Astrego Diagnostics Ab

Sysmex Corporation

Sysmex Astrego Ab

Mikael Olsson

Martin Lovmar

Ove Öhman

Johan Elf

Özden Baltekin

Michael Read

Johan Öhman

Lovisa Söderberg

Elias Amselem

Petter Hammar

Robert Fredriksson

ÖZden Baltekin

A capturing of target cells from a biological sample is achieved by inducing a flow of the biological sample in a flow channel () of an upstream microfluidic device (). Target cells present in the biological sample are captured in cell channels () of the upstream microfluidic device (). Once at least a minimum number of target cells are captured in the cell channels (), the flow of the biological sample in the flow channel is reduced and are verse flow is applied at the upstream microfluidic device () to release the target cells captured in the cell channels () of the upstream microfluidic device () and enable transfer the target cells into cell channels () of a downstream microfluidic device ().

Cell capture in microfluidic devices

Phenotyping of cells involves loading a biological sample into a microfluidic device () comprising cell compartments () to capture biological material, including target cells, in the sample in the cell compartments (). A subset (A) of the cell compartments () is identified as comprising target cells exhibiting target phenotype characteristic(s) as determined based on monitoring biological material in the cell compartments () prior to addition of a test agent. The biological material is exposed to a test agent and a phenotypic response of the target cells to the test agent is determined based on monitoring target cells in the identified subset (A) of the cell compartments (). The phenotyping of the target cells is thereby not overshadowed by the response of other cells and non-cell material present in the biological sample.

Phenotypic characterization of cells

A sample loading cartridge () for a microfluidic device comprises a cartridge body () with a sample reservoir () configured to house a volume of a liquid sample () and a sample port () in connection with the sample reservoir (). The cartridge () also comprises an output channel () extending from the sample reservoir () and a feedback channel () connected to the sample reservoir () and to the sample port (). The cartridge body () comprises a detection portion () aligned with the feedback channel () to enable detection of any sample () in the feedback channel (). The flow resistance of the feedback channel () is lower than the flow resistance of the output channel () to cause liquid sample () received in the sample port () to enter the feedback channel () with substantially no liquid sample () entering the output channel ().

Sample loading cartridge

A microfluidic device () comprises a substrate () having a flow input channel () in fluid connection with a first fluid port () and a flow output channel () in fluid connection with a third fluid port () and cell channels () disposed between the flow input channel () and the flow output channel (). The cell channels () comprise a respective obstruction () designed to prevent the target cells from passing the respective obstruction () and into the flow output channel (). The microfluidic device () also comprises a pre-filter () with a filter channel () in fluid connection with a first filter port () and pre-filter channels () adapted to accommodate the target cells. A respective first end () of the pre-filter channels () is in fluid connection with the filter channel () and a respective second end () of the pre-filter channels () is in fluid connection with the flow input channel ().

Microfluidic device

Growing community of inventors

Uppsala, Sweden

Mikael Olsson