A Microfluidic Chip Based on Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance for Real-Time Monitoring of Antigen-Antibody Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Hiep, Ha Minh; Nakayama, Tsuyoshi; Saito, Masato; Yamamura, Shohei; Takamura, Yuzuru; Tamiya, Eiichi

2008-02-01

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) connecting to noble metal nanoparticles is an important issue for many analytical and biological applications. Therefore, the development of microfluidic LSPR chip that allows studying biomolecular interactions becomes an essential requirement for micro total analysis systems (µTAS) integration. However, miniaturized process of the conventional surface plasmon resonance system has been faced with some limitations, especially with the usage of Kretschmann configuration in total internal reflection mode. In this study, we have tried to solve this problem by proposing a novel microfluidic LSPR chip operated with a simple collinear optical system. The poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) based microfluidic chip was fabricated by soft-lithography technique and enables to interrogate specific insulin and anti-insulin antibody reaction in real-time after immobilizing antibody on its surface. Moreover, the sensing ability of microfluidic LSPR chip was also evaluated with various glucose concentrations. The kinetic constant of insulin and anti-insulin antibody was determined and the detection limit of 100 ng/mL insulin was archived.

Preoperative localization of epileptic foci with SPECT brain perfusion imaging, electrocorticography, surgery and pathology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Shaowei; Xu Wengui; Chen Hongyan; Weng Yongmei; Yang Pinghua

2002-01-01

Objective: The value of preoperative localization of epileptic foci with SPECT brain perfusion imaging was investigated. Methods: The study population consisted of 23 patients with intractable partial seizures which was difficult to control with anticonvulsant for long period. In order to preoperatively locate the epileptic foci, double SPECT brain perfusion imaging was performed during interictal and ictal stage. The foci were confirmed with electrocorticography (EcoG), surgery and pathology. Results: The author checked with EcoG the foci shown by SPECT, 23 patients had all typical spike discharge. The regions of radioactivity increase in ictal matched with the abnormal electrical activity areas that EcoG showed. The spike wave originated in the corresponding cerebrum cortex instead of hyperplastic and adherent arachnoid or tumor itself. Conclusions: SPECT brain perfusion imaging contributes to distinguishing location, size, perfusion and functioning of epileptogenic foci, and has some directive function on to making out a treatment programme at preoperation

A disposable and multifunctional capsule for easy operation of microfluidic elastomer systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorslund, Sara; Läräng, Thomas; Kreuger, Johan; Nguyen, Hugo; Barkefors, Irmeli

2011-01-01

The global lab-on-chip and microfluidic markets for cell-based assays have been predicted to grow considerably, as novel microfluidic systems enable cell biologists to perform in vitro experiments at an unprecedented level of experimental control. Nevertheless, microfluidic assays must, in order to compete with conventional assays, be made available at easily affordable costs, and in addition be made simple to operate for users having no previous experience with microfluidics. We have to this end developed a multifunctional microfluidic capsule that can be mass-produced at low cost in thermoplastic material. The capsule enables straightforward operation of elastomer inserts of optional design, here exemplified with insert designs for molecular gradient formation in microfluidic cell culture systems. The integrated macro–micro interface of the capsule ensures reliable connection of the elastomer fluidic structures to an external perfusion system. A separate compartment in the capsule filled with superabsorbent material is used for internal waste absorption. The capsule assembly process is made easy by integrated snap-fits, and samples within the closed capsule can be analyzed using both inverted and upright microscopes. Taken together, the capsule concept presented here could help accelerate the use of microfluidic-based biological assays in the life science sector. (technical note)

Deformable Nanovesicles Synthesized through an Adaptable Microfluidic Platform for Enhanced Localized Transdermal Drug Delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naren Subbiah

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Phospholipid-based deformable nanovesicles (DNVs that have flexibility in shape offer an adaptable and facile method to encapsulate diverse classes of therapeutics and facilitate localized transdermal delivery while minimizing systemic exposure. Here we report the use of a microfluidic reactor for the synthesis of DNVs and show that alteration of input parameters such as flow speeds as well as molar and flow rate ratios increases entrapment efficiency of drugs and allows fine-tuning of DNV size, elasticity, and surface charge. To determine the ability of DNV-encapsulated drug to be delivered transdermally to a local site, we synthesized, characterized, and tested DNVs carrying the fluorescently labeled hydrophilic bisphosphonate drug AF-647 zoledronate (AF647-Zol. AF647-Zol DNVs were lyophilized, resuspended, and applied topically as a paste to the calvarial skin of mice. High-resolution fluorescent imaging and confocal microscopy revealed significant increase of encapsulated payload delivery to the target tissue—cranial bone—by DNVs as compared to nondeformable nanovesicles (NVs or aqueous drug solutions. Interestingly, NV delivery was not superior to aqueous drug solution. Our studies show that microfluidic reactor-synthesized DNVs can be produced in good yield, with high encapsulation efficiency, reproducibility, and stability after storage, and represent a useful vehicle for localized transdermal drug delivery.

Wet cupping therapy improves local blood perfusion and analgesic effects in patients with nerve-root type cervical spondylosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Xiang-Wen; Wang, Ying; Piao, Sheng-Ai; Lv, Wen-Tao; Zhu, Cheng-Hui; Mu, Ming-Yuan; Li, Dan-Dan; Liu, Hua-Peng; Guo, Yi

2018-01-15

To observe wet cupping therapy (WCT) on local blood perfusion and analgesic effects in patients with nerve-root type cervical spondylosis (NT-CS). Fifty-seven NT-CS patients were randomly divided into WCT group and Jiaji acupoint-acupuncture (JA) group according a random number table. WCT group (30 cases) was treated with WCT for 10 min, and JA group (27 cases) was treated with acupuncture for 10 min. The treatment effificacies were evaluated with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Blood perfusion at Dazhui (GV 14) and Jianjing (GB 21) acupoints (affected side) was observed with a laser speckle flflowmetry, and its variations before and after treatment in both groups were compared as well. In both groups, the VAS scores signifificantly decreased after the intervention (P<0.01), while the blood perfusion at the two acupoints signifificantly increased after intervention (P<0.05); however, the increasement magnitude caused by WCT was obvious compared with JA (P<0.05). WCT could improve analgesic effects in patients with NT-CS, which might be related to increasing local blood perfusion of acupunct points.

Desktop aligner for fabrication of multilayer microfluidic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiang; Yu, Zeta Tak For; Geraldo, Dalton; Weng, Shinuo; Alve, Nitesh; Dun, Wu; Kini, Akshay; Patel, Karan; Shu, Roberto; Zhang, Feng; Li, Gang; Jin, Qinghui; Fu, Jianping

2015-07-01

Multilayer assembly is a commonly used technique to construct multilayer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices with complex 3D architecture and connectivity for large-scale microfluidic integration. Accurate alignment of structure features on different PDMS layers before their permanent bonding is critical in determining the yield and quality of assembled multilayer microfluidic devices. Herein, we report a custom-built desktop aligner capable of both local and global alignments of PDMS layers covering a broad size range. Two digital microscopes were incorporated into the aligner design to allow accurate global alignment of PDMS structures up to 4 in. in diameter. Both local and global alignment accuracies of the desktop aligner were determined to be about 20 μm cm(-1). To demonstrate its utility for fabrication of integrated multilayer PDMS microfluidic devices, we applied the desktop aligner to achieve accurate alignment of different functional PDMS layers in multilayer microfluidics including an organs-on-chips device as well as a microfluidic device integrated with vertical passages connecting channels located in different PDMS layers. Owing to its convenient operation, high accuracy, low cost, light weight, and portability, the desktop aligner is useful for microfluidic researchers to achieve rapid and accurate alignment for generating multilayer PDMS microfluidic devices.

Localized, stepwise template growth of functional nanowires from an amino acid-supported framework in a microfluidic chip.

Science.gov (United States)

Puigmartí-Luis, Josep; Rubio-Martínez, Marta; Imaz, Inhar; Cvetković, Benjamin Z; Abad, Llibertat; Pérez Del Pino, Angel; Maspoch, Daniel; Amabilino, David B

2014-01-28

A spatially controlled synthesis of nanowire bundles of the functional crystalline coordination polymer (CP) Ag(I)TCNQ (tetracyanoquinodimethane) from previously fabricated and trapped monovalent silver CP (Ag(I)Cys (cysteine)) using a room-temperature microfluidic-assisted templated growth method is demonstrated. The incorporation of microengineered pneumatic clamps in a two-layer polydimethylsiloxane-based (PDMS) microfluidic platform was used. Apart from guiding the formation of the Ag(I)Cys coordination polymer, this microfluidic approach enables a local trapping of the in situ synthesized structures with a simple pneumatic clamp actuation. This method not only enables continuous and multiple chemical events to be conducted upon the trapped structures, but the excellent fluid handling ensures a precise chemical activation of the amino acid-supported framework in a position controlled by interface and clamp location that leads to a site-specific growth of Ag(I)TCNQ nanowire bundles. The synthesis is conducted stepwise starting with Ag(I)Cys CPs, going through silver metal, and back to a functional CP (Ag(I)TCNQ); that is, a novel microfluidic controlled ligand exchange (CP → NP → CP) is presented. Additionally, the pneumatic clamps can be employed further to integrate the conductive Ag(I)TCNQ nanowire bundles onto electrode arrays located on a surface, hence facilitating the construction of the final functional interfaced systems from solution specifically with no need for postassembly manipulation. This localized self-supported growth of functional matter from an amino acid-based CP shows how sequential localized chemistry in a fluid cell can be used to integrate molecular systems onto device platforms using a chip incorporating microengineered pneumatic tools. The control of clamp pressure and in parallel the variation of relative flow rates of source solutions permit deposition of materials at different locations on a chip that could be useful for device

Multimodal microfluidic platform for controlled culture and analysis of unicellular organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Tao; Smallwood, Chuck R; Bredeweg, Erin L; Pomraning, Kyle R; Plymale, Andrew E; Baker, Scott E; Evans, James E; Kelly, Ryan T

2017-09-01

Modern live-cell imaging approaches permit real-time visualization of biological processes, yet limitations exist for unicellular organism isolation, culturing, and long-term imaging that preclude fully understanding how cells sense and respond to environmental perturbations and the link between single-cell variability and whole-population dynamics. Here, we present a microfluidic platform that provides fine control over the local environment with the capacity to replace media components at any experimental time point, and provides both perfused and compartmentalized cultivation conditions depending on the valve configuration. The functionality and flexibility of the platform were validated using both bacteria and yeast having different sizes, motility, and growth media. The demonstrated ability to track the growth and dynamics of both motile and non-motile prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms emphasizes the versatility of the devices, which should enable studies in bioenergy and environmental research.

Computerized microfluidic cell culture using elastomeric channels and Braille displays.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Wei; Zhu, Xiaoyue; Futai, Nobuyuki; Cho, Brenda S; Takayama, Shuichi

2004-11-09

Computer-controlled microfluidics would advance many types of cellular assays and microscale tissue engineering studies wherever spatiotemporal changes in fluidics need to be defined. However, this goal has been elusive because of the limited availability of integrated, programmable pumps and valves. This paper demonstrates how a refreshable Braille display, with its grid of 320 vertically moving pins, can power integrated pumps and valves through localized deformations of channel networks within elastic silicone rubber. The resulting computerized fluidic control is able to switch among: (i) rapid and efficient mixing between streams, (ii) multiple laminar flows with minimal mixing between streams, and (iii) segmented plug-flow of immiscible fluids within the same channel architecture. The same control method is used to precisely seed cells, compartmentalize them into distinct subpopulations through channel reconfiguration, and culture each cell subpopulation for up to 3 weeks under perfusion. These reliable microscale cell cultures showed gradients of cellular behavior from C2C12 myoblasts along channel lengths, as well as differences in cell density of undifferentiated myoblasts and differentiation patterns, both programmable through different flow rates of serum-containing media. This technology will allow future microscale tissue or cell studies to be more accessible, especially for high-throughput, complex, and long-term experiments. The microfluidic actuation method described is versatile and computer programmable, yet simple, well packaged, and portable enough for personal use.

Multimodal microfluidic platform for controlled culture and analysis of unicellular organisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geng, Tao; Smallwood, Chuck R.; Bredeweg, Erin L.; Pomraning, Kyle R.; Plymale, Andrew E.; Baker, Scott E.; Evans, James E.; Kelly, Ryan T.

2017-09-01

Modern live-cell imaging approaches permit real-time visualization of biological processes, yet limitations exist for unicellular organism isolation, culturing and long-term imaging that preclude fully understanding how cells sense and respond to environmental perturbations and the link between single-cell variability and whole-population dynamics. Here we present a microfluidic platform that provides fine control over the local environment with the capacity to replace media components at any experimental time point, and provides both perfused and compartmentalized cultivation conditions depending on the valve configuration. The functionality and flexibility of the platform were validated using both bacteria and yeast having different sizes, motility and growth media. The demonstrated ability to track the growth and dynamics of both motile and non-motile prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms emphasizes the versatility of the devices, which with further scale-up should enable studies in bioenergy and environmental research.

Perfusion vector - a new method to quantify myocardial perfusion scintigraphy images: a simulation study with validation in patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Minarik, David; Senneby, Martin; Wollmer, Per

2015-01-01

Background The interpretation of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) largely relies on visual assessment by the physician of the localization and extent of a perfusion defect. The aim of this study was to introduce the concept of the perfusion vector as a new objective quantitative method...

Ventilation and perfusion display in a single image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, J.J.P. de; Botelho, M.F.R.; Pereira, A.M.S.; Rafael, J.A.S.; Pinto, A.J.; Marques, M.A.T.; Pereira, M.C.; Baganha, M.F.; Godinho, F.

1991-01-01

A new method of ventilation and perfusion display onto a single image is presented. From the data on regions of interest of the lungs, three-dimensional histograms are created, containing as parameters X and Y for the position of the pixels, Z for the perfusion and colour for local ventilation. The perfusion value is supplied by sets of curves having Z proportional to the local perfusion count rate. Ventilation modulates colour. Four perspective views of the histogram are simultaneously displayed to allow visualization of the entire organ. Information about the normal ranges for both ventilation and perfusion is also provided in the histograms. (orig.)

Local cortical hypoperfusion imaged with CT perfusion during postictal Todd's paresis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathews, Marlon S.; Binder, Devin K.; Smith, Wade S.; Wintermark, Max; Dillon, William P.

2008-01-01

Postictal (''Todd's'') paralysis, or ''epileptic hemiplegia,'' is a well-known complication of focal or generalized epileptic seizures. However, it is unclear whether the pathophysiology of Todd's paralysis is related to alterations in cerebral perfusion. We report CT perfusion findings in a patient presenting with postictal aphasia and right hemiparesis. A 62-year-old woman with a history of alcohol abuse, closed head injury and posttraumatic epilepsy, presented with acute onset aphasia and right hemiparesis. A non-contrast head CT scan demonstrated no acute hemorrhage. Left hemispheric ischemia was suspected, and the patient was considered for acute thrombolytic therapy. MRI revealed a subtle increase in signal intensity involving the left medial temporal, hippocampal and parahippocampal regions on both T2-weighted FLAIR and diffusion-weighted sequences. CT angiography and CT perfusion study were performed. The CT perfusion study and CT angiography demonstrated a dramatic reduction in cerebral blood flow and blood volume involving the entire left hemisphere, but with relative symmetry of mean transit time, ruling out a large vessel occlusion. Clinical resolution of the aphasia and hemiparesis occurred within a few hours, and correlated with normalization of perfusion to the left hemisphere (detected by MR perfusion). This unique case is the first in which clinical evidence of Todd's paralysis has been correlated with reversible postictal hemispheric changes on CT and MR perfusion studies. This is important because CT perfusion study is being used more and more in the diagnosis of acute stroke, and one needs to be careful to not misinterpret the data. (orig.)

Three-dimensional mapping of local cerebral perfusion in alcoholic encephalopathy with and without Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hata, T.; Meyer, J.S.; Tanahashi, N.

1987-01-01

Seventeen severe chronic alcoholic patients with and without Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) were examined prospectively after being treated by withdrawal from alcohol. The WKS patients also received thiamine supplements. Three-dimensional measurements of local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) and local partition coefficients (L lambda) were made utilizing xenon contrast computed tomography (Xe CT-CBF). Results were displayed as color-coded brain maps before and after treatment and these were correlated with neurological and cognitive examinations. Before treatment chronic alcoholics without WKS (n = 10) showed diffuse reductions of LCBF values throughout all gray matter including hypothalamus, vicinity of nucleus basalis of Meynert, thalamus, and basal ganglia. Similar, but more severe, reductions were seen in patients with WKS (n = 7), however, white matter perfusion was also reduced. In WKS, most prominent reductions of LCBF were also seen in hypothalamus and basal forebrain nuclei but thalamus, basal ganglia, and limbic systems were severely reduced. After treatment, both groups with alcoholic encephalopathy showed marked clinical improvement and cerebral perfusion was restored toward normal. Chronic alcohol abuse, in the absence of thiamine deficiency, reduces CBF by direct neurotoxic effects. If thiamine deficiency is also present, more severe and localized hemodynamic reductions are superimposed

Characterization of printable cellular micro-fluidic channels for tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yahui; Chen, Howard; Ozbolat, Ibrahim T; Yu, Yin

2013-01-01

Tissue engineering has been a promising field of research, offering hope of bridging the gap between organ shortage and transplantation needs. However, building three-dimensional (3D) vascularized organs remains the main technological barrier to be overcome. One of the major challenges is the inclusion of a vascular network to support cell viability in terms of nutrients and oxygen perfusion. This paper introduces a new approach to the fabrication of vessel-like microfluidic channels that has the potential to be used in thick tissue or organ fabrication in the future. In this research, we investigate the manufacturability of printable micro-fluidic channels, where micro-fluidic channels support mechanical integrity as well as enable fluid transport in 3D. A pressure-assisted solid freeform fabrication platform is developed with a coaxial needle dispenser unit to print hollow hydrogel filaments. The dispensing rheology is studied, and effects of material properties on structural formation of hollow filaments are analyzed. Sample structures are printed through the developed computer-controlled system. In addition, cell viability and gene expression studies are presented in this paper. Cell viability shows that cartilage progenitor cells (CPCs) maintained their viability right after bioprinting and during prolonged in vitro culture. Real-time PCR analysis yielded a relatively higher expression of cartilage-specific genes in alginate hollow filament encapsulating CPCs, compared with monolayer cultured CPCs, which revealed that printable semi-permeable micro-fluidic channels provided an ideal environment for cell growth and function. (paper)

Transparent polymeric cell culture chip with integrated temperature control and uniform media perfusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petronis, Sarunas; Stangegaard, Michael; Christensen, C.

