Compact sheath-flow-free multichannel flow cytometer

描述（由申请人提供）：流式细胞仪是用于研究和诊断目的的细胞和大分子快速分析的宝贵工具。理想情况下，如果流式细胞术的设备更便宜、更小，甚至更便携，那么基于流式细胞术的分析可以使更多的研究人员和临床医生受益。在微流体和芯片实验室社区中发展的新的制造技术和设计方法对流式细胞术领域有很大的影响。我们开发了一种基于介质电泳（DEP）的颗粒聚焦通道，消除了传统流式细胞仪中对鞘流的需要。该装置利用产生负介电力的环形电极将颗粒聚焦在通道流的中心。进入流动池的唯一流体是分析物悬浮液。通过消除流体动力学聚焦和对复杂大流体和大量鞘层缓冲液的要求，可以实现更小、更简单、更实惠的细胞仪。本提案中所描述的努力目标是修改我们目前的原理验证设计，以使流式细胞术装置朝着改进的、可商业化的方向取得重大进展。流体动力学模拟将用于改进/重新设计DEP聚焦通道，以优化颗粒聚焦并实现更高的流速。基于改进的通道设计，将开发一种更简便的制造方法，以生产潜在的一次性信用卡大小的聚焦盒。最后，聚焦盒将集成一个小型的、市售的多波长荧光光学检测单元和一个荧光激发源，以产生一个工作原型的深度聚焦流式细胞仪。这个项目的长期目标是生产一种体积小，甚至可能是手持的流式细胞仪，它可以作为传统流式细胞仪的一种高性能，低成本的替代品而商业化。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Flow cytometers are valuable tools for the rapid analysis of cells and macromolecules for both research and diagnostic purposes. Ideally, flow cytometry based analysis could benefit more researchers and clinicians if the units were more affordable, smaller, and even portable. New fabrication techniques and design approaches developed in the microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip communities have great potential to impact the flow cytometry field. We have developed a dielectrophoresis (DEP)-based particle focusing channel that eliminates the need for the sheath flow used in conventional flow cytometers. This device utilizes annular electrodes that generate a negative dielectric force to focus particles in the center of the channel flow stream. The only fluid entering the flow cell is the analyte suspension. By eliminating hydrodynamic focusing and the requirement for complex macrofluidics and large volumes of sheath buffer, smaller, less complex and more affordable cytometers are enabled. The goal of the effort described in this proposal is to modify our current proof-of-principle design to make significant advances toward an improved, commercializable flow cytometry unit. Fluid dynamics simulations will be used to refine/redesign the DEP focusing channel to optimize particle focusing and achieve higher flow rates. A more facile fabrication method will be developed to yield a potentially disposable, credit-card sized focusing cartridge based upon the improved channel design. Finally, the focusing cartridge will be integrated with a small, commercially available multi-wavelength fluorescence optics detection unit and a fluorescence excitation source to yield a working prototype DEP-focused flow cytometry unit. The long-term goal of this project is to yield a small footprint, or perhaps even hand held, flow cytometer that could be commercialized as a high-performance, low-cost alternative to conventional flow cytometers.