coupled with label free fluorescence life time imaging.

Full Description

Blood-borne metastasis caused by circulating cancer cells (CTC) is the cause of 90% of cancer related deaths. It has been shown that circulating cancer cells can be detected and classified by a liquid blood biopsy. Liquid biopsy utilizes microfluidics and imaging as a way to detect single CTCs from dense whole blood. Unfortunately, these current microfluidic biopsy techniques lack the sensitivity to detect CTCs in whole blood due to non-selective cell sorting nature of these methods.

Researchers at the University of California have developed a robust sensitive lab-on-a-chip platform to detect CTCs through a combined microfluidics and label-free approach via fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). FLIM is a non-invasive methodology that can differentiate innate biological fluorescent absorbers based on the time it takes for the absorber’s fluorescence brightness to fall. A FLIM-Phasor plot that contains all fluorescent lifetime(s) of a sample can provide a straight forward visualization of the different biochemical compounds and their chemical state in the sample. Utilizing such a FLIM-Phasor plot has shown clear differentiation between different cancer cells providing greater diagnostic information regarding the isolated CTCs.

Suggested uses

• Separating circulating tumor cells from whole blood
• Diagnosing sickle cell anemia
• Differentiate cancer and leukemia cells

Advantages

• Revealing molecular-level signature of tumor
• Low cost, disposable, ease of mass production
• Multifunctional diagnostic platform for different blood related diseases

Patent Status

Country	Type	Number	Dated	Case
United States Of America	Issued Patent	11,833,504	12/05/2023	2017-815

State Of Development

Invention has completed the conceptualization phase, simulation and preliminary experimental stage. Currently, the invention is undergoing design optimization to improve cell entrapment.