2006-01-01

Modern microfabrication and microfluidic technologies offer new opportunities in the design and fabrication of miniaturized cell culture systems for online monitoring of living cells. We used laser micromachining and thermal bonding to fabricate an optically transparent, low-cost polymeric chip...... for long-term online cell culture observation under controlled conditions. The chip incorporated a microfluidic flow equalization system, assuring uniform perfusion of the cell culture media throughout the cell culture chamber. The integrated indium-tin-oxide heater and miniature temperature probe linked....... HeLa cells were cultured for up to 2 weeks within the cell culture chip and monitored using a time-lapse video recording microscopy setup. Cell attachment and spreading was observed during the first 10-20 h (lag phase). After approximately 20 h, cell growth gained exponential character...

Quantitative assessment of local perfusion change in acute intracerebral hemorrhage areas with and without "dynamic spot sign" using CT perfusion imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Fan; Sui, Binbin; Liu, Liping; Su, Yaping; Sun, Shengjun; Li, Yingying

2018-01-01

Background Positive "dynamic spot sign" has been proven to be a potential risk factor for acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) expansion, but local perfusion change has not been quantitatively investigated. Purpose To quantitatively evaluate perfusion changes at the ICH area using computed tomography perfusion (CTP) imaging. Material and Methods Fifty-three patients with spontaneous ICH were recruited. Unenhanced computed tomography (NCCT), CTP within 6 h, and follow-up NCCT were performed for 21 patients in the "spot sign"-positive group and 32 patients in the control group. Cerebral perfusion change was quantitatively measured on regional cerebral blood flow/regional cerebral blood volume (rCBF/rCBV) maps. Regions of interest (ROIs) were set at the "spot-sign" region and the whole hematoma area for "spot-sign"-positive cases, and at one of the highest values of three interested areas and the whole hematoma area for the control group. Hematoma expansion was determined by follow-up NCCT. Results For the "spot-sign"-positive group, the average rCBF (rCBV) values at the "spot-sign" region and the whole hematoma area were 21.34 ± 15.24 mL/min/100 g (21.64 ± 21.48 mL/100g) and 5.78 ± 6.32 mL/min/100 g (6.07 ± 5.45 mL/100g); for the control group, the average rCBF (rCBV) values at the interested area and whole hematoma area were 2.50 ± 1.83 mL/min/100 g (3.13 ± 1.96 mL/100g) and 3.02 ± 1.80 mL/min/100 g (3.40 ± 1.44 mL/100g), respectively. Average rCBF and rCBV values of the "spot-sign" region were significantly different from other regions ( P spot-sign"-positive and control groups were 25.24 ± 19.38 mL and -0.41 ± 1.34 mL, respectively. Conclusion The higher perfusion change at ICH on CTP images may reflect the contrast extravasation and be associated with the hematoma expansion.

Microfluidic electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Shi; Wu, Zhigang

2012-08-21

Microfluidics, a field that has been well-established for several decades, has seen extensive applications in the areas of biology, chemistry, and medicine. However, it might be very hard to imagine how such soft microfluidic devices would be used in other areas, such as electronics, in which stiff, solid metals, insulators, and semiconductors have previously dominated. Very recently, things have radically changed. Taking advantage of native properties of microfluidics, advances in microfluidics-based electronics have shown great potential in numerous new appealing applications, e.g. bio-inspired devices, body-worn healthcare and medical sensing systems, and ergonomic units, in which conventional rigid, bulky electronics are facing insurmountable obstacles to fulfil the demand on comfortable user experience. Not only would the birth of microfluidic electronics contribute to both the microfluidics and electronics fields, but it may also shape the future of our daily life. Nevertheless, microfluidic electronics are still at a very early stage, and significant efforts in research and development are needed to advance this emerging field. The intention of this article is to review recent research outcomes in the field of microfluidic electronics, and address current technical challenges and issues. The outlook of future development in microfluidic electronic devices and systems, as well as new fabrication techniques, is also discussed. Moreover, the authors would like to inspire both the microfluidics and electronics communities to further exploit this newly-established field.

Patterning of PMMA microfluidic parts using screen printing process

Science.gov (United States)

Ahari Kaleibar, Aminreza; Rahbar, Mona; Haiducu, Marius; Parameswaran, Ash M.

2010-02-01

An inexpensive and rapid micro-fabrication process for producing PMMA microfluidic components has been presented. Our proposed technique takes advantages of commercially available economical technologies such as the silk screen printing and UV patterning of PMMA substrates to produce the microfluidic components. As a demonstration of our proposed technique, we had utilized a homemade deep-UV source, λ=254nm, a silk screen mask made using a local screen-printing shop and Isopropyl alcohol - water mixture (IPA-water) as developer to quickly define the microfluidic patterns. The prototyped devices were successfully bonded, sealed, and the device functionality tested and demonstrated. The screen printing based technique can produce microfluidic channels as small as 50 micrometers quite easily, making this technique the most cost-effective, fairly high precision and at the same time an ultra economical plastic microfluidic components fabrication process reported to date.

A compact and versatile microfluidic probe for local processing of tissue sections and biological specimens

Science.gov (United States)

Cors, J. F.; Lovchik, R. D.; Delamarche, E.; Kaigala, G. V.

2014-03-01

The microfluidic probe (MFP) is a non-contact, scanning microfluidic technology for local (bio)chemical processing of surfaces based on hydrodynamically confining nanoliter volumes of liquids over tens of micrometers. We present here a compact MFP (cMFP) that can be used on a standard inverted microscope and assist in the local processing of tissue sections and biological specimens. The cMFP has a footprint of 175 × 100 × 140 mm3 and can scan an area of 45 × 45 mm2 on a surface with an accuracy of ±15 μm. The cMFP is compatible with standard surfaces used in life science laboratories such as microscope slides and Petri dishes. For ease of use, we developed self-aligned mounted MFP heads with standardized "chip-to-world" and "chip-to-platform" interfaces. Switching the processing liquid in the flow confinement is performed within 90 s using a selector valve with a dead-volume of approximately 5 μl. We further implemented height-compensation that allows a cMFP head to follow non-planar surfaces common in tissue and cellular ensembles. This was shown by patterning different macroscopic copper-coated topographies with height differences up to 750 μm. To illustrate the applicability to tissue processing, 5 μm thick M000921 BRAF V600E+ melanoma cell blocks were stained with hematoxylin to create contours, lines, spots, gradients of the chemicals, and multiple spots over larger areas. The local staining was performed in an interactive manner using a joystick and a scripting module. The compactness, user-friendliness, and functionality of the cMFP will enable it to be adapted as a standard tool in research, development and diagnostic laboratories, particularly for the interaction with tissues and cells.

Abnormal perfusion on myocardial perfusion SPECT in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Do Young; Cha, Kwang Soo; Han, Seung Ho; Park, Tae Ho; Kim, Moo Hyun; Kim, Young Dae

2005-01-01

Abnormal myocardial perfusion may be caused by ventricular preexcitation, but its location, extent, severity and correlation with accessory pathway (AP) are not established. We evaluated perfusion patterns on myocardial perfusion SPECT and location of AP in patients with WPW (Wolff-Parkison-White) syndrome. Adenosine Tc-99m MIBI or Tl-201 myocardial perfusion SPECT was performed in 11 patients with WPW syndrome. Perfusion defects (PD) were compared to AP location based on ECT with Fitzpatrick's algorithm of electrophysiologic study and radiofrequency catheter ablation. Patients had atypical chest discomfort or no symptom. Risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) was below 0.1 in 11 patients using the nomogram to estimate the probability of CAD. Coronary angiography was performed in 4 patients(mid-LAD 50% in one, normal in others). In 4 patients, AP localization was done by electrophysiologic study and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). Small to large extent (11.0 ± 8.5%, range:3 ∼ 35%) and mild to moderate severity (-71 ± 42.7%, range:-217 ∼ -39%) of reversible (n=9) or fixed (n=1) perfusion defects were noted. One patients with right free wall (right lateral) AP showed normal. PD locations were variable following the location of AP. One patient with left lateral wall AP was followed 6 weeks after RFCA and showed significantly decreased PD on SPECT with successful ablation. Myocardial perfusion defect showed variable extent, severity and location in patients with WPW syndrome. Abnormal perfusion defect showed in most of all patients, but if did not seem to be correlated specifically with location of accessory pathway and coronary artery disease. Therefore myocardial perfusion SPECT should be interpreted carefully in patients with WPW syndrome

Abnormal perfusion on myocardial perfusion SPECT in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Do Young; Cha, Kwang Soo; Han, Seung Ho; Park, Tae Ho; Kim, Moo Hyun; Kim, Young Dae [Donga University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2005-02-15

Abnormal myocardial perfusion may be caused by ventricular preexcitation, but its location, extent, severity and correlation with accessory pathway (AP) are not established. We evaluated perfusion patterns on myocardial perfusion SPECT and location of AP in patients with WPW (Wolff-Parkison-White) syndrome. Adenosine Tc-99m MIBI or Tl-201 myocardial perfusion SPECT was performed in 11 patients with WPW syndrome. Perfusion defects (PD) were compared to AP location based on ECT with Fitzpatrick's algorithm of electrophysiologic study and radiofrequency catheter ablation. Patients had atypical chest discomfort or no symptom. Risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) was below 0.1 in 11 patients using the nomogram to estimate the probability of CAD. Coronary angiography was performed in 4 patients(mid-LAD 50% in one, normal in others). In 4 patients, AP localization was done by electrophysiologic study and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). Small to large extent (11.0 {+-} 8.5%, range:3 {approx} 35%) and mild to moderate severity (-71 {+-} 42.7%, range:-217 {approx} -39%) of reversible (n=9) or fixed (n=1) perfusion defects were noted. One patients with right free wall (right lateral) AP showed normal. PD locations were variable following the location of AP. One patient with left lateral wall AP was followed 6 weeks after RFCA and showed significantly decreased PD on SPECT with successful ablation. Myocardial perfusion defect showed variable extent, severity and location in patients with WPW syndrome. Abnormal perfusion defect showed in most of all patients, but if did not seem to be correlated specifically with location of accessory pathway and coronary artery disease. Therefore myocardial perfusion SPECT should be interpreted carefully in patients with WPW syndrome.

Effects of Steroid Hormones on Sex Differences in Cerebral Perfusion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Ghisleni

Full Text Available Sex differences in the brain appear to play an important role in the prevalence and progression of various neuropsychiatric disorders, but to date little is known about the cerebral mechanisms underlying these differences. One widely reported finding is that women demonstrate higher cerebral perfusion than men, but the underlying cause of this difference in perfusion is not known. This study investigated the putative role of steroid hormones such as oestradiol, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS as underlying factors influencing cerebral perfusion. We acquired arterial spin labelling perfusion images of 36 healthy adult subjects (16 men, 20 women. Analyses on average whole brain perfusion levels included a multiple regression analysis to test for the relative impact of each hormone on the global perfusion. Additionally, voxel-based analyses were performed to investigate the sex difference in regional perfusion as well as the correlations between local perfusion and serum oestradiol, testosterone, and DHEAS concentrations. Our results replicated the known sex difference in perfusion, with women showing significantly higher global and regional perfusion. For the global perfusion, DHEAS was the only significant predictor amongst the steroid hormones, showing a strong negative correlation with cerebral perfusion. The voxel-based analyses revealed modest sex-dependent correlations between local perfusion and testosterone, in addition to a strong modulatory effect of DHEAS in cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar regions. We conclude that DHEAS in particular may play an important role as an underlying factor driving the difference in cerebral perfusion between men and women.

"Artificial micro organs"--a microfluidic device for dielectrophoretic assembly of liver sinusoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Schütte, Julia; Hagmeyer, Britta; Holzner, Felix; Kubon, Massimo; Werner, Simon; Freudigmann, Christian; Benz, Karin; Böttger, Jan; Gebhardt, Rolf; Becker, Holger; Stelzle, Martin

2011-06-01

In order to study possible toxic side effects of potential drug compounds in vitro a reliable test system is needed. Predicting liver toxicity presents a major challenge of particular importance as liver cells grown in a cell culture suffer from a rapid loss of their liver specific functions. Therefore we are developing a new microfluidic test system for liver toxicity. This test system is based on an organ-like liver 3D co-culture of hepatocytes and endothelial cells. We devised a microfluidic chip featuring cell culture chambers with integrated electrodes for the assembly of liver sinusoids by dielectrophoresis. Fluid channels enable an organ-like perfusion with culture media and test compounds. Different chamber designs were studied and optimized with regard to dielectrophoretic force distribution, hydrodynamic flow profile, and cell trapping rate using numeric simulations. Based on simulation results a microchip was injection-moulded from COP. This chip allowed the assembly of viable hepatocytes and endothelial cells in a sinusoid-like fashion.

Microfluidically supported biochip design for culture of endothelial cell layers with improved perfusion conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Raasch, Martin; Rennert, Knut; Jahn, Tobias; Peters, Sven; Henkel, Thomas; Huber, Otmar; Schulz, Ingo; Becker, Holger; Lorkowski, Stefan; Funke, Harald; Mosig, Alexander

2015-03-02

Hemodynamic forces generated by the blood flow are of central importance for the function of endothelial cells (ECs), which form a biologically active cellular monolayer in blood vessels and serve as a selective barrier for macromolecular permeability. Mechanical stimulation of the endothelial monolayer induces morphological remodeling in its cytoskeleton. For in vitro studies on EC biology culture devices are desirable that simulate conditions of flow in blood vessels and allow flow-based adhesion/permeability assays under optimal perfusion conditions. With this aim we designed a biochip comprising a perfusable membrane that serves as cell culture platform multi-organ-tissue-flow (MOTiF biochip). This biochip allows an effective supply with nutrition medium, discharge of catabolic cell metabolites and defined application of shear stress to ECs under laminar flow conditions. To characterize EC layers cultured in the MOTiF biochip we investigated cell viability, expression of EC marker proteins and cell adhesion molecules of ECs dynamically cultured under low and high shear stress, and compared them with an endothelial culture in established two-dimensionally perfused flow chambers and under static conditions. We show that ECs cultured in the MOTiF biochip form a tight EC monolayer with increased cellular density, enhanced cell layer thickness, presumably as the result of a rapid and effective adaption to shear stress by remodeling of the cytoskeleton. Moreover, endothelial layers in the MOTiF biochip express higher amounts of EC marker proteins von-Willebrand-factor and PECAM-1. EC layers were highly responsive to stimulation with TNFα as detected at the level of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin expression and modulation of endothelial permeability in response to TNFα/IFNγ treatment under flow conditions. Compared to static and two-dimensionally perfused cell culture condition we consider MOTiF biochips as a valuable tool for studying EC biology in vitro under

Local cortical hypoperfusion imaged with CT perfusion during postictal Todd's paresis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathews, Marlon S.; Binder, Devin K. [University of California, Department of Neurological Surgery, Irvine, CA (United States); Smith, Wade S. [University of California, Department of Neurology, San Francisco, CA (United States); Wintermark, Max; Dillon, William P. [University of California, Department of Radiology, San Francisco, CA (United States)

2008-05-15

Postictal ('Todd's') paralysis, or 'epileptic hemiplegia,' is a well-known complication of focal or generalized epileptic seizures. However, it is unclear whether the pathophysiology of Todd's paralysis is related to alterations in cerebral perfusion. We report CT perfusion findings in a patient presenting with postictal aphasia and right hemiparesis. A 62-year-old woman with a history of alcohol abuse, closed head injury and posttraumatic epilepsy, presented with acute onset aphasia and right hemiparesis. A non-contrast head CT scan demonstrated no acute hemorrhage. Left hemispheric ischemia was suspected, and the patient was considered for acute thrombolytic therapy. MRI revealed a subtle increase in signal intensity involving the left medial temporal, hippocampal and parahippocampal regions on both T2-weighted FLAIR and diffusion-weighted sequences. CT angiography and CT perfusion study were performed. The CT perfusion study and CT angiography demonstrated a dramatic reduction in cerebral blood flow and blood volume involving the entire left hemisphere, but with relative symmetry of mean transit time, ruling out a large vessel occlusion. Clinical resolution of the aphasia and hemiparesis occurred within a few hours, and correlated with normalization of perfusion to the left hemisphere (detected by MR perfusion). This unique case is the first in which clinical evidence of Todd's paralysis has been correlated with reversible postictal hemispheric changes on CT and MR perfusion studies. This is important because CT perfusion study is being used more and more in the diagnosis of acute stroke, and one needs to be careful to not misinterpret the data. (orig.)

Diffusion dynamics in micro-fluidic dye lasers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gersborg-Hansen, Morten; Balslev, Søren; Mortensen, Niels Asger

2007-01-01

We have investigated the bleaching dynamics that occur in opto-fluidic dye lasers, where the liquid laser dye in a channel is locally bleached due to optical pumping. Our studies suggest that for micro-fluidic devices, the dye bleaching may be compensated through diffusion of dye molecules alone....... By relying on diffusion rather than convection to generate the necessary dye replenishment, our observation potentially allows for a significant simplification of opto-fluidic dye laser device layouts, omitting the need for cumbersome and costly external fluidic handling or on-chip micro-fluidic pumping...

Microfluidic device for acoustic cell lysis

Science.gov (United States)

Branch, Darren W.; Cooley, Erika Jane; Smith, Gennifer Tanabe; James, Conrad D.; McClain, Jaime L.

2015-08-04

A microfluidic acoustic-based cell lysing device that can be integrated with on-chip nucleic acid extraction. Using a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) transducer array, acoustic waves can be coupled into microfluidic cartridges resulting in the lysis of cells contained therein by localized acoustic pressure. Cellular materials can then be extracted from the lysed cells. For example, nucleic acids can be extracted from the lysate using silica-based sol-gel filled microchannels, nucleic acid binding magnetic beads, or Nafion-coated electrodes. Integration of cell lysis and nucleic acid extraction on-chip enables a small, portable system that allows for rapid analysis in the field.

