Simultaneous acoustic and photoacoustic microfluidic flow cytometry for label-free analysis.
Vaskar GnyawaliEric M StrohmJun-Zhi WangScott S H TsaiMichael C KoliosPublished in: Scientific reports (2019)
We developed a label-free microfluidic acoustic flow cytometer (AFC) based on interleaved detection of ultrasound backscatter and photoacoustic waves from individual cells and particles flowing through a microfluidic channel. The AFC uses ultra-high frequency ultrasound, which has a center frequency of 375 MHz, corresponding to a wavelength of 4 μm, and a nanosecondpulsed laser, to detect individual cells. We validate the AFC by using it to count different color polystyrene microparticles and comparing the results to data from fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). We also identify and count red and white blood cells in a blood sample using the AFC, and observe an excellent agreement with results obtained from FACS. This new label-free, non-destructive technique enables rapid and multi-parametric studies of individual cells of a large heterogeneous population using parameters such as ultrasound backscatter, optical absorption, and physical properties, for cell counting and sizing in biomedical and diagnostics applications.
Keyphrases
- label free
- induced apoptosis
- high frequency
- cell cycle arrest
- single cell
- magnetic resonance imaging
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- mental health
- flow cytometry
- signaling pathway
- circulating tumor cells
- high resolution
- machine learning
- mesenchymal stem cells
- computed tomography
- deep learning
- artificial intelligence
- cell proliferation
- electronic health record
- mass spectrometry
- loop mediated isothermal amplification
- contrast enhanced ultrasound
- sensitive detection