Slanted spiral microfluidics for the ultra-fast, label-free isolation of circulating tumor cells

The enumeration and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), found in the peripheral blood of cancer patients, provide a potentially accessible source for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. This work reports on a novel spiral microfluidic device with a trapezoidal cross-section for ultra-fast, label-free enrichment of CTCs from clinically relevant blood volumes. The technique utilizes the inherent Dean vortex flows present in curvilinear microchannels under continuous flow, along with inertial lift forces which focus larger CTCs against the inner wall. Using a trapezoidal cross-section as opposed to a traditional rectangular cross-section, the position of the Dean vortex core can be altered to achieve…

• NR
  National Research Foundation
• NU
  National University of Singapore
• NR
  National Research Foundation Singapore
• MI
  Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore
• MR
  Medical Research Council
• NM
  National Medical Research Council