Contralateral thalamic hypoperfusion on brain perfusion SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seok Mo; Bae, Sang Kyun; Yoo, Kyung Moo; Yum, Ha Yong

2000-01-01

Brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is useful for the localization of cerebrovascular lesion and sometimes reveals more definite lesion than radiologic imaging modality such as CT or MRI does. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of brain perfusion SPECT in patients with hemisensory impairment. Thirteen consecutive patients (M:F= 8:5, mean age = 48) who has hemisensory impairment were included. Brain perfusion SPECT was performed after intravenous injection of 1110 MBq of Tc-99m ECD. The images were obtained using a dual-head gamma camera with ultra-high resolution collimator. Semiquantitative analysis was performed after placing multiple ROIs on cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus and cerebellum. There were 10 patients with left hemisensory impairment and 3 patients with right-sided symptom. Only 2 patients revealed abnormal signal change in the thalamus on MRI. But brain perfusion SPECT showed decreased perfusion in the thalamus in 9 patients. Six patients among 10 patients with left hemisensory impairment revealed decreased perfusion in the contralateral thalamus on brain SPECT. The other 4 patients revealed no abnormality. Two patients among 3 patients with right hemisensory impairment also showed decreased perfusion in the contralateral thalamus on brain SPECT. One patients with right hemisensory impairment showed ipsilateral perfusion decrease. Two patients who had follow-up brain perfusion SEPCT after treatment revealed normalization of perfusion in the thalamus. Brain perfusion SPECT might be a useful tool in diagnosing patients with hemisensory impairment

Perfusion MRI for the prediction of treatment response after preoperative chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Joon Seok; Baek, Song-Ee; Kim, Myeong-Jin; Suh, Jinsuk; Kim, Ki Whang; Kim, Daehong; Myoung, Sungmin; Choi, Junjeong; Shin, Sang Joon; Kim, Nam Kyu; Keum, Ki Chang

2012-01-01

To evaluate the utility of perfusion MRI as a potential biomarker for predicting response to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer. Thirty-nine patients with primary rectal carcinoma who were scheduled for preoperative CRT were prospectively recruited. Perfusion MRI was performed with a 3.0-T MRI system in all patients before therapy, at the end of the 2nd week of therapy, and before surgery. The K trans (volume transfer constant) and V e (extracellular extravascular space fraction) were calculated. Before CRT, the mean tumour K trans in the downstaged group was significantly higher than that in the non-downstaged group (P = 0.0178), but there was no significant difference between tumour regression grade (TRG) responders and TRG non-responders (P = 0.1392). Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences for evolution of K trans values both between downstaged and non-downstaged groups (P = 0.0215) and between TRG responders and TRG non-responders (P = 0.0001). Regarding V e , no significant differences were observed both between downstaged and non-downstaged groups (P = 0.689) or between TRG responders and TRG non-responders (P = 0.887). Perfusion MRI of rectal cancer can be useful for assessing tumoural K trans changes by CRT. Tumours with high pre-CRT K trans values tended to respond favourably to CRT, particularly in terms of downstaging criteria. (orig.)

Hepatic perfusion changes in an experimental model of acute pancreatitis: Evaluation by perfusion CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tutcu, Semra; Serter, Selim; Kaya, Yavuz; Kara, Eray; Nese, Nalan; Pekindil, Goekhan; Coskun, Teoman

2010-01-01

Purpose: It is known that acute pancreatitis may cause secondary changes in several organs. Liver is one of these involved organs. In different experimental studies hepatic damages were shown histopathologically in acute pancreatitis but there are a few studies about perfusion disorders that accompany these histopathologic changes. Perfusion CT (pCT) provides the ability to detect regional and global alterations in organ blood flow. The purpose of the study was to describe hepatic perfusion changes in experimental acute pancreatitis model with pCT. Materials and methods: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats of both genders with average weights of 250 g were used. Rats were randomized into two groups. Twenty rats were in control group and 20 in acute pancreatitis group. pCT was performed. Perfusion maps were formed by processing the obtained images with perfusion CT software. Blood flow (BF) and blood volume (BV) values were obtained from these maps. All pancreatic and liver tissues were taken off with laparotomy and histopathologic investigation was performed. Student's t test was used for statistical analyses. Results: In pCT we found statistically significant increase in blood volume in both lobes of liver and in blood flow in right lobe of the liver (p < 0.01). Although blood flow in left lobe of the liver increased, it did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: The quantitative analysis of liver parenchyma with pCT showed that acute pancreatitis causes a significant perfusion changes in the hepatic tissue. Systemic mediators seem to be effective as well as local inflammatory changes in perfusion changes.

Hepatic perfusion changes in an experimental model of acute pancreatitis: Evaluation by perfusion CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tutcu, Semra [Department of Surgery, Celal Bayar University, School of Medicine, Manisa (Turkey); Serter, Selim, E-mail: serterselim@gmail.co [Department of Radiology, Celal Bayar University, School of Medicine, Manisa (Turkey); Kaya, Yavuz; Kara, Eray [Department of Surgery, Celal Bayar University, School of Medicine, Manisa (Turkey); Nese, Nalan [Department of Pathology, Celal Bayar University, School of Medicine, Manisa (Turkey); Pekindil, Goekhan [Department of Radiology, Celal Bayar University, School of Medicine, Manisa (Turkey); Coskun, Teoman [Department of Surgery, Celal Bayar University, School of Medicine, Manisa (Turkey)

2010-08-15

Purpose: It is known that acute pancreatitis may cause secondary changes in several organs. Liver is one of these involved organs. In different experimental studies hepatic damages were shown histopathologically in acute pancreatitis but there are a few studies about perfusion disorders that accompany these histopathologic changes. Perfusion CT (pCT) provides the ability to detect regional and global alterations in organ blood flow. The purpose of the study was to describe hepatic perfusion changes in experimental acute pancreatitis model with pCT. Materials and methods: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats of both genders with average weights of 250 g were used. Rats were randomized into two groups. Twenty rats were in control group and 20 in acute pancreatitis group. pCT was performed. Perfusion maps were formed by processing the obtained images with perfusion CT software. Blood flow (BF) and blood volume (BV) values were obtained from these maps. All pancreatic and liver tissues were taken off with laparotomy and histopathologic investigation was performed. Student's t test was used for statistical analyses. Results: In pCT we found statistically significant increase in blood volume in both lobes of liver and in blood flow in right lobe of the liver (p < 0.01). Although blood flow in left lobe of the liver increased, it did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: The quantitative analysis of liver parenchyma with pCT showed that acute pancreatitis causes a significant perfusion changes in the hepatic tissue. Systemic mediators seem to be effective as well as local inflammatory changes in perfusion changes.

Clinical applications of brain perfusion imaging with 99mTc-HM-PAO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Xiangtong

1989-01-01

200 patients with central nervous system diseases were studied with 99m Tc-HM-PAO and SPECT, including Parkinson's disease (PD) 47, Vascular headache 69, CVD 34, Epilepsy 26, Head truma 10, Brain tumor 5 and other 9 cases. Part of them have been compared with the results of MRI, X-CT and EEG. The positivity of SPECT in PD is 61.7% with decrease perfusion in local area of cerebram and basal ganglia and only 4 cases had lower perfusion in cerebellum; in headache is 46.4%, showing variable perfusion patterns; in CVD is 79.4% with decrease perfusion, luxury perfusion and the phenomenon of 'diaschsis'. In epilepsy, the abnormal foci mostly localize in temporal lobe and have close relation to the results of EEG. In brain tumor it also denotes decreased uptake of tracer. The clinicl singnificance of brain perfusion imaging with 99m Tc-HM-PAO was discussed

Microfluidic Dye Lasers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Anders; Balslev, Søren; Gersborg-Hansen, Morten

2006-01-01

A technology for miniaturized, polymer based lasers, suitable for integration with planar waveguides and microfluidic networks is presented. The microfluidic dye laser device consists of a microfluidic channel with an embedded optical resonator. The devices are fabricated in a thin polymer film...

Extremity perfusion for sarcoma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoekstra, Harald Joan

2008-01-01

For more than 50 years, the technique of extremity perfusion has been explored in the limb salvage treatment of local, recurrent, and multifocal sarcomas. The "discovery" of tumor necrosis factor-or. in combination with melphalan was a real breakthrough in the treatment of primarily irresectable

Isolated limb perfusion with tumor necrosis factor alpha and melphalan for locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma : The value of adjuvant radiotherapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thijssens, KMJ; van Ginkel, RJ; Pras, E; Suurmeijer, AJH; Hoekstra, HJ

Background: The aim was to investigate the value of adjuvant radiotherapy for locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma after hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with tumor necrosis factor alpha and melphalan followed by limb-saving surgery. Methods: From 1991 to 2003, 73 patients (median age, 54

Microfluidic sieve valves

Science.gov (United States)

Quake, Stephen R; Marcus, Joshua S; Hansen, Carl L

2015-01-13

Sieve valves for use in microfluidic device are provided. The valves are useful for impeding the flow of particles, such as chromatography beads or cells, in a microfluidic channel while allowing liquid solution to pass through the valve. The valves find particular use in making microfluidic chromatography modules.

Differential and directional effects of perfusion on electrical and thermal conductivities in liver.

Science.gov (United States)

Podhajsky, Ronald J; Yi, Ming; Mahajan, Roop L

2009-01-01

Two different measurement probes--an electrical probe and a thermal conductivity probe--were designed, fabricated, calibrated, and used in experimental studies on a pig liver model that was designed to control perfusion rates. These probes were fabricated by photolithography and mounted in 1.5-mm diameter catheters. We measured the local impedance and thermal conductivity, respectively, of the artificially perfused liver at different flow rates and, by rotating the probes, in different directions. The results show that both the local electrical conductivity and the thermal conductivity varied location to location, that thermal conductivity increased with decreased distance to large blood vessels, and that significant directional differences exist in both electrical and thermal conductivities. Measurements at different perfusion rates demonstrated that both the local electrical and local thermal conductivities increased linearly with the square root of perfusion rate. These correlations may be of great value to many energy-based biomedical applications.

Collimator optimization in myocardial perfusion SPECT using the ideal observer and realistic background variability for lesion detection and joint detection and localization tasks

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaly, Michael; Du, Yong; Links, Jonathan M.; Frey, Eric C.

2016-03-01

In SPECT imaging, collimators are a major factor limiting image quality and largely determine the noise and resolution of SPECT images. In this paper, we seek the collimator with the optimal tradeoff between image noise and resolution with respect to performance on two tasks related to myocardial perfusion SPECT: perfusion defect detection and joint detection and localization. We used the Ideal Observer (IO) operating on realistic background-known-statistically (BKS) and signal-known-exactly (SKE) data. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and localization ROC (LROC) curves (AUCd, AUCd+l), respectively, were used as the figures of merit for both tasks. We used a previously developed population of 54 phantoms based on the eXtended Cardiac Torso Phantom (XCAT) that included variations in gender, body size, heart size and subcutaneous adipose tissue level. For each phantom, organ uptakes were varied randomly based on distributions observed in patient data. We simulated perfusion defects at six different locations with extents and severities of 10% and 25%, respectively, which represented challenging but clinically relevant defects. The extent and severity are, respectively, the perfusion defect’s fraction of the myocardial volume and reduction of uptake relative to the normal myocardium. Projection data were generated using an analytical projector that modeled attenuation, scatter, and collimator-detector response effects, a 9% energy resolution at 140 keV, and a 4 mm full-width at half maximum (FWHM) intrinsic spatial resolution. We investigated a family of eight parallel-hole collimators that spanned a large range of sensitivity-resolution tradeoffs. For each collimator and defect location, the IO test statistics were computed using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for an ensemble of 540 pairs of defect-present and -absent images that included the aforementioned anatomical and uptake variability. Sets of test statistics were

Multimodal Microchannel and Nanowell-Based Microfluidic Platforms for Bioimaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geng, Tao; Smallwood, Chuck R.; Zhu, Ying; Bredeweg, Erin L.; Baker, Scott E.; Evans, James E.; Kelly, Ryan T.

2017-03-30

Modern live-cell imaging approaches permit real-time visualization of biological processes. However, limitations for unicellular organism trapping, culturing and long-term imaging can preclude complete understanding of how such microorganisms respond to perturbations in their local environment or linking single-cell variability to whole population dynamics. We have developed microfluidic platforms to overcome prior technical bottlenecks to allow both chemostat and compartmentalized cellular growth conditions using the same device. Additionally, a nanowell-based platform enables a high throughput approach to scale up compartmentalized imaging optimized within the microfluidic device. These channel and nanowell platforms are complementary, and both provide fine control over the local environment as well as the ability to add/replace media components at any experimental time point.

Brain perfusion spect imaging with sup 99m Tc-HM-PAO in Parkinson's disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wenzhong, Song; Xiangtong, Lin [Shanghai Medical Univ. (China). Huashan Hospital

1991-02-01

Forty patients with Parkinson's disease were studied using {sup 99m}Tc-HM-PAO brain perfusion SPECT. 62.5% (25 cases) showed abnormal blood perfusion. Among them 55% showed local decreased blood perfusion of cerebral cortex, 22% showed asymmetric decreased blood perfusion in basal gaglia, 10% showed decreased uptake of tracer in cerebellum. The pathophysiologic basis of the abnormality of brain blood perfusion were briefly discussed.

Clinical applications of brain perfusion imaging with sup 99m Tc-HM-PAO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiangtong, Lin [Shanghai Medical Univ. (China). Huashan Hospital; and others

1989-11-01

200 patients with central nervous system diseases were studied with {sup 99m}Tc-HM-PAO and SPECT, including Parkinson's disease (PD) 47, Vascular headache 69, CVD 34, Epilepsy 26, Head truma 10, Brain tumor 5 and other 9 cases. Part of them have been compared with the results of MRI, X-CT and EEG. The positivity of SPECT in PD is 61.7% with decrease perfusion in local area of cerebram and basal ganglia and only 4 cases had lower perfusion in cerebellum; in headache is 46.4%, showing variable perfusion patterns; in CVD is 79.4% with decrease perfusion, luxury perfusion and the phenomenon of 'diaschsis'. In epilepsy, the abnormal foci mostly localize in temporal lobe and have close relation to the results of EEG. In brain tumor it also denotes decreased uptake of tracer. The clinicl singnificance of brain perfusion imaging with {sup 99m}Tc-HM-PAO was discussed.

Dual-nozzle microfluidic droplet generator

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Ji Wook; Lee, Jong Min; Kim, Tae Hyun; Ha, Jang Ho; Ahrberg, Christian D.; Chung, Bong Geun

2018-05-01

The droplet-generating microfluidics has become an important technique for a variety of applications ranging from single cell analysis to nanoparticle synthesis. Although there are a large number of methods for generating and experimenting with droplets on microfluidic devices, the dispensing of droplets from these microfluidic devices is a challenge due to aggregation and merging of droplets at the interface of microfluidic devices. Here, we present a microfluidic dual-nozzle device for the generation and dispensing of uniform-sized droplets. The first nozzle of the microfluidic device is used for the generation of the droplets, while the second nozzle can accelerate the droplets and increase the spacing between them, allowing for facile dispensing of droplets. Computational fluid dynamic simulations were conducted to optimize the design parameters of the microfluidic device.

MICROFLUIDIC COMPONENT CAPABLE OF SELF-SEALING

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2009-01-01

A microfluidic component (100) for building a microfluidic system is provided. The microfluidic component (100) can be mounted on a microf luidic breadboard (202) in a manner that allows it to be connected to other microfluidic components (204, 206) without the requirement of additional devices....... The microfluidic component (100) comprises at least one flexible tube piece (102) for transporting a fluid. The microfluidic component (100) also comprises means for applying and maintaining pressure (104) between the flexible tube piece (102) and a tube piece (208, 210) housed in another microfluidic component...

Rapid wasted-free microfluidic fabrication based on ink-jet approach for microfluidic sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Jarujareet, Ungkarn; Amarit, Rattasart; Sumriddetchkajorn, Sarun

2016-11-01

Realizing that current microfluidic chip fabrication techniques are time consuming and labor intensive as well as always have material leftover after chip fabrication, this research work proposes an innovative approach for rapid microfluidic chip production. The key idea relies on a combination of a widely-used inkjet printing method and a heat-based polymer curing technique with an electronic-mechanical control, thus eliminating the need of masking and molds compared to typical microfluidic fabrication processes. In addition, as the appropriate amount of polymer is utilized during printing, there is much less amount of material wasted. Our inkjet-based microfluidic printer can print out the desired microfluidic chip pattern directly onto a heated glass surface, where the printed polymer is suddenly cured. Our proof-of-concept demonstration for widely-used single-flow channel, Y-junction, and T-junction microfluidic chips shows that the whole microfluidic chip fabrication process requires only 3 steps with a fabrication time of 6 minutes.

Tunable Microfluidic Dye Laser

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Brian Bilenberg; Helbo, Bjarne; Kutter, Jörg Peter

2003-01-01

We present a tunable microfluidic dye laser fabricated in SU-8. The tunability is enabled by integrating a microfluidic diffusion mixer with an existing microfluidic dye laser design by Helbo et al. By controlling the relative flows in the mixer between a dye solution and a solvent......, the concentration of dye in the laser cavity can be adjusted, allowing the wavelength to be tuned. Wavelength tuning controlled by the dye concentration was demonstrated with macroscopic dye lasers already in 1971, but this principle only becomes practically applicable by the use of microfluidic mixing...

Perfusion-induced changes in cardiac contractility depend on capillary perfusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Dijkman, M A; Heslinga, J W; Sipkema, P; Westerhof, N

1998-02-01

The perfusion-induced increase in cardiac contractility (Gregg phenomenon) is especially found in heart preparations that lack adequate coronary autoregulation and thus protection of changes in capillary pressure. We determined in the isolated perfused papillary muscle of the rat whether cardiac muscle contractility is related to capillary perfusion. Oxygen availability of this muscle is independent of internal perfusion, and perfusion may be varied or even stopped without loss of function. Muscles contracted isometrically at 27 degrees C (n = 7). During the control state stepwise increases in perfusion pressure resulted in all muscles in a significant increase in active tension. Muscle diameter always increased with increased perfusion pressure, but muscle segment length was unaffected. Capillary perfusion was then obstructed by plastic microspheres (15 microns). Flow, at a perfusion pressure of 66.6 +/- 26.2 cmH2O, reduced from 17.6 +/- 5.4 microliters/min in the control state to 3.2 +/- 1.3 microliters/min after microspheres. Active tension developed by the muscle in the unperfused condition before microspheres and after microspheres did not differ significantly (-12.8 +/- 29.4% change). After microspheres similar perfusion pressure steps as in control never resulted in an increase in active tension. Even at the two highest perfusion pressures (89.1 +/- 28.4 and 106.5 +/- 31.7 cmH2O) that were applied a significant decrease in active tension was found. We conclude that the Gregg phenomenon is related to capillary perfusion.

Hepatic perfusion during hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy: Evaluation with perfusion CT and perfusion scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, D.L.; Carrasquillo, J.A.; Lutz, R.J.; Chang, A.E.

1989-01-01

The standard method for the evaluation of hepatic perfusion during hepatic artery infusion (HAI) chemotherapy is planar hepatic artery perfusion scintigraphy (HAPS). Planar HAPS was performed with 2 mCi of [99mTc] macroaggregated albumin infused at 1 ml/min and compared with single photon emission CT (SPECT) HAPS and with a new study, CT performed during the slow injection of contrast material through the HAI catheter (HAI-CT). Thirteen patients underwent 16 HAI-CT studies, 14 planar HAPS studies, and 9 SPECT HAPS studies. In 13 of 14 studies (93%) HAI-CT and planar HAPS were in complete agreement as to the perfusion pattern of intrahepatic metastases and normal liver. In nine studies where all modalities were performed, the findings identified by HAI-CT and planar HAPS agreed in all cases, whereas the results of two SPECT scans disagreed with the other studies. With respect to perfusion of individual metastases, 14 of 14 HAI-CT studies, 12 of 13 planar HAPS studies, and 9 of 9 SPECT HAPS studies correctly demonstrated the perfusion status of individual lesions as indicated by the pattern of changes in tumor size determined on CT obtained before and after the perfusion studies. Hepatic artery infusion CT was superior for delineation of individual metastases, particularly small lesions, and for the evaluation of nonperfused portions of the liver. Planar HAPS detected extrahepatic perfusion in four patients, and this was not detected by HAI-CT. We conclude that HAI-CT and scintigraphy are complementary techniques. Hepatic artery infusion CT has advantages for the evaluation of intrahepatic perfusion, and planar HAPS is superior to HAI-CT for the detection of extrahepatic perfusion

Microfluidics on liquid handling stations (μF-on-LHS): a new industry-compatible microfluidic platform

Science.gov (United States)

Kittelmann, Jörg; Radtke, Carsten P.; Waldbaur, Ansgar; Neumann, Christiane; Hubbuch, Jürgen; Rapp, Bastian E.

2014-03-01

Since the early days microfluidics as a scientific discipline has been an interdisciplinary research field with a wide scope of potential applications. Besides tailored assays for point-of-care (PoC) diagnostics, microfluidics has been an important tool for large-scale screening of reagents and building blocks in organic chemistry, pharmaceutics and medical engineering. Furthermore, numerous potential marketable products have been described over the years. However, especially in industrial applications, microfluidics is often considered only an alternative technology for fluid handling, a field which is industrially mostly dominated by large-scale numerically controlled fluid and liquid handling stations. Numerous noteworthy products have dominated this field in the last decade and have been inhibited the widespread application of microfluidics technology. However, automated liquid handling stations and microfluidics do not have to be considered as mutually exclusive approached. We have recently introduced a hybrid fluidic platform combining an industrially established liquid handling station and a generic microfluidic interfacing module that allows probing a microfluidic system (such as an essay or a synthesis array) using the instrumentation provided by the liquid handling station. We term this technology "Microfluidic on Liquid Handling Stations (μF-on-LHS)" - a classical "best of both worlds"- approach that allows combining the highly evolved, automated and industry-proven LHS systems with any type of microfluidic assay. In this paper we show, to the best of our knowledge, the first droplet microfluidics application on an industrial LHS using the μF-on-LHS concept.

Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in identification and localization of individual coronary lesions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baškot Branislav

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with technetium-99m tetrofosmin by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT, using one-day protocol in the identification and localization of individual stenosed coronary vessels. Sixty-eight patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD were studied. In thirty of them coronary angiography showed significant stenosis (³50%. Nine patients were with one-vessel disease, 11 were with two-vessel disease, and 10 were with three-vessel disease. All the patients were administered two i.v. injections of 99mTc tetrofosmin, one at peak pharmacologic exercise (1-3 min after i.v. administration of dipiridamol 0.56 mg per kg during 4 min 370 MBq, and the other 740 MBq at rest 3 hrs after the exercise test (acquisition was obtained 15-30 min after injections for both studies. Overall sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy in the identification of individual stenosed coronary vessels were 90%, 86%, and 88%, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in each of the individual vascular territories were not significantly different: LAD (96% 64%, and 75%, ACx (73%, 100%, and 94%, RCA (95%, 93%, and 94%. The results of this study demonstrated one-day 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT scintigraphy to be suitable and accurate technique for the identification and localization of individual stenosed coronary vessels, as well as a highly sensitive method in the recognition of one- and multiple-vessel diseases of coronary arteries.

Stereolithographic hydrogel printing of 3D microfluidic cell culture chips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Rujing

that support the required freedom in design, detail and chemistry for fabricating truly 3D constructs have remained limited. Here, we report a stereolithographic high-resolution 3D printing technique utilizing poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA, MW 700) to manufacture diffusion-open and mechanically...... and material flexibility by embedding a highly compliant cell-laden gelatin hydrogel within the confines of a 3D printed resilient PEGDA hydrogel chip of intermediate compliance. Overall, our proposed strategy represents an automated, cost-effective and high resolution technique to manufacture complex 3D...... epoxy component as structural supports interfacing the external world as well as compliant PEGDA component as microfluidic channels have been manufactured and perfused. Although still in the preliminary stage, this dual-material printing approach shows the potential for constructing complex 3D...

Passive microfluidic array card and reader

Science.gov (United States)

Dugan, Lawrence Christopher [Modesto, CA; Coleman, Matthew A [Oakland, CA

2011-08-09

A microfluidic array card and reader system for analyzing a sample. The microfluidic array card includes a sample loading section for loading the sample onto the microfluidic array card, a multiplicity of array windows, and a transport section or sections for transporting the sample from the sample loading section to the array windows. The microfluidic array card reader includes a housing, a receiving section for receiving the microfluidic array card, a viewing section, and a light source that directs light to the array window of the microfluidic array card and to the viewing section.

Pulmonary ventilation and perfusion imaging with dual-energy CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thieme, Sven F. [Klinikum Grosshadern, Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Muenchen (Germany); Klinikum Grosshadern, Institut fuer Klinische Radiologie, LMU Muenchen, Muenchen (Germany); Hoegl, Sandra; Fisahn, Juergen; Irlbeck, Michael [Klinikum Grosshadern, Department of Anesthesiology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Muenchen (Germany); Nikolaou, Konstantin; Maxien, Daniel; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Becker, Christoph R.; Johnson, Thorsten R.C. [Klinikum Grosshadern, Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Muenchen (Germany)

2010-12-15

To evaluate the feasibility of dual-energy CT (DECT) ventilation imaging in combination with DE perfusion mapping for a comprehensive assessment of ventilation, perfusion, morphology and structure of the pulmonary parenchyma. Two dual-energy CT acquisitions for xenon-enhanced ventilation and iodine-enhanced perfusion mapping were performed in patients under artificial respiration. Parenchymal xenon and iodine distribution were mapped and correlated with structural or vascular abnormalities. In all datasets, image quality was sufficient for a comprehensive image reading of the pulmonary CTA images, lung window images and pulmonary functional parameter maps and led to expedient results in each patient. With dual-source CT systems, DECT of the lung with iodine or xenon administration is technically feasible and makes it possible to depict the regional iodine or xenon distribution representing the local perfusion and ventilation. (orig.)

Isolated limb perfusion with tumor necrosis factor alpha and melphalan for locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma : Three time periods at risk for amputation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Ginkel, Robert J.; Thijssens, Katja M. J.; Pras, Elisabeth; van der Graaf, Winette T. A.; Suurmeijer, Albert J. H.; Hoekstra, Harald J.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term limb salvage rate and overall survival after isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with tumor necrosis factor alpha and melphalan for locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Methods: From 1991 to 2003, 73 patients (36 men, 37 women,

Microfluidic desalination : capacitive deionization on chip for microfluidic sample preparation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roelofs, Susan Helena

2015-01-01

The main aim of the work described in this thesis is to implement the desalination technique capacitive deionization (CDI) on a microfluidic chip to improve the reproducibility in the analysis of biological samples for drug development. Secondly, microfluidic CDI allows for the in situ study of ion

Bridging Flows: Microfluidic End‐User Solutions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sabourin, David

Microfluidic applications hold promise for many different end‐users both within and outside, and across many different research communities. Despite the benefits of microfluidic approaches, adoption and implementation thereof is often hindered by practical issues. Microfluidic components which......‐integrated interconnection and miniaturized peristaltic pump solutions were then combined into modular microfluidic systems. One system provides high interconnection numbers/density and allows many possible configurations. Additionally, and apart from many other accounts of modular microfluidic solutions, methods...... for control and actuation of microfluidic networks built from the modular components is described. Prototypes of the microfluidic system have begun to be distributed to external collaborators and researcher parties. These end‐users will assist in the validation of the approach and ultimately fulfil the key...

Epileptic patterns of local cerebral metabolism and perfusion in man determined by emission computed tomography of 18FDG and 13NH3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuhl, D.E.; Engel, J. Jr.; Phelps, M.E.; Selin, C.

1979-01-01

Seventeen patients with partial epilepsy had EEG monitoring concurrent with cerebral emission computed tomography (ECT) after 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 FDG) and 13 N-ammonia were given intravenously as indicators of local cerebral glucose utilization (LCMR/sub glc/) and relative perfusion, respectively. In 12 of 15 patients who had unilateral or focal electrical abnormalities, interictal 18 FDG scan patterns clearly showed localized regions of decreased (20% to 50%) LCMR/sub glc/, which correlated anatomically with the eventual EEG localization. These hypometabolic zones appeared normal on x-ray computed tomography in all but three patients and were unchanged on scans repeated on different days. In 5 of 6 patients who underwent temporal lobectomy, the interictal 18 FDG scan correctly detected the pathologically confirmed lesion as a hypometabolic zone, and removal of the lesion site resulted in marked clinical improvement. In contrast, the ictal 18 FDG scan patterns clearly showed foci of increased (82% to 130%) LCMR/sub glc/, which correlated temporally and anatomically with ictal EEG spike foci and were within the zones of interictal hypometabolism (3 studies in 2 patients). 13 NH 3 distributions paralleled 18 FDG increases and decreases in abnormal zones, but 13 NH 3 differences were of lesser magnitude. When the relationship of 13 NH 3 uptake to local blood flow found in dog brain was applied as a correction to the patients' 13 NH 3 scan data, local alterations in perfusion and glucose utilization were usually matched, both in the interictal and ictal states

Ice matrix in reconfigurable microfluidic systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bossi, A M [Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, I-37134, Verona (Italy); Vareijka, M; Piletska, E V; Turner, A P F; Piletsky, S A [Cranfield Health, Cranfield University, Vincent Building B52, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL (United Kingdom); Meglinski, I [Department of Physics, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054 (New Zealand)

2013-07-01

Microfluidic devices find many applications in biotechnologies. Here, we introduce a flexible and biocompatible microfluidic ice-based platform with tunable parameters and configuration of microfluidic patterns that can be changed multiple times during experiments. Freezing and melting of cavities, channels and complex relief structures created and maintained in the bulk of ice by continuous scanning of an infrared laser beam are used as a valve action in microfluidic systems. We demonstrate that pre-concentration of samples and transport of ions and dyes through the open channels created can be achieved in ice microfluidic patterns by IR laser-assisted zone melting. The proposed approach can be useful for performing separation and sensing processes in flexible reconfigurable microfluidic devices. (paper)

Ice matrix in reconfigurable microfluidic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bossi, A M; Vareijka, M; Piletska, E V; Turner, A P F; Piletsky, S A; Meglinski, I

2013-01-01

Microfluidic devices find many applications in biotechnologies. Here, we introduce a flexible and biocompatible microfluidic ice-based platform with tunable parameters and configuration of microfluidic patterns that can be changed multiple times during experiments. Freezing and melting of cavities, channels and complex relief structures created and maintained in the bulk of ice by continuous scanning of an infrared laser beam are used as a valve action in microfluidic systems. We demonstrate that pre-concentration of samples and transport of ions and dyes through the open channels created can be achieved in ice microfluidic patterns by IR laser-assisted zone melting. The proposed approach can be useful for performing separation and sensing processes in flexible reconfigurable microfluidic devices. (paper)

Ice matrix in reconfigurable microfluidic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Bossi, A. M.; Vareijka, M.; Piletska, E. V.; Turner, A. P. F.; Meglinski, I.; Piletsky, S. A.

2013-07-01

Microfluidic devices find many applications in biotechnologies. Here, we introduce a flexible and biocompatible microfluidic ice-based platform with tunable parameters and configuration of microfluidic patterns that can be changed multiple times during experiments. Freezing and melting of cavities, channels and complex relief structures created and maintained in the bulk of ice by continuous scanning of an infrared laser beam are used as a valve action in microfluidic systems. We demonstrate that pre-concentration of samples and transport of ions and dyes through the open channels created can be achieved in ice microfluidic patterns by IR laser-assisted zone melting. The proposed approach can be useful for performing separation and sensing processes in flexible reconfigurable microfluidic devices.

Microfluidic CODES: a scalable multiplexed electronic sensor for orthogonal detection of particles in microfluidic channels.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ruxiu; Wang, Ningquan; Kamili, Farhan; Sarioglu, A Fatih

2016-04-21

Numerous biophysical and biochemical assays rely on spatial manipulation of particles/cells as they are processed on lab-on-a-chip devices. Analysis of spatially distributed particles on these devices typically requires microscopy negating the cost and size advantages of microfluidic assays. In this paper, we introduce a scalable electronic sensor technology, called microfluidic CODES, that utilizes resistive pulse sensing to orthogonally detect particles in multiple microfluidic channels from a single electrical output. Combining the techniques from telecommunications and microfluidics, we route three coplanar electrodes on a glass substrate to create multiple Coulter counters producing distinct orthogonal digital codes when they detect particles. We specifically design a digital code set using the mathematical principles of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) telecommunication networks and can decode signals from different microfluidic channels with >90% accuracy through computation even if these signals overlap. As a proof of principle, we use this technology to detect human ovarian cancer cells in four different microfluidic channels fabricated using soft lithography. Microfluidic CODES offers a simple, all-electronic interface that is well suited to create integrated, low-cost lab-on-a-chip devices for cell- or particle-based assays in resource-limited settings.

Quantitative lung perfusion evaluation using Fourier decomposition perfusion MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Kjørstad, Åsmund; Corteville, Dominique M R; Fischer, Andre; Henzler, Thomas; Schmid-Bindert, Gerald; Zöllner, Frank G; Schad, Lothar R

2014-08-01

To quantitatively evaluate lung perfusion using Fourier decomposition perfusion MRI. The Fourier decomposition (FD) method is a noninvasive method for assessing ventilation- and perfusion-related information in the lungs, where the perfusion maps in particular have shown promise for clinical use. However, the perfusion maps are nonquantitative and dimensionless, making follow-ups and direct comparisons between patients difficult. We present an approach to obtain physically meaningful and quantifiable perfusion maps using the FD method. The standard FD perfusion images are quantified by comparing the partially blood-filled pixels in the lung parenchyma with the fully blood-filled pixels in the aorta. The percentage of blood in a pixel is then combined with the temporal information, yielding quantitative blood flow values. The values of 10 healthy volunteers are compared with SEEPAGE measurements which have shown high consistency with dynamic contrast enhanced-MRI. All pulmonary blood flow (PBF) values are within the expected range. The two methods are in good agreement (mean difference = 0.2 mL/min/100 mL, mean absolute difference = 11 mL/min/100 mL, mean PBF-FD = 150 mL/min/100 mL, mean PBF-SEEPAGE = 151 mL/min/100 mL). The Bland-Altman plot shows a good spread of values, indicating no systematic bias between the methods. Quantitative lung perfusion can be obtained using the Fourier Decomposition method combined with a small amount of postprocessing. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Renal perfusion scintiscan

Science.gov (United States)

... Radionuclide renal perfusion scan; Perfusion scintiscan - renal; Scintiscan - renal perfusion Images Kidney anatomy Kidney - blood and urine flow Intravenous pyelogram References Rottenberg G, Andi AC. Renal ...

Thin film metal sensors in fusion bonded glass chips for high-pressure microfluidics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Martin; Ek, Johan; Hedman, Ludvig; Johansson, Fredrik; Sehlstedt, Viktor; Stocklassa, Jesper; Snögren, Pär; Pettersson, Victor; Larsson, Jonas; Vizuete, Olivier; Hjort, Klas; Klintberg, Lena

2017-01-01

High-pressure microfluidics offers fast analyses of thermodynamic parameters for compressed process solvents. However, microfluidic platforms handling highly compressible supercritical CO 2 are difficult to control, and on-chip sensing would offer added control of the devices. Therefore, there is a need to integrate sensors into highly pressure tolerant glass chips. In this paper, thin film Pt sensors were embedded in shallow etched trenches in a glass wafer that was bonded with another glass wafer having microfluidic channels. The devices having sensors integrated into the flow channels sustained pressures up to 220 bar, typical for the operation of supercritical CO 2 . No leakage from the devices could be found. Integrated temperature sensors were capable of measuring local decompression cooling effects and integrated calorimetric sensors measured flow velocities over the range 0.5–13.8 mm s −1 . By this, a better control of high-pressure microfluidic platforms has been achieved. (paper)

Rapid manufacturing for microfluidics

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Land, K

2012-10-01

Full Text Available for microfluidics K. LAND, S. HUGO, M MBANJWA, L FOURIE CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing P O Box 395, Pretoria 0001, SOUTH AFRICA Email: kland@csir.co.za INTRODUCTION Microfluidics refers to the manipulation of very small volumes of fluid.... Microfluidics is at the forefront of developing solutions for drug discovery, diagnostics (from glucose tests to malaria and TB testing) and environmental diagnostics (E-coli monitoring of drinking water). In order to quickly implement new designs, a rapid...

Commercialization of microfluidic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Volpatti, Lisa R; Yetisen, Ali K

2014-07-01

Microfluidic devices offer automation and high-throughput screening, and operate at low volumes of consumables. Although microfluidics has the potential to reduce turnaround times and costs for analytical devices, particularly in medical, veterinary, and environmental sciences, this enabling technology has had limited diffusion into consumer products. This article analyzes the microfluidics market, identifies issues, and highlights successful commercialization strategies. Addressing niche markets and establishing compatibility with existing workflows will accelerate market penetration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methods of making microfluidic devices

KAUST Repository

Buttner, Ulrich

2017-06-01

Microfluidics has advanced in terms of designs and structures, however, fabrication methods are either time consuming or expensive to produce, in terms of the facilities and equipment needed. A fast and economically viable method is provided to allow, for example, research groups to have access to microfluidic fabrication. Unlike most fabrication methods, a method is provided to fabricate a microfluidic device in one step. In an embodiment, a resolution of 50 micrometers was achieved by using maskless high-resolution digital light projection (MDLP). Bonding and channel fabrication of complex or simple structures can be rapidly incorporated to fabricate the microfluidic devices.

Formation of actin networks in microfluidic concentration gradients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalja eStrelnikova

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The physical properties of cytoskeletal networks are contributors in a number of mechanical responses of cells including cellular deformation and locomotion, and are crucial for the proper action of living cells. Local chemical gradients modulate cytoskeletal functionality including the interactions of the cytoskeleton with other cellular components. Actin is a major constituent of the cytoskeleton. Introducing a microfluidic-based platform, we explored the impact of concentration gradients on the formation and structural properties of actin networks. Microfluidics-controlled flow-free steady state experimental conditions allow for the generation of chemical gradients of different profiles, such as linear or step-like. We discovered specific features of actin networks emerging in defined gradients. In particular, we analyzed the effects of spatial conditions on network properties, bending rigidities of network links, and the network elasticity.

A light writable microfluidic "flash memory": optically addressed actuator array with latched operation for microfluidic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Zhishan; Pal, Rohit; Srivannavit, Onnop; Burns, Mark A; Gulari, Erdogan

2008-03-01

This paper presents a novel optically addressed microactuator array (microfluidic "flash memory") with latched operation. Analogous to the address-data bus mediated memory address protocol in electronics, the microactuator array consists of individual phase-change based actuators addressed by localized heating through focused light patterns (address bus), which can be provided by a modified projector or high power laser pointer. A common pressure manifold (data bus) for the entire array is used to generate large deflections of the phase change actuators in the molten phase. The use of phase change material as the working media enables latched operation of the actuator array. After the initial light "writing" during which the phase is temporarily changed to molten, the actuated status is self-maintained by the solid phase of the actuator without power and pressure inputs. The microfluidic flash memory can be re-configured by a new light illumination pattern and common pressure signal. The proposed approach can achieve actuation of arbitrary units in a large-scale array without the need for complex external equipment such as solenoid valves and electrical modules, which leads to significantly simplified system implementation and compact system size. The proposed work therefore provides a flexible, energy-efficient, and low cost multiplexing solution for microfluidic applications based on physical displacements. As an example, the use of the latched microactuator array as "normally closed" or "normally open" microvalves is demonstrated. The phase-change wax is fully encapsulated and thus immune from contamination issues in fluidic environments.

Principles, Techniques, and Applications of Tissue Microfluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, Lawrence A.; Kartalov, Emil P.; Shibata, Darryl; Taylor, Clive

2011-01-01

The principle of tissue microfluidics and its resultant techniques has been applied to cell analysis. Building microfluidics to suit a particular tissue sample would allow the rapid, reliable, inexpensive, highly parallelized, selective extraction of chosen regions of tissue for purposes of further biochemical analysis. Furthermore, the applicability of the techniques ranges beyond the described pathology application. For example, they would also allow the posing and successful answering of new sets of questions in many areas of fundamental research. The proposed integration of microfluidic techniques and tissue slice samples is called "tissue microfluidics" because it molds the microfluidic architectures in accordance with each particular structure of each specific tissue sample. Thus, microfluidics can be built around the tissues, following the tissue structure, or alternatively, the microfluidics can be adapted to the specific geometry of particular tissues. By contrast, the traditional approach is that microfluidic devices are structured in accordance with engineering considerations, while the biological components in applied devices are forced to comply with these engineering presets.

Evaluation of renal transplant perfusion by functional imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicoletti, R.

1990-01-01

Radionuclide angiography (RNA) is used as a noninvasive method for the evaluation of renal transplant perfusion. The computer processing method generally used, based on regions of interest, is unsatisfactory because it does not permit the regional differentiation of perfusion defects. Furthermore, the subjective delineation of the regions of interest introduces considerable inter-observer variation of results. We developed a processing method which is less operator-dependent and permits the evaluation of local defects; it is based on the concept of functional imaging. The method was evaluated in 62 patient examinations, which were subdivided into four groups: Normal transplant perfusion (23 examinations), acute tubular necrose (ATN) (16), cellular rejection (13), and vascular rejection (10). Quantitative results derived from profile curves were combined with visual estimation of the functional images and yielded a synoptic graph which allowed differentiation into three groups: Normal transplant perfusion (sensitivity 0.78, specificity 0.97), ATN or cellular rejection (sens. 0.83, spec. 0.82), and vascular rejection (sens. 0.90, spec. 0.92). (orig.)

Dual-energy perfusion-CT in recurrent pancreatic cancer. Preliminary results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fritz, F.; Skornitzke, S.; Kauczor, H.U.; Stiller, W.; Klauss, M. [Heidelberg Univ. (Germany). Clinic of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology; Hackert, T. [Heidelberg Univ. (Germany). Clinic of Surgery; Grenacher, L. [Diagnostik Muenchen (Germany). Diagnostic Imaging Center

2016-06-15

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of dual energy (DE) perfusion-CT for the differentiation between postoperative soft-tissue formation and tumor recurrence in patients after potentially curative pancreatic cancer resection. 24 patients with postoperative soft-tissue formation in the conventional regular follow-up CT acquisition after pancreatic cancer resection with curative intent were included prospectively. They were examined with a 64-row dual-source CT using a dynamic sequence of 34 DE acquisitions every 1.5 s (80 ml of iodinated contrast material, 370 mg/ml, flow rate 5 ml/s). Weighted average (linearly blended M0.5) 120 kVp-equivalent dual-energy perfusion image data sets were evaluated with a body-perfusion CT tool for estimating blood flow, permeability, and blood volume. Diagnosis was confirmed by histological study (n=4) and by regular follow-up. Final diagnosis was local recurrence of pancreatic cancer in 15 patients and unspecific postoperative tissue formation in 9 patients. The blood-flow values for recurrence tissue trended to be lower compared to postoperative tissue formation with 16.6 ml/100 ml/min and 24.7 ml/100 ml/min, respectively for weighted average 120 kVp-equivalent image data, which was not significant (n.s.) (p=0.06, significance level 0.05). Permeability- and blood-volume values were only slightly lower in recurrence tissue (n.s.). DE perfusion-CT is feasible in patients after pancreatic cancer resection and a promising functional imaging technique. As only a trend for lower perfusion values in local recurrence compared to unspecific postoperative alterations was found, the perfusion differences are not yet sufficient to differentiate between malignancy and unspecific postoperative alterations for this new technique. Further studies and technical improvements are needed to generate reliable data for this clinically highly relevant differentiation.

Self-contained microfluidic systems: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd-Moss, Mitchell; Baratchi, Sara; Di Venere, Martina; Khoshmanesh, Khashayar

2016-08-16

Microfluidic systems enable rapid diagnosis, screening and monitoring of diseases and health conditions using small amounts of biological samples and reagents. Despite these remarkable features, conventional microfluidic systems rely on bulky expensive external equipment, which hinders their utility as powerful analysis tools outside of research laboratories. 'Self-contained' microfluidic systems, which contain all necessary components to facilitate a complete assay, have been developed to address this limitation. In this review, we provide an in-depth overview of self-contained microfluidic systems. We categorise these systems based on their operating mechanisms into three major groups: passive, hand-powered and active. Several examples are provided to discuss the structure, capabilities and shortcomings of each group. In particular, we discuss the self-contained microfluidic systems enabled by active mechanisms, due to their unique capability for running multi-step and highly controllable diagnostic assays. Integration of self-contained microfluidic systems with the image acquisition and processing capabilities of smartphones, especially those equipped with accessory optical components, enables highly sensitive and quantitative assays, which are discussed. Finally, the future trends and possible solutions to expand the versatility of self-contained, stand-alone microfluidic platforms are outlined.

Effect of Dialkyl Ammonium Cationic Surfactants on the Microfluidity of Membranes Containing Raft Domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Uyama, Makoto; Inoue, Kaori; Kinoshita, Koichi; Miyahara, Reiji; Yokoyama, Hirokazu; Nakano, Minoru

2018-01-01

It has been reported that a lot of receptors localize in lipid raft domains and that the microfluidity of these domains regulates the activation of these receptors. In this study, we focused on the lipid raft and in order to evaluate the physicochemical effects of surfactants on microfluidity of lipid membranes, we used liposomes comprising of egg-yolk L-α-phosphatidylcholine, egg-yolk sphingomyelin, and cholesterol as a model of cell membranes containing raft domains. The microfluidity of the domains was characterized by fluorescence spectrometry using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene and 2-dimethylamino-6-lauroylnaphthalene. Among several surfactants, dialkylammonium-type cationic surfactants most efficiently increased the microfluidity. It is therefore concluded that (1) the electrostatic interaction between the cationic surfactant and eggPC/eggSM/cholesterol liposome could be important, (2) surfactants with alkyl chains more effectively inserted into membranes than those with acyl chains, and (3) cationic surfactants with lower T m values have a greater ability to increase the fluidity.

Microfluidic technology for molecular diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Tom; Dittrich, Petra S

2013-01-01

Molecular diagnostics have helped to improve the lives of millions of patients worldwide by allowing clinicians to diagnose patients earlier as well as providing better ongoing therapies. Point-of-care (POC) testing can bring these laboratory-based techniques to the patient in a home setting or to remote settings in the developing world. However, despite substantial progress in the field, there still remain many challenges. Progress in molecular diagnostics has benefitted greatly from microfluidic technology. This chapter aims to summarise the more recent advances in microfluidic-based molecular diagnostics. Sections include an introduction to microfluidic technology, the challenges of molecular diagnostics, how microfluidic advances are working to solve these issues, some alternative design approaches, and detection within these systems.

Parallel imaging microfluidic cytometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrlich, Daniel J; McKenna, Brian K; Evans, James G; Belkina, Anna C; Denis, Gerald V; Sherr, David H; Cheung, Man Ching

2011-01-01

By adding an additional degree of freedom from multichannel flow, the parallel microfluidic cytometer (PMC) combines some of the best features of fluorescence-activated flow cytometry (FCM) and microscope-based high-content screening (HCS). The PMC (i) lends itself to fast processing of large numbers of samples, (ii) adds a 1D imaging capability for intracellular localization assays (HCS), (iii) has a high rare-cell sensitivity, and (iv) has an unusual capability for time-synchronized sampling. An inability to practically handle large sample numbers has restricted applications of conventional flow cytometers and microscopes in combinatorial cell assays, network biology, and drug discovery. The PMC promises to relieve a bottleneck in these previously constrained applications. The PMC may also be a powerful tool for finding rare primary cells in the clinic. The multichannel architecture of current PMC prototypes allows 384 unique samples for a cell-based screen to be read out in ∼6-10 min, about 30 times the speed of most current FCM systems. In 1D intracellular imaging, the PMC can obtain protein localization using HCS marker strategies at many times for the sample throughput of charge-coupled device (CCD)-based microscopes or CCD-based single-channel flow cytometers. The PMC also permits the signal integration time to be varied over a larger range than is practical in conventional flow cytometers. The signal-to-noise advantages are useful, for example, in counting rare positive cells in the most difficult early stages of genome-wide screening. We review the status of parallel microfluidic cytometry and discuss some of the directions the new technology may take. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Applications of Microfluidics in Quantitative Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Yang; Gao, Meng; Wen, Lingling; He, Caiyun; Chen, Yuan; Liu, Chenli; Fu, Xiongfei; Huang, Shuqiang

2018-05-01

Quantitative biology is dedicated to taking advantage of quantitative reasoning and advanced engineering technologies to make biology more predictable. Microfluidics, as an emerging technique, provides new approaches to precisely control fluidic conditions on small scales and collect data in high-throughput and quantitative manners. In this review, the authors present the relevant applications of microfluidics to quantitative biology based on two major categories (channel-based microfluidics and droplet-based microfluidics), and their typical features. We also envision some other microfluidic techniques that may not be employed in quantitative biology right now, but have great potential in the near future. © 2017 Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Biotechnology Journal Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Spatial interaction between tissue pressure and skeletal muscle perfusion during contraction.

Science.gov (United States)

van Donkelaar, C C; Huyghe, J M; Vankan, W J; Drost, M R

2001-05-01

The vascular waterfall theory attributes decreased muscle perfusion during contraction to increased intramuscular pressure (P(IM)) and concomitant increase in venous resistance. Although P(IM) is distributed during contractions, this theory does not account for heterogeneity. This study hypothesises that pressure heterogeneity could affect the interaction between P(IM) rise and perfusion. Regional tissue perfusion during submaximum (100kPa) tetanic contraction is studied, using a finite element model of perfused contracting skeletal muscle. Capillary flow in muscles with one proximal artery and vein (SIM(1)) and with an additional distal artery and vein (SIM(2)) is compared. Blood flow and pressures at rest and P(IM) during contraction ( approximately 25kPa maximally) are similar between simulations, but capillary flow and venous pressure differ. In SIM(2), venous pressure and capillary flow correspond to P(IM) distribution, whereas capillary flow in SIM(1) is less than 10% of flow in SIM(2), in the muscle half without draining vein. This difference is caused by a high central P(IM), followed by central venous pressure rise, in agreement with the waterfall theory. The high central pressure (SIM(1)), obstructs outflow from the distal veins. Distal venous pressure rises until central blood pressure is reached, although local P(IM) is low. Adding a distal vein (SIM(2)) restores the perfusion. It is concluded that regional effects contribute to the interaction between P(IM) and perfusion during contraction. Unlike stated by the vascular waterfall theory, venous pressure may locally exceed P(IM). Although this can be explained by the principles of this theory, the theory does not include this phenomenon as such.

Acousto-plasmofluidics: Acoustic modulation of surface plasmon resonance in microfluidic systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Ahmed

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We acoustically modulated the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs of metal nanostructures integrated within microfluidic systems. An acoustically driven micromixing device based on bubble microstreaming quickly and homogeneously mixes multiple laminar flows of different refractive indices. The altered refractive index of the mixed fluids enables rapid modulation of the LSPRs of gold nanodisk arrays embedded within the microfluidic channel. The device features fast response for dynamic operation, and the refractive index within the channel is tailorable. With these unique features, our “acousto-plasmofluidic” device can be useful in applications such as optical switches, modulators, filters, biosensors, and lab-on-a-chip systems.

Microfluidic device, and related methods

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Eric W. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A method of making a microfluidic device is provided. The method features patterning a permeable wall on a substrate, and surrounding the permeable wall with a solid, non-permeable boundary structure to establish a microfluidic channel having a cross-sectional dimension less than 5,000 microns and a cross-sectional area at least partially filled with the permeable wall so that fluid flowing through the microfluidic channel at least partially passes through the permeable wall.

Low-Cost Rapid Prototyping of Whole-Glass Microfluidic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Yuen, Po Ki; Goral, Vasiliy N.

2012-01-01

A low-cost, straightforward, rapid prototyping of whole-glass microfluidic devices is presented using glass-etching cream that can be easily purchased in local stores. A self-adhered vinyl stencil cut out by a desktop digital craft cutter was used as an etching mask for patterning microstructures in glass using the glass-etching cream. A specific…

Rapid microfluidic thermal cycler for nucleic acid amplification

Science.gov (United States)

Beer, Neil Reginald; Vafai, Kambiz

2015-10-27

A system for thermal cycling a material to be thermal cycled including a microfluidic heat exchanger; a porous medium in the microfluidic heat exchanger; a microfluidic thermal cycling chamber containing the material to be thermal cycled, the microfluidic thermal cycling chamber operatively connected to the microfluidic heat exchanger; a working fluid at first temperature; a first system for transmitting the working fluid at first temperature to the microfluidic heat exchanger; a working fluid at a second temperature, a second system for transmitting the working fluid at second temperature to the microfluidic heat exchanger; a pump for flowing the working fluid at the first temperature from the first system to the microfluidic heat exchanger and through the porous medium; and flowing the working fluid at the second temperature from the second system to the heat exchanger and through the porous medium.

Microfluidic Apps for off-the-shelf instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Mark, Daniel; von Stetten, Felix; Zengerle, Roland

2012-07-21

Within the last decade a huge increase in research activity in microfluidics could be observed. However, despite several commercial success stories, microfluidic chips are still not sold in high numbers in mass markets so far. Here we promote a new concept that could be an alternative approach to commercialization: designing microfluidic chips for existing off-the-shelf instruments. Such "Microfluidic Apps" could significantly lower market entry barriers and provide many advantages: developers of microfluidic chips make use of existing equipment or platforms and do not have to develop instruments from scratch; end-users can profit from microfluidics without the need to invest in new equipment; instrument manufacturers benefit from an expanded customer base due to the new applications that can be implemented in their instruments. Microfluidic Apps could be considered as low-cost disposables which can easily be distributed globally via web-shops. Therefore they could be a door-opener for high-volume mass markets.

Microfluidics for chemical processing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gardeniers, Johannes G.E.

2006-01-01

Microfluidic systems, and more specifically, microfluidic chips, have a number of features that make them particularly useful for the study of chemical reactions on-line. The present paper will discuss two examples, the study of fluidic behaviour at high pressures and the excitation and detection of

Cell manipulation in microfluidics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Hoyoung; Kim, Kisoo; Lee, Won Gu

2013-01-01

Recent advances in the lab-on-a-chip field in association with nano/microfluidics have been made for new applications and functionalities to the fields of molecular biology, genetic analysis and proteomics, enabling the expansion of the cell biology field. Specifically, microfluidics has provided promising tools for enhancing cell biological research, since it has the ability to precisely control the cellular environment, to easily mimic heterogeneous cellular environment by multiplexing, and to analyze sub-cellular information by high-contents screening assays at the single-cell level. Various cell manipulation techniques in microfluidics have been developed in accordance with specific objectives and applications. In this review, we examine the latest achievements of cell manipulation techniques in microfluidics by categorizing externally applied forces for manipulation: (i) optical, (ii) magnetic, (iii) electrical, (iv) mechanical and (v) other manipulations. We furthermore focus on history where the manipulation techniques originate and also discuss future perspectives with key examples where available. (topical review)

Tunable Microfluidic Devices for Hydrodynamic Fractionation of Cells and Beads: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jafar Alvankarian

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The adjustable microfluidic devices that have been developed for hydrodynamic-based fractionation of beads and cells are important for fast performance tunability through interaction of mechanical properties of particles in fluid flow and mechanically flexible microstructures. In this review, the research works reported on fabrication and testing of the tunable elastomeric microfluidic devices for applications such as separation, filtration, isolation, and trapping of single or bulk of microbeads or cells are discussed. Such microfluidic systems for rapid performance alteration are classified in two groups of bulk deformation of microdevices using external mechanical forces, and local deformation of microstructures using flexible membrane by pneumatic pressure. The main advantage of membrane-based tunable systems has been addressed to be the high capability of integration with other microdevice components. The stretchable devices based on bulk deformation of microstructures have in common advantage of simplicity in design and fabrication process.

Preparation of nanoparticles by continuous-flow microfluidics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahn, Andreas; Reiner, Joseph E.; Vreeland, Wyatt N.; DeVoe, Don L.; Locascio, Laurie E.; Gaitan, Michael

2008-01-01

We review a variety of micro- and nanoparticle formulations produced with microfluidic methods. A diverse variety of approaches to generate microscale and nanoscale particles has been reported. Here we emphasize the use of microfluidics, specifically microfluidic systems that operate in a continuous flow mode, thereby allowing continuous generation of desired particle formulations. The generation of semiconductor quantum dots, metal colloids, emulsions, and liposomes is considered. To emphasize the potential benefits of the continuous-flow microfluidic methodology for nanoparticle generation, preliminary data on the size distribution of liposomes formed using the microfluidic approach is compared to the traditional bulk alcohol injection method.

Micro-optics for microfluidic analytical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hui; Gijs, Martin A M

2018-02-19

This critical review summarizes the developments in the integration of micro-optical elements with microfluidic platforms for facilitating detection and automation of bio-analytical applications. Micro-optical elements, made by a variety of microfabrication techniques, advantageously contribute to the performance of an analytical system, especially when the latter has microfluidic features. Indeed the easy integration of optical control and detection modules with microfluidic technology helps to bridge the gap between the macroscopic world and chip-based analysis, paving the way for automated and high-throughput applications. In our review, we start the discussion with an introduction of microfluidic systems and micro-optical components, as well as aspects of their integration. We continue with a detailed description of different microfluidic and micro-optics technologies and their applications, with an emphasis on the realization of optical waveguides and microlenses. The review continues with specific sections highlighting the advantages of integrated micro-optical components in microfluidic systems for tackling a variety of analytical problems, like cytometry, nucleic acid and protein detection, cell biology, and chemical analysis applications.

Brain perfusion CT in acute stroke: current status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koenig, Matthias E-mail: matthias.koenig@ruhr-uni-bochum.de

2003-03-01

Dynamic perfusion CT has become a widely accepted imaging modality for the diagnostic workup of acute stroke patients. Although compared with standard spiral CT the use of multislice CT has broadened the range from which perfusion data may be derived in a single scan run. The advent of multidetector row technology has not really overcome the limited 3D capability of this technique. Multidetector CT angiography (CTA) of the cerebral arteries may in part compensate for this by providing additional information about the cerebrovascular status. This article describes the basics of cerebral contrast bolus scanning with a special focus on optimization of contrast/noise in order to ensure high quality perfusion maps. Dedicated scan protocols including low tube voltage (80 kV) as well as the use of highly concentrated contrast media are amongst the requirements to achieve optimum contrast signal from the short bolus passage through the brain. Advanced pre and postprocessing algorithms may help reduce the noise level, which may become critical in unconscious stroke victims. Two theoretical concepts have been described for the calculation of tissue perfusion from contrast bolus studies, both of which can be equally employed for brain perfusion imaging. For each perfusion model there are some profound limitations regarding the validity of perfusion values derived from ischemic brain areas. This makes the use of absolute quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) values for the discrimination of the infarct core from periinfarct ischemia questionable. Multiparameter imaging using maps of CBF, cerebral blood volume (CBV), and a time parameter of the local bolus transit enables analyzing of the cerebral perfusion status in detail. Perfusion CT exceeds plain CT in depicting cerebral hypoperfusion at its earliest stage yielding a sensitivity of about 90% for the detection of embolic and hemodynamic lesions within cerebral hemispheres. Qualitative assessment of brain perfusion can be

Microfluidic high gradient magnetic cell separation

Science.gov (United States)

Inglis, David W.; Riehn, Robert; Sturm, James C.; Austin, Robert H.

2006-04-01

Separation of blood cells by native susceptibility and by the selective attachment of magnetic beads has recently been demonstrated on microfluidic devices. We discuss the basic principles of how forces are generated via the magnetic susceptibility of an object and how microfluidics can be combined with micron-scale magnetic field gradients to greatly enhance in principle the fractionating power of magnetic fields. We discuss our efforts and those of others to build practical microfluidic devices for the magnetic separation of blood cells. We also discuss our attempts to integrate magnetic separation with other microfluidic features for developing handheld medical diagnostic tools.

Microfluidic fuel cells and batteries

CERN Document Server

Kjeang, Erik

2014-01-01

Microfluidic fuel cells and batteries represent a special type of electrochemical power generators that can be miniaturized and integrated in a microfluidic chip. Summarizing the initial ten years of research and development in this emerging field, this SpringerBrief is the first book dedicated to microfluidic fuel cell and battery technology for electrochemical energy conversion and storage. Written at a critical juncture, where strategically applied research is urgently required to seize impending technology opportunities for commercial, analytical, and educational utility, the intention is

Practical Packaging Technology for Microfluidic Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hwan Yong; Han, Song I; Han, Ki Ho

2010-01-01

This paper presents the technology for the design, fabrication, and characterization of a microfluidic system interface (MSI): the purpose of this technology is to enable the integration of complex microfluidic systems. The MSI technology can be applied in a simple manner for realizing complex arrangements of microfluidic interconnects, integrated microvalves for fluid control, and optical windows for on-chip optical processes. A microfluidic system for the preparation of genetic samples was used as the test vehicle to prove the effectiveness of the MSI technology for packaging complex microfluidic systems with multiple functionalities. The miniaturized genetic sample preparation system comprised several functional compartments, including compartments for cell purification, cell separation, cell lysis, solid-phase DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, and capillary electrophoresis. Additionally, the functional operation of the solid-phase extraction and PCR thermocycling compartments was demonstrated by using the MSI

Residual DNA double strand breaks in perfused but not in unperfused areas determine different radiosensitivity of tumours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menegakis, Apostolos; Eicheler, Wolfgang; Yaromina, Ala; Thames, Howard D.; Krause, Mechthild; Baumann, Michael

2011-01-01

Purpose: Micromilieu-dependent quantification of γH2AX after irradiation in vivo and correlation with local tumour control. Materials and methods: Local tumour control was evaluated after irradiation of FaDu and SKX xenografts with ambient single doses. γH2AX foci were quantified in perfused and unperfused regions after different irradiation doses and at different time points. Results: The TCD 50 of FaDu was 2-times higher compared to SKX (28.0 Gy [95% C.I. 24.6; 31.3 Gy] for FaDu; 14.9 Gy [10.9; 18.9] for SKX, p < 0.001). The induction of foci did not differ between the tumour models. Residual foci were twice higher in perfused SKX regions compared to FaDu, no difference was observed in the non-perfused region between both tumour models. The number of residual foci increased with a 2-times higher slope in perfused SKX-regions compared to FaDu, while no difference was detected in unperfused regions. Already within the perfused regions, this slope decreased with distance from perfused vessels. Conclusion: The dose-response of residual γH2AX foci is highly dependent on tumour cell oxygenation in well perfused areas. This dependence decreases further away from tumour vessels. Only γH2AX evaluation in perfused tumour areas can distinguish between the different radiocurability of the two tumour models.

Mucosal blood flow measurements using laser Doppler perfusion monitoring

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Dag Arne Lihaug Hoff; Hans Gregersen; Jan Gunnar Hatlebakk

2009-01-01

Perfusion of individual tissues is a basic physiological process that is necessary to sustain oxygenation and nutrition at a cellular level. Ischemia, or the insufficiency of perfusion, is a common mechanism for tissue death or degeneration, and at a lower threshold, a mechanism for the generation of sensory signalling including pain. It is of considerable interest to study perfusion of peripheral abdominal tissues in a variety of circumstances. Microvascular disease of the abdominal organs has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of disorders, including peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease and chest pain. The basic principle of laser Doppler perfusion monitoring (LDPM) is to analyze changes in the spectrum of light reflected from tissues as a response to a beam of monochromatic laser light emitted. It reflects the total local microcirculatory blood perfusion, including perfusion in capillaries, arterioles, venules and shunts. During the last 20-25 years, numerous studies have been performed in different parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract using LDPM. In recent years we have developed a multi-modal catheter device which includes a laser Doppler probe, with the intent primarily to investigate patients suffering from functional chest pain of presumed oesophageal origin. Preliminary studies show the feasibility of incorporating LDPM into such catheters for performing physiological studies in the GI tract. LDPM has emerged as a research and clinical tool in preference to other methods; but, it is important to be aware of its limitations and account for them when reporting results.

Research Progress of Microfluidic Chips Preparation and its Optical Element

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng WANG

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic technology is the emerging technologies in researching fluid channel and related applications in the micro and nano-scale space. Microfluidic chip is a new miniaturized rapid analysis platform by microfluidic technology, it has many characteristics such as liquid flow control, minimal reagent consumption, rapid analysis, which is widely used in physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering science and other fields, it has strong interdisciplinary. This paper mainly discusses research progress of materials used for microfluidic chips and the devices based on microfluidic technology, including microfluidic chip, microfluidic optical devices, microfluidic laser preparation, microfluidic chip applications, focusing on the quasi-molecular laser processing technology and femtosecond laser processing technology in the microfluidic devices preparation, and make development prospects for it.

Dynamics of blood flow and thrombus formation in a multi-bypass microfluidic ladder network.

Science.gov (United States)

Zilberman-Rudenko, Jevgenia; Sylman, Joanna L; Lakshmanan, Hari H S; McCarty, Owen J T; Maddala, Jeevan

2017-02-01

The reaction dynamics of a complex mixture of cells and proteins, such as blood, in branched circulatory networks within the human microvasculature or extravascular therapeutic devices such as extracorporeal oxygenation machine (ECMO) remains ill-defined. In this report we utilize a multi-bypass microfluidics ladder network design with dimensions mimicking venules to study patterns of blood platelet aggregation and fibrin formation under complex shear. Complex blood fluid dynamics within multi-bypass networks under flow were modeled using COMSOL. Red blood cells and platelets were assumed to be non-interacting spherical particles transported by the bulk fluid flow, and convection of the activated coagulation factor II, thrombin, was assumed to be governed by mass transfer. This model served as the basis for predicting formation of local shear rate gradients, stagnation points and recirculation zones as dictated by the bypass geometry. Based on the insights from these models, we were able to predict the patterns of blood clot formation at specific locations in the device. Our experimental data was then used to adjust the model to account for the dynamical presence of thrombus formation in the biorheology of blood flow. The model predictions were then compared to results from experiments using recalcified whole human blood. Microfluidic devices were coated with the extracellular matrix protein, fibrillar collagen, and the initiator of the extrinsic pathway of coagulation, tissue factor. Blood was perfused through the devices at a flow rate of 2 µL/min, translating to physiologically relevant initial shear rates of 300 and 700 s -1 for main channels and bypasses, respectively. Using fluorescent and light microscopy, we observed distinct flow and thrombus formation patterns near channel intersections at bypass points, within recirculation zones and at stagnation points. Findings from this proof-of-principle ladder network model suggest a specific correlation between

Perfusion abnormalities in congenital and neoplastic pulmonary disease: comparison of MR perfusion and multislice CT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boll, Daniel T.; Lewin, Jonathan S.; Young, Philip; Gilkeson, Robert C.; Siwik, Ernest S.

2005-01-01

The aim of this work was to assess magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion patterns of chronic, nonembolic pulmonary diseases of congenital and neoplastic origin and to compare the findings with results obtained with pulmonary, contrast-enhanced multislice computed tomography (CT) imaging to prove that congenital and neoplastic pulmonary conditions require MR imaging over the pulmonary perfusion cycle to successfully and directly detect changes in lung perfusion patterns. Twenty-five patients underwent concurrent CT and MR evaluation of chronic pulmonary diseases of congenital (n=15) or neoplastic (n=10) origin. Analysis of MR perfusion and contrast-enhanced CT datasets was realized by defining pulmonary and vascular regions of interest in corresponding positions. MR perfusion calculated time-to-peak enhancement, maximal enhancement and the area under the perfusion curve. CT datasets provided pulmonary signal-to-noise ratio measurements. Vessel centerlines of bronchial arteries were determined. Underlying perfusion type, such as pulmonary arterial or systemic arterial supply, as well as regions with significant variations in perfusion were determined statistically. Analysis of the pulmonary perfusion pattern detected pulmonary arterial supply in 19 patients; six patients showed systemic arterial supply. In pulmonary arterial perfusion, MR and multislice CT imaging consistently detected the perfusion type and regions with altered perfusion patterns. In bronchial arterial supply, MR perfusion and CT imaging showed significant perfusion differences. Patients with bronchial arterial supply had bronchial arteries ranging from 2.0 to 3.6 mm compared with submillimeter diameters in pulmonary arterial perfusion. Dynamic MR imaging of congenital and neoplastic pulmonary conditions allowed characterization of the pulmonary perfusion type. CT imaging suggested the presence of systemic arterial perfusion by visualizing hypertrophied bronchial arteries. (orig.)

Fabrication and characterization of gels with integrated channels using 3D printing with microfluidic nozzle for tissue engineering applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Attalla, R; Ling, C; Selvaganapathy, P

2016-02-01

The lack of a simple and effective method to integrate vascular network with engineered scaffolds and tissue constructs remains one of the biggest challenges in true 3D tissue engineering. Here, we detail the use of a commercially available, low-cost, open-source 3D printer modified with a microfluidic print-head in order to develop a method for the generation of instantly perfusable vascular network integrated with gel scaffolds seeded with cells. The print-head features an integrated coaxial nozzle that allows the fabrication of hollow, calcium-polymerized alginate tubes that can be easily patterned using 3D printing techniques. The diameter of the hollow channel can be precisely controlled and varied between 500 μm - 2 mm by changing applied flow rates or print-head speed. These channels are integrated into gel layers with a thickness of 800 μm - 2.5 mm. The structural rigidity of these constructs allows the fabrication of multi-layered structures without causing the collapse of hollow channels in lower layers. The 3D printing method was fully characterized at a range of operating speeds (0-40 m/min) and corresponding flow rates (1-30 mL/min) were identified to produce precise definition. This microfluidic design also allows the incorporation of a wide range of scaffold materials as well as biological constituents such as cells, growth factors, and ECM material. Media perfusion of the channels causes a significant viability increase in the bulk of cell-laden structures over the long-term. With this setup, gel constructs with embedded arrays of hollow channels can be created and used as a potential substitute for blood vessel networks.

Integrated lenses in polystyrene microfluidic devices

KAUST Repository

Fan, Yiqiang

2013-04-01

This paper reports a new method for integrating microlenses into microfluidic devices for improved observation. Two demonstration microfluidic devices were provided which were fabricated using this new technique. The integrated microlenses were fabricated using a free-surface thermo-compression molding method on a polystyrene (PS) sheet which was then bonded on top of microfluidic channels as a cover plate, with the convex microlenses providing a magnified image of the channel for the easier observation of the flow in the microchannels. This approach for fabricating the integrated microlens in microfluidic devices is rapid, low cost and without the requirement of cleanroom facilities. © 2013 IEEE.

Development of an Integrated Polymer Microfluidic Stack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datta, Proyag; Hammacher, Jens; Pease, Mark; Gurung, Sitanshu; Goettert, Jost

2006-01-01

Microfluidic is a field of considerable interest. While significant research has been carried out to develop microfluidic components, very little has been done to integrate the components into a complete working system. We present a flexible modular system platform that addresses the requirements of a complete microfluidic system. A microfluidic stack system is demonstrated with the layers of the stack being modular for specific functions. The stack and accompanying infrastructure provides an attractive platform for users to transition their design concepts into a working microfluidic system quickly with very little effort. The concept is demonstrated by using the system to carry out a chemilumiscence experiment. Details regarding the fabrication, assembly and experimental methods are presented

Operation placement for application-specific digital microfluidic biochips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alistar, Mirela; Pop, Paul; Madsen, Jan

2013-01-01

Microfluidic-based biochips are replacing the conventional biochemical analyzers, and are able to integrate onchip all the necessary functions for biochemical analysis using microfluidics. The digital microfluidic biochips are based on the manipulation of liquids not as a continuous flow......, but as discrete droplets on an array of electrodes. Microfluidic operations, such as transport, mixing, split, are performed on this array by routing the corresponding droplets on a series of electrodes. Researchers have proposed several approaches for the synthesis of digital microfluidic biochips. All previous...

Open-source, community-driven microfluidics with Metafluidics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, David S; Thorsen, Todd A; Babb, Jonathan; Wick, Scott T; Gam, Jeremy J; Weiss, Ron; Carr, Peter A

2017-06-07

Microfluidic devices have the potential to automate and miniaturize biological experiments, but open-source sharing of device designs has lagged behind sharing of other resources such as software. Synthetic biologists have used microfluidics for DNA assembly, cell-free expression, and cell culture, but a combination of expense, device complexity, and reliance on custom set-ups hampers their widespread adoption. We present Metafluidics, an open-source, community-driven repository that hosts digital design files, assembly specifications, and open-source software to enable users to build, configure, and operate a microfluidic device. We use Metafluidics to share designs and fabrication instructions for both a microfluidic ring-mixer device and a 32-channel tabletop microfluidic controller. This device and controller are applied to build genetic circuits using standard DNA assembly methods including ligation, Gateway, Gibson, and Golden Gate. Metafluidics is intended to enable a broad community of engineers, DIY enthusiasts, and other nontraditional participants with limited fabrication skills to contribute to microfluidic research.

An easy-to-use microfluidic interconnection system to create quick and reversibly interfaced simple microfluidic devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pfreundt, Andrea; Andersen, Karsten Brandt; Dimaki, Maria

2015-01-01

The presented microfluidic interconnection system provides an alternative for the individual interfacing of simple microfluidic devices fabricated in polymers such as polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate and cyclic olefin polymer. A modification of the device inlet enables the direct attachment...... pressures above 250 psi and therefore supports applications with high flow rates or highly viscous fluids. The ease of incorporation, configuration, fabrication and use make this interconnection system ideal for the rapid prototyping of simple microfluidic devices or other integrated systems that require...... microfluidic interfaces. It provides a valuable addition to the toolbox of individual and small arrays of connectors suitable for micromachined or template-based injection molded devices since it does not require protruding, threaded or glued modifications on the inlet and avoids bulky and expensive fittings....

Biodegradable microsphere-mediated cell perforation in microfluidic channel using femtosecond laser

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Atsuhiro; Ariyasu, Kazumasa; Mitsuhashi, Tatsuki; Heinemann, Dag; Heisterkamp, Alexander; Terakawa, Mitsuhiro

2016-05-01

The use of small particles has expanded the capability of ultrashort pulsed laser optoinjection technology toward simultaneous treatment of multiple cells. The microfluidic platform is one of the attractive systems that has obtained synergy with laser-based technology for cell manipulation, including optoinjection. We have demonstrated the delivery of molecules into suspended-flowing cells in a microfluidic channel by using biodegradable polymer microspheres and a near-infrared femtosecond laser pulse. The use of polylactic-co-glycolic acid microspheres realized not only a higher optoinjection ratio compared to that with polylactic acid microspheres but also avoids optical damage to the microfluidic chip, which is attributable to its higher optical intensity enhancement at the localized spot under a microsphere. Interestingly, optoinjection ratios to nucleus showed a difference for adhered cells and suspended cells. The use of biodegradable polymer microspheres provides high throughput optoinjection; i.e., multiple cells can be treated in a short time, which is promising for various applications in cell analysis, drug delivery, and ex vivo gene transfection to bone marrow cells and stem cells without concerns about residual microspheres.

Microfluidics on liquid handling stations (μF-on-LHS): an industry compatible chip interface between microfluidics and automated liquid handling stations.

Science.gov (United States)

Waldbaur, Ansgar; Kittelmann, Jörg; Radtke, Carsten P; Hubbuch, Jürgen; Rapp, Bastian E

2013-06-21

We describe a generic microfluidic interface design that allows the connection of microfluidic chips to established industrial liquid handling stations (LHS). A molding tool has been designed that allows fabrication of low-cost disposable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips with interfaces that provide convenient and reversible connection of the microfluidic chip to industrial LHS. The concept allows complete freedom of design for the microfluidic chip itself. In this setup all peripheral fluidic components (such as valves and pumps) usually required for microfluidic experiments are provided by the LHS. Experiments (including readout) can be carried out fully automated using the hardware and software provided by LHS manufacturer. Our approach uses a chip interface that is compatible with widely used and industrially established LHS which is a significant advancement towards near-industrial experimental design in microfluidics and will greatly facilitate the acceptance and translation of microfluidics technology in industry.

A microfluidic timer for timed valving and pumping in centrifugal microfluidics.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwemmer, F; Zehnle, S; Mark, D; von Stetten, F; Zengerle, R; Paust, N

2015-03-21

Accurate timing of microfluidic operations is essential for the automation of complex laboratory workflows, in particular for the supply of sample and reagents. Here we present a new unit operation for timed valving and pumping in centrifugal microfluidics. It is based on temporary storage of pneumatic energy and time delayed sudden release of said energy. The timer is loaded at a relatively higher spinning frequency. The countdown is started by reducing to a relatively lower release frequency, at which the timer is released after a pre-defined delay time. We demonstrate timing for 1) the sequential release of 4 liquids at times of 2.7 s ± 0.2 s, 14.0 s ± 0.5 s, 43.4 s ± 1.0 s and 133.8 s ± 2.3 s, 2) timed valving of typical assay reagents (contact angles 36-78°, viscosities 0.9-5.6 mPa s) and 3) on demand valving of liquids from 4 inlet chambers in any user defined sequence controlled by the spinning protocol. The microfluidic timer is compatible to all wetting properties and viscosities of common assay reagents and does neither require assistive equipment, nor coatings. It can be monolithically integrated into a microfluidic test carrier and is compatible to scalable fabrication technologies such as thermoforming or injection molding.

Laser doppler perfusion imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waardell, K.

1992-01-01

Recording of tissue perfusion is important in assessing the influence of peripheral vascular diseases on the microcirculation. This thesis reports on a laser doppler perfusion imager based on dynamic light scattering in tissue. When a low power He-Ne laser beam sequentally scans the tissue, moving blood cells generate doppler components in the back-scattered light. A fraction of this light is detected by a photodetector and converted into an electrical signal. In the processor, a signal proportional to the tissue perfusion at each measurement site is calculated and stored. When the scanning procedure is completed, a color-coded perfusion image is presented on a monitor. To convert important aspects of the perfusion image into more quantitative parameters, data analysis functions are implemented in the software. A theory describing the dependence of the distance between individual measurement points and detector on the system amplification factor is proposed and correction algorithms are presented. The performance of the laser doppler perfusion imager was evaluated using a flow simulator. A linear relationship between processor output signal and flow through the simulator was demonstrated for blood cell concentrations below 0.2%. The median sampling depth of the laser beam was simulated by a Monte Carlo technique and estimated to 235 μm. The perfusion imager has been used in the clinic to study perfusion changes in port wine stains treated with argon laser and to investigate the intensity and extension of the cutaneous axon reflex response after electrical nerve stimulation. The fact that perfusion can be visualized without touching the tissue implies elimination of sterilization problems, thus simplifying clinical investigations of perfusion in association with diagnosis and treatment of peripheral vascular diseases. 22 refs

Materials for Microfluidic Immunoassays: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mou, Lei; Jiang, Xingyu

2017-08-01

Conventional immunoassays suffer from at least one of these following limitations: long processing time, high costs, poor user-friendliness, technical complexity, poor sensitivity and specificity. Microfluidics, a technology characterized by the engineered manipulation of fluids in channels with characteristic lengthscale of tens of micrometers, has shown considerable promise for improving immunoassays that could overcome these limitations in medical diagnostics and biology research. The combination of microfluidics and immunoassay can detect biomarkers with faster assay time, reduced volumes of reagents, lower power requirements, and higher levels of integration and automation compared to traditional approaches. This review focuses on the materials-related aspects of the recent advances in microfluidics-based immunoassays for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics of biomarkers. We compare the materials for microfluidic chips fabrication in five aspects: fabrication, integration, function, modification and cost, and describe their advantages and drawbacks. In addition, we review materials for modifying antibodies to improve the performance of the reaction of immunoassay. We also review the state of the art in microfluidic immunoassays POC platforms, from the laboratory to routine clinical practice, and also commercial products in the market. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future developments in microfluidic immunoassays. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Three-dimensional optical micro-angiography maps directional blood perfusion deep within microcirculation tissue beds in vivo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Ruikang K [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97237 (United States)

2007-12-07

Optical micro-angiography (OMAG) is a recently developed method of imaging localized blood perfusion at capillary level resolution within microcirculatory beds. This paper reports that the OMAG is capable of directional blood perfusion mapping in vivo. This is achieved simply by translating the mirror located in the reference arm back and forth while 3D imaging is performed. The mirror which moves toward the incident beam gives the blood perfusion that flows away from the beam direction and vice versa. The approach is experimentally demonstrated by imaging of a flow phantom and then cerebro-vascular perfusion of a live mouse with cranium intact.

Using chemistry and microfluidics to understand the spatial dynamics of complex biological networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Kastrup, Christian J; Runyon, Matthew K; Lucchetta, Elena M; Price, Jessica M; Ismagilov, Rustem F

2008-04-01

Understanding the spatial dynamics of biochemical networks is both fundamentally important for understanding life at the systems level and also has practical implications for medicine, engineering, biology, and chemistry. Studies at the level of individual reactions provide essential information about the function, interactions, and localization of individual molecular species and reactions in a network. However, analyzing the spatial dynamics of complex biochemical networks at this level is difficult. Biochemical networks are nonequilibrium systems containing dozens to hundreds of reactions with nonlinear and time-dependent interactions, and these interactions are influenced by diffusion, flow, and the relative values of state-dependent kinetic parameters. To achieve an overall understanding of the spatial dynamics of a network and the global mechanisms that drive its function, networks must be analyzed as a whole, where all of the components and influential parameters of a network are simultaneously considered. Here, we describe chemical concepts and microfluidic tools developed for network-level investigations of the spatial dynamics of these networks. Modular approaches can be used to simplify these networks by separating them into modules, and simple experimental or computational models can be created by replacing each module with a single reaction. Microfluidics can be used to implement these models as well as to analyze and perturb the complex network itself with spatial control on the micrometer scale. We also describe the application of these network-level approaches to elucidate the mechanisms governing the spatial dynamics of two networkshemostasis (blood clotting) and early patterning of the Drosophila embryo. To investigate the dynamics of the complex network of hemostasis, we simplified the network by using a modular mechanism and created a chemical model based on this mechanism by using microfluidics. Then, we used the mechanism and the model to

[Intratympanic corticosteroid perfusion in the therapy of Meniere's disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Sanković-Babić, Snezana; Kosanović, Rade; Ivanković, Zoran; Babac, Snezana; Tatović, Milica

2014-01-01

Over the last two decades the intratympanic perfusion of corticosteroids has been used as a minimally invasive surgical therapy of Meniere's disease. According to experimental studies the antiinflammatory, immunoprotective, antioxidant and neuroprotective role of the locally perfused corticosteroids was noticed in the inner ear structures. The recovery of action potentials in the cells of the Corti organ was confirmed as well as a decreased expression of aquaporine-1, a glycoprotein responsible for labyrinth hydrops and N and K ions derangement. The study showed results of intratympanic perfusion therapy with dexamethasone in patients with retractable Meniere's disease who are resistant to conservative treatment. Single doses of 4 mg/ml dexamethasone were given intratympanically in 19 patients with retractable Meniere's disease. Six single successive doses of dexamethasone were administered in the posteroinferior quadrant of the tympanic membrane. Follow-up of the patients was conducted by using a clinical questionnaire a month after completed perfusion series as well as on every third month up to one year. One month after completed first course of perfusions, in 78% of patients, vertigo problems completely ceased or were markedly reduced. The recovery of hearing function was recorded in 68% and marked tinnitus reduction in 84% of patients. After a year of follow-up, in 63% of patients the reduction of vertigo persisted, while hearing function was satisfactory in 52%. Tinitus reduction was present in 73% of patients. Intratympanic perfusion of dexamethasone in patients with Meniere's disease is a minimally invasive therapeutic method that contributes to the reduction of the intensity of vertigo recurrent attacks, decrease of the intensity of tinnitus and improvement of the average hearing threshold. Patients with chronic diseases and Meniere's disease who are contraindicted for systemic administration of cortocosteroids (hypertension, diabetes, glaucoma, peptic

Manipulation of microfluidic droplets by electrorheological fluid

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Menying

2009-09-01

Microfluidics, especially droplet microfluidics, attracts more and more researchers from diverse fields, because it requires fewer materials and less time, produces less waste and has the potential of highly integrated and computer-controlled reaction processes for chemistry and biology. Electrorheological fluid, especially giant electrorheological fluid (GERF), which is considered as a kind of smart material, has been applied to the microfluidic systems to achieve active and precise control of fluid by electrical signal. In this review article, we will introduce recent results of microfluidic droplet manipulation, GERF and some pertinent achievements by introducing GERF into microfluidic system: digital generation, manipulation of "smart droplets" and droplet manipulation by GERF. Once it is combined with real-time detection, integrated chip with multiple functions can be realized. © 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Microfluidic Impedimetric Cell Regeneration Assay to Monitor the Enhanced Cytotoxic Effect of Nanomaterial Perfusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothbauer, Mario; Praisler, Irene; Docter, Dominic; Stauber, Roland H; Ertl, Peter

2015-11-27

In the last decade, the application of nanomaterials (NMs) in technical products and biomedicine has become a rapidly increasing market trend. As the safety and efficacy of NMs are of utmost importance, new methods are needed to study the dynamic interactions of NMs at the nano-biointerface. However, evaluation of NMs based on standard and static cell culture end-point detection methods does not provide information on the dynamics of living biological systems, which is crucial for the understanding of physiological responses. To bridge this technological gap, we here present a microfluidic cell culture system containing embedded impedance microsensors to continuously and non-invasively monitor the effects of NMs on adherent cells under varying flow conditions. As a model, the impact of silica NMs on the vitality and regenerative capacity of human lung cells after acute and chronic exposure scenarios was studied over an 18-h period following a four-hour NM treatment. Results of the study demonstrated that the developed system is applicable to reliably analyze the consequences of dynamic NM exposure to physiological cell barriers in both nanotoxicology and nanomedicine.

Epileptic patterns of local cerebral metabolism and perfusion in man determined by emission computed tomography of /sup 18/FDG and /sup 13/NH/sub 3/

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuhl, D.E.; Engel, J. Jr.; Phelps, M.E.; Selin, C.

1979-01-01

Seventeen patients with partial epilepsy had EEG monitoring concurrent with cerebral emission computed tomography (ECT) after /sup 18/F-fluorodeoxyglucose (/sup 18/FDG) and /sup 13/N-ammonia were given intravenously as indicators of local cerebral glucose utilization (LCMR/sub glc/) and relative perfusion, respectively. In 12 of 15 patients who had unilateral or focal electrical abnormalities, interictal /sup 18/FDG scan patterns clearly showed localized regions of decreased (20% to 50%) LCMR/sub glc/, which correlated anatomically with the eventual EEG localization. These hypometabolic zones appeared normal on x-ray computed tomography in all but three patients and were unchanged on scans repeated on different days. In 5 of 6 patients who underwent temporal lobectomy, the interictal /sup 18/FDG scan correctly detected the pathologically confirmed lesion as a hypometabolic zone, and removal of the lesion site resulted in marked clinical improvement. In contrast, the ictal /sup 18/FDG scan patterns clearly showed foci of increased (82% to 130%) LCMR/sub glc/, which correlated temporally and anatomically with ictal EEG spike foci and were within the zones of interictal hypometabolism (3 studies in 2 patients). /sup 13/NH/sub 3/ distributions paralleled /sup 18/FDG increases and decreases in abnormal zones, but /sup 13/NH/sub 3/ differences were of lesser magnitude. When the relationship of /sup 13/NH/sub 3/ uptake to local blood flow found in dog brain was applied as a correction to the patients' /sup 13/NH/sub 3/ scan data, local alterations in perfusion and glucose utilization were usually matched, both in the interictal and ictal states.

Rapid mask prototyping for microfluidics.

Science.gov (United States)

Maisonneuve, B G C; Honegger, T; Cordeiro, J; Lecarme, O; Thiry, T; Fuard, D; Berton, K; Picard, E; Zelsmann, M; Peyrade, D

2016-03-01

With the rise of microfluidics for the past decade, there has come an ever more pressing need for a low-cost and rapid prototyping technology, especially for research and education purposes. In this article, we report a rapid prototyping process of chromed masks for various microfluidic applications. The process takes place out of a clean room, uses a commercially available video-projector, and can be completed in less than half an hour. We quantify the ranges of fields of view and of resolutions accessible through this video-projection system and report the fabrication of critical microfluidic components (junctions, straight channels, and curved channels). To exemplify the process, three common devices are produced using this method: a droplet generation device, a gradient generation device, and a neuro-engineering oriented device. The neuro-engineering oriented device is a compartmentalized microfluidic chip, and therefore, required the production and the precise alignment of two different masks.

Microfluidic Lab-on-a-Chip Platforms: Requirements, Characteristics and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Mark, D.; Haeberle, S.; Roth, G.; von Stetten, F.; Zengerle, R.

This review summarizes recent developments in microfluidic platform approaches. In contrast to isolated application-specific solutions, a microfluidic platform provides a set of fluidic unit operations, which are designed for easy combination within a well-defined fabrication technology. This allows the implementation of different application-specific (bio-) chemical processes, automated by microfluidic process integration [1]. A brief introduction into technical advances, major market segments and promising applications is followed by a detailed characterization of different microfluidic platforms, comprising a short definition, the functional principle, microfluidic unit operations, application examples as well as strengths and limitations. The microfluidic platforms in focus are lateral flow tests, linear actuated devices, pressure driven laminar flow, microfluidic large scale integration, segmented flow microfluidics, centrifugal microfluidics, electro-kinetics, electrowetting, surface acoustic waves, and systems for massively parallel analysis. The review concludes with the attempt to provide a selection scheme for microfluidic platforms which is based on their characteristics according to key requirements of different applications and market segments. Applied selection criteria comprise portability, costs of instrument and disposable, sample throughput, number of parameters per sample, reagent consumption, precision, diversity of microfluidic unit operations and the flexibility in programming different liquid handling protocols.

Integrated lenses in polystyrene microfluidic devices

KAUST Repository

Fan, Yiqiang; Li, Huawei; Foulds, Ian G.

2013-01-01

This paper reports a new method for integrating microlenses into microfluidic devices for improved observation. Two demonstration microfluidic devices were provided which were fabricated using this new technique. The integrated microlenses were

Microfabrication and Applications of Opto-Microfluidic Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Daiying; Men, Liqiu; Chen, Qiying

2011-01-01

A review of research activities on opto-microfluidic sensors carried out by the research groups in Canada is presented. After a brief introduction of this exciting research field, detailed discussion is focused on different techniques for the fabrication of opto-microfluidic sensors, and various applications of these devices for bioanalysis, chemical detection, and optical measurement. Our current research on femtosecond laser microfabrication of optofluidic devices is introduced and some experimental results are elaborated. The research on opto-microfluidics provides highly sensitive opto-microfluidic sensors for practical applications with significant advantages of portability, efficiency, sensitivity, versatility, and low cost. PMID:22163904

Microfluidic cell culture systems for drug research.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Min-Hsien; Huang, Song-Bin; Lee, Gwo-Bin

2010-04-21

In pharmaceutical research, an adequate cell-based assay scheme to efficiently screen and to validate potential drug candidates in the initial stage of drug discovery is crucial. In order to better predict the clinical response to drug compounds, a cell culture model that is faithful to in vivo behavior is required. With the recent advances in microfluidic technology, the utilization of a microfluidic-based cell culture has several advantages, making it a promising alternative to the conventional cell culture methods. This review starts with a comprehensive discussion on the general process for drug discovery and development, the role of cell culture in drug research, and the characteristics of the cell culture formats commonly used in current microfluidic-based, cell-culture practices. Due to the significant differences in several physical phenomena between microscale and macroscale devices, microfluidic technology provides unique functionality, which is not previously possible by using traditional techniques. In a subsequent section, the niches for using microfluidic-based cell culture systems for drug research are discussed. Moreover, some critical issues such as cell immobilization, medium pumping or gradient generation in microfluidic-based, cell-culture systems are also reviewed. Finally, some practical applications of microfluidic-based, cell-culture systems in drug research particularly those pertaining to drug toxicity testing and those with a high-throughput capability are highlighted.

Nanostructures for all-polymer microfluidic systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matschuk, Maria; Bruus, Henrik; Larsen, Niels Bent

2010-01-01

antistiction coating was found to improve the replication fidelity (shape and depth) of nanoscale features substantially. Arrays of holes of 50 nm diameter/35 nm depth and 100 nm/100 nm diameter, respectively, were mass-produced in cyclic olefin copolymer (Topas 5013) by injection molding. Polymer microfluidic...... channel chip parts resulted from a separate injection molding process. The microfluidic chip part and the nanostructured chip part were successfully bonded to form a sealed microfluidic system using air plasma assisted thermal bonding....

Microfluidic standardization: Past, present and future

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heeren, H. van; Atkins, T.; Blom, M.; Bullema, J.E.; Tantra, R.; Verhoeven, D.; Verplanck, N.

2016-01-01

This paper addresses the issue of standardization in microfluidics. It contains the main points of an industry wide agreement about microfluidic port pitches and port nomenclature. It also addresses device classification and future steps.

Effects of medial temporal lobe degeneration on brain perfusion in amnestic MCI of AD type: deafferentation and functional compensation?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guedj, Eric; Barbeau, Emmanuel J.; Didic, Mira; Poncet, Michel; Ceccaldi, Mathieu; Felician, Olivier; Laforte, Catherine de; Mundler, Olivier; Ranjeva, Jean-Philippe; Cozzone, Patrick J.

2009-01-01

Cortical atrophy is correlated with the progression of neuropathological lesions within the medial temporal lobes (MTL) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our aim was to determine which local and remote functional changes result from MTL volume loss at the predementia stage. We studied the relationship between entorhinal and hippocampal MR volumes and whole-brain SPECT perfusion via a voxel-based correlative analysis in 19 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment with a memory profile suggestive of early AD. Right MTL volumes were positively correlated with remote posterior perfusion of the posterior cingulate cortex, and negatively correlated with remote anterior perfusion of the right medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. There was no local correlation between volumes and perfusion within the MTL. These findings provide further insight into functional changes that result from MTL volume loss during the predementia stage of AD. The positive correlation between MTL volumes and posterior cingulate perfusion may reflect the deafferentation of a temporocingulate network due to mediotemporal degeneration. The paradoxical negative correlation between MTL volumes and prefrontal perfusion may result from recruitment of an alternative anterior temporofrontal network. It remains to be investigated how the ''net sum'' of this perfusion modulation affects memory and other cognitive domains through a possible compensatory perspective. (orig.)

Effects of medial temporal lobe degeneration on brain perfusion in amnestic MCI of AD type: deafferentation and functional compensation?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guedj, Eric [Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de la Timone, Service Central de Biophysique et de Medecine Nucleaire, Marseille Cedex 5 (France); Universite de la Mediterranee Aix-Marseille II, Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie et Neuropsychologie, Inserm U751, Faculte de Medecine, Marseille (France); Universite de la Mediterranee Aix-Marseille II, Centre de Resonance Magnetique Biologique et Medicale (CRMBM), UMR CNRS 6612, Faculte de Medecine, Marseille (France); Barbeau, Emmanuel J. [CNRS - Universite Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, UMR-5549, Toulouse (France); Didic, Mira; Poncet, Michel; Ceccaldi, Mathieu [CHU Timone, Service de Neurologie et de Neuropsychologie, Marseille (France); Universite de la Mediterranee Aix-Marseille II, Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie et Neuropsychologie, Inserm U751, Faculte de Medecine, Marseille (France); Felician, Olivier [CHU Timone, Service de Neurologie et de Neuropsychologie, Marseille (France); Universite de la Mediterranee Aix-Marseille II, Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie et Neuropsychologie, Inserm U751, Faculte de Medecine, Marseille (France); Centre Saint-Charles, Laboratoire de Neurobiologie Integrative et Adaptative, UMR CNRS 6149, Marseille (France); Laforte, Catherine de; Mundler, Olivier [Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de la Timone, Service Central de Biophysique et de Medecine Nucleaire, Marseille Cedex 5 (France); Ranjeva, Jean-Philippe; Cozzone, Patrick J. [Universite de la Mediterranee Aix-Marseille II, Centre de Resonance Magnetique Biologique et Medicale (CRMBM), UMR CNRS 6612, Faculte de Medecine, Marseille (France)

2009-07-15

Cortical atrophy is correlated with the progression of neuropathological lesions within the medial temporal lobes (MTL) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our aim was to determine which local and remote functional changes result from MTL volume loss at the predementia stage. We studied the relationship between entorhinal and hippocampal MR volumes and whole-brain SPECT perfusion via a voxel-based correlative analysis in 19 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment with a memory profile suggestive of early AD. Right MTL volumes were positively correlated with remote posterior perfusion of the posterior cingulate cortex, and negatively correlated with remote anterior perfusion of the right medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. There was no local correlation between volumes and perfusion within the MTL. These findings provide further insight into functional changes that result from MTL volume loss during the predementia stage of AD. The positive correlation between MTL volumes and posterior cingulate perfusion may reflect the deafferentation of a temporocingulate network due to mediotemporal degeneration. The paradoxical negative correlation between MTL volumes and prefrontal perfusion may result from recruitment of an alternative anterior temporofrontal network. It remains to be investigated how the ''net sum'' of this perfusion modulation affects memory and other cognitive domains through a possible compensatory perspective. (orig.)

Droplet based microfluidics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seemann, Ralf; Brinkmann, Martin; Pfohl, Thomas; Herminghaus, Stephan

2012-01-01

Droplet based microfluidics is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field of research combining soft matter physics, biochemistry and microsystems engineering. Its applications range from fast analytical systems or the synthesis of advanced materials to protein crystallization and biological assays for living cells. Precise control of droplet volumes and reliable manipulation of individual droplets such as coalescence, mixing of their contents, and sorting in combination with fast analysis tools allow us to perform chemical reactions inside the droplets under defined conditions. In this paper, we will review available drop generation and manipulation techniques. The main focus of this review is not to be comprehensive and explain all techniques in great detail but to identify and shed light on similarities and underlying physical principles. Since geometry and wetting properties of the microfluidic channels are crucial factors for droplet generation, we also briefly describe typical device fabrication methods in droplet based microfluidics. Examples of applications and reaction schemes which rely on the discussed manipulation techniques are also presented, such as the fabrication of special materials and biophysical experiments.

Pulmonary artery perfusion versus no pulmonary perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with COPD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buggeskov, Katrine B; Sundskard, Martin M; Jonassen, Thomas

2016-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Absence of pulmonary perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may be associated with reduced postoperative oxygenation. Effects of active pulmonary artery perfusion were explored in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: 90...... perfusion with normothermic oxygenated blood during cardiopulmonary bypass appears to improve postoperative oxygenation in patients with COPD undergoing cardiac surgery. Pulmonary artery perfusion with hypothermic HTK solution does not seem to improve postoperative oxygenation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER...

Reverse ventilation--perfusion mismatch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmaz, J.C.; Barnett, C.A.; Reich, S.B.; Krumpe, P.E.; Farrer, P.A.

1984-01-01

Patients having lobar airway obstruction or consolidation usually have decreases of both ventilation and perfusion on lung scans. We report three patients in whom hypoxic vasoconstriction was apparently incomplete, resulting in a ''reversed'' ventilation-perfusion mismatch. Perfusion of the hypoxic lobe on the radionuclide scan was associated with metabolic alkalosis, pulmonary venous and pulmonary arterial hypertension in these patients

Prediction of Liver Function by Using Magnetic Resonance-based Portal Venous Perfusion Imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao Yue, E-mail: yuecao@umich.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Wang Hesheng [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Johnson, Timothy D. [Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Pan, Charlie [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Hussain, Hero [Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Balter, James M.; Normolle, Daniel; Ben-Josef, Edgar; Ten Haken, Randall K.; Lawrence, Theodore S.; Feng, Mary [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States)

2013-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate whether liver function can be assessed globally and spatially by using volumetric dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging MRI (DCE-MRI) to potentially aid in adaptive treatment planning. Methods and Materials: Seventeen patients with intrahepatic cancer undergoing focal radiation therapy (RT) were enrolled in institution review board-approved prospective studies to obtain DCE-MRI (to measure regional perfusion) and indocyanine green (ICG) clearance rates (to measure overall liver function) prior to, during, and at 1 and 2 months after treatment. The volumetric distribution of portal venous perfusion in the whole liver was estimated for each scan. We assessed the correlation between mean portal venous perfusion in the nontumor volume of the liver and overall liver function measured by ICG before, during, and after RT. The dose response for regional portal venous perfusion to RT was determined using a linear mixed effects model. Results: There was a significant correlation between the ICG clearance rate and mean portal venous perfusion in the functioning liver parenchyma, suggesting that portal venous perfusion could be used as a surrogate for function. Reduction in regional venous perfusion 1 month after RT was predicted by the locally accumulated biologically corrected dose at the end of RT (P<.0007). Regional portal venous perfusion measured during RT was a significant predictor for regional venous perfusion assessed 1 month after RT (P<.00001). Global hypovenous perfusion pre-RT was observed in 4 patients (3 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis), 3 of whom had recovered from hypoperfusion, except in the highest dose regions, post-RT. In addition, 3 patients who had normal perfusion pre-RT had marked hypervenous perfusion or reperfusion in low-dose regions post-RT. Conclusions: This study suggests that MR-based volumetric hepatic perfusion imaging may be a biomarker for spatial distribution of liver function, which

Polymer-based platform for microfluidic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Benett, William [Livermore, CA; Krulevitch, Peter [Pleasanton, CA; Maghribi, Mariam [Livermore, CA; Hamilton, Julie [Tracy, CA; Rose, Klint [Boston, MA; Wang, Amy W [Oakland, CA

2009-10-13

A method of forming a polymer-based microfluidic system platform using network building blocks selected from a set of interconnectable network building blocks, such as wire, pins, blocks, and interconnects. The selected building blocks are interconnectably assembled and fixedly positioned in precise positions in a mold cavity of a mold frame to construct a three-dimensional model construction of a microfluidic flow path network preferably having meso-scale dimensions. A hardenable liquid, such as poly (dimethylsiloxane) is then introduced into the mold cavity and hardened to form a platform structure as well as to mold the microfluidic flow path network having channels, reservoirs and ports. Pre-fabricated elbows, T's and other joints are used to interconnect various building block elements together. After hardening the liquid the building blocks are removed from the platform structure to make available the channels, cavities and ports within the platform structure. Microdevices may be embedded within the cast polymer-based platform, or bonded to the platform structure subsequent to molding, to create an integrated microfluidic system. In this manner, the new microfluidic platform is versatile and capable of quickly generating prototype systems, and could easily be adapted to a manufacturing setting.

Microfluidic Impedimetric Cell Regeneration Assay to Monitor the Enhanced Cytotoxic Effect of Nanomaterial Perfusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Rothbauer

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In the last decade, the application of nanomaterials (NMs in technical products and biomedicine has become a rapidly increasing market trend. As the safety and efficacy of NMs are of utmost importance, new methods are needed to study the dynamic interactions of NMs at the nano-biointerface. However, evaluation of NMs based on standard and static cell culture end-point detection methods does not provide information on the dynamics of living biological systems, which is crucial for the understanding of physiological responses. To bridge this technological gap, we here present a microfluidic cell culture system containing embedded impedance microsensors to continuously and non-invasively monitor the effects of NMs on adherent cells under varying flow conditions. As a model, the impact of silica NMs on the vitality and regenerative capacity of human lung cells after acute and chronic exposure scenarios was studied over an 18-h period following a four-hour NM treatment. Results of the study demonstrated that the developed system is applicable to reliably analyze the consequences of dynamic NM exposure to physiological cell barriers in both nanotoxicology and nanomedicine.

Perfusion dyssynchrony analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chiribiri, A.; Villa, A.D.M.; Sammut, E.; Breeuwer, M.; Nagel, E.

2015-01-01

AIMS: We sought to describe perfusion dyssynchrony analysis specifically to exploit the high temporal resolution of stress perfusion CMR. This novel approach detects differences in the temporal distribution of the wash-in of contrast agent across the left ventricular wall. METHODS AND RESULTS:

99mTc-HMPAO perfusion indices and brain-mapping in stroke patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minchev, D.; Klisarova, A.

1997-01-01

It is the purpose of the study to establish correlations between 99mTc-HMPAO (hexamethylpropylenaminoxym) perfusion indices and changes in brain-mapping among patients with acute stroke. Forty-six patients with definitely proved stroke syndrome are investigated in the first 72 hours and 15 days after the onset of cerebrovascular accident using clinical, neuro-physiological and 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT methods. Regional and hemispheric perfusion asymmetry correlate with the brain-mapping cerebral disturbance (p < 0.001). In patients presenting focal hypoperfusion there is a significant correlation between perfusion indices and local EEG disturbance (r = 0.87). The dynamic study demonstrates a significant correlation between perfusion indices and electrical cerebral disturbance in the first 72 hours after the onset of the cerebrovascular accident. Fifteen days later no such correlation is documented. The obtained results demonstrate the essential practical bearing of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT indices on the objective assessment of perfusion hemispheric and regional asymmetry in stroke patients, and the possibility of being used for indirect estimation of the regional cerebral blood flow in acute stroke patients against the background of visual and quantitative EEG changes (author)

Brain perfusion: computed tomography applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miles, K.A.

2004-01-01

Within recent years, the broad introduction of fast multi-detector computed tomography (CT) systems and the availability of commercial software for perfusion analysis have made cerebral perfusion imaging with CT a practical technique for the clinical environment. The technique is widely available at low cost, accurate and easy to perform. Perfusion CT is particularly applicable to those clinical circumstances where patients already undergo CT for other reasons, including stroke, head injury, subarachnoid haemorrhage and radiotherapy planning. Future technical developments in multi-slice CT systems may diminish the current limitations of limited spatial coverage and radiation burden. CT perfusion imaging on combined PET-CT systems offers new opportunities to improve the evaluation of patients with cerebral ischaemia or tumours by demonstrating the relationship between cerebral blood flow and metabolism. Yet CT is often not perceived as a technique for imaging cerebral perfusion. This article reviews the use of CT for imaging cerebral perfusion, highlighting its advantages and disadvantages and draws comparisons between perfusion CT and magnetic resonance imaging. (orig.)

Simultaneous measurement of pO2 and perfusion in the rabbit kidney in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Paul M; Anderson, Warwick P; Kett, Michelle M; Evans, Roger G

2007-01-01

Recently, a combined probe has been developed capable of simultaneous measurement of local tissue pO2 (fluorescence oximetry) and microvascular perfusion (laser Doppler flux) within the same local region. The aim of the current study was to test the utility of these combined probes to measure pO2 and perfusion in the kidney. Studies were performed in anesthetized, artificially ventilated rabbits (n=7). Baseline measurements of renal medullary perfusion and pO2 obtained using combined probes (537 +/- 110 units & 28.7 +/- 6.l mmHg, respectively) were indistinguishable from those obtained using independent probes (435 +/- 102 units & 26.9 +/- 6.4 mmHg). Baseline measurements of renal cortical pO2 were also similar between combined (9.7 +/- 1.6 mmHg) and independent probes (9.5 +/- 2.3 mmHg). Baseline levels of cortical perfusion however, were significantly greater when measured using independent probes (1130 +/- 114 units) compared to combined probes (622 +/- 59 units; P pO2 resulting from graded stimulation of the renal nerves were not significantly different when measured using combined probes to those obtained using independent probes. We conclude that combined probes are equally suitable to independent probes for tissue pO2 and microvascular perfusion measurement in the kidney. Our results raise some concerns regarding the accuracy of these OxyLite fluorescence probes for pO2 measurement in the kidney, particularly within the renal cortex.

Non-invasive monitoring of muscle blood perfusion by photoplethysmography: evaluation of a new application.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandberg, M; Zhang, Q; Styf, J; Gerdle, B; Lindberg, L-G

2005-04-01

To evaluate a specially developed photoplethysmographic (PPG) technique, using green and near-infrared light sources, for simultaneous non-invasive monitoring of skin and muscle perfusion. Evaluation was based on assessments of changes in blood perfusion to various provocations, such as post-exercise hyperaemia and hyperaemia following the application of liniment. The deep penetrating feature of PPG was investigated by measurement of optical radiation inside the muscle. Simultaneous measurements using ultrasound Doppler and the new PPG application were performed to elucidate differences between the two methods. Specific problems related to the influence of skin temperature on blood flow were highlightened, as well. Following static and dynamic contractions an immediate increase in muscle perfusion was shown, without increase in skin perfusion. Liniment application to the skin induced a rapid increase in skin perfusion, but not in muscle. Both similarities and differences in blood flow measured by Ultrasound Doppler and PPG were demonstrated. The radiant power measured inside the muscle, by use of an optical fibre, showed that the near-infrared light penetrates down to the vascular depth inside the muscle. The results of this study indicate the potentiality of the method for non-invasive measurement of local muscle perfusion, although some considerations still have to be accounted for, such as influence of temperature on blood perfusion.

Centrifugal micro-fluidic platform for radiochemistry: Potentialities for the chemical analysis of nuclear spent fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruchet, Anthony; Mariet, Clarisse; Taniga, Velan; Descroix, Stephanie; Malaquin, Laurent; Goutelard, Florence

2013-01-01

The use of a centrifugal micro-fluidic platform is for the first time reported as an alternative to classical chromatographic procedures for radiochemistry. The original design of the micro-fluidic platform has been thought to fasten and simplify the prototyping process with the use of a circular platform integrating four rectangular microchips made of thermoplastic. The microchips, dedicated to anion-exchange chromatographic separations, integrate a localized monolithic stationary phase as well as injection and collection reservoirs. The results presented here were obtained with a simplified simulated nuclear spent fuel sample composed of non-radioactive isotopes of Europium and Uranium, in proportion usually found for uranium oxide nuclear spent fuel. While keeping the analytical results consistent with the conventional procedure (extraction yield for Europium of ∼97%), the use of the centrifugal micro-fluidic platform allowed to reduce the volume of liquid needed by a factor of ∼250. Thanks to their unique 'easy-to-use' features, centrifugal micro-fluidic platforms are potential successful candidates for the down-scaling of chromatographic separation of radioactive samples (automation, multiplexing, easy integration in glove-boxes environment and low cost of maintenance). (authors)

Microfluidic process monitor for industrial solvent extraction system

Science.gov (United States)

Gelis, Artem; Pereira, Candido; Nichols, Kevin Paul Flood

2016-01-12

The present invention provides a system for solvent extraction utilizing a first electrode with a raised area formed on its surface, which defines a portion of a microfluidic channel; a second electrode with a flat surface, defining another portion of the microfluidic channel that opposes the raised area of the first electrode; a reversibly deformable substrate disposed between the first electrode and second electrode, adapted to accommodate the raised area of the first electrode and having a portion that extends beyond the raised area of the first electrode, that portion defining the remaining portions of the microfluidic channel; and an electrolyte of at least two immiscible liquids that flows through the microfluidic channel. Also provided is a system for performing multiple solvent extractions utilizing several microfluidic chips or unit operations connected in series.

Competition between Local Collisions and Collective Hydrodynamic Feedback Controls Traffic Flows in Microfluidic Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Belloul, M.; Engl, W.; Colin, A.; Panizza, P.; Ajdari, A.

2009-05-01

By studying the repartition of monodisperse droplets at a simple T junction, we show that the traffic of discrete fluid systems in microfluidic networks results from two competing mechanisms, whose significance is driven by confinement. Traffic is dominated by collisions occurring at the junction for small droplets and by collective hydrodynamic feedback for large ones. For each mechanism, we present simple models in terms of the pertinent dimensionless parameters of the problem.

A capillary-based perfusion phantom for simulation of brain perfusion for MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maciak, A.; Kronfeld, A.; Mueller-Forell, W.; Wille, C.; Kempski, O.; Stoeter, P.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The measurement of the CBF is a non-standardized procedure and there are no reliable gold standards. This abstract shows a capillary-based perfusion-phantom for CE-DSC-MRI. It has equivalent flow properties to those within the tissue capillary system of the human brain and allows the validation of the Siemens Perfusion (MR) software. Materials and Methods: The perfusion phantom consists of a dialyzer for the simulation of the capillary system, a feeding tube for simulation of the AIF and a pulsatile pump for simulation of the heart. Using this perfusion phantom, the exact determination of the gold standard CBF due to the well-known geometry of the phantom is easy. It was validated based on different perfusion measurements. These measurements were investigated with standard software (Siemens Perfusion MR). The software determined the CBF within the capillary system. Based on this CBF, a comparison to the gold standard was made with several different flow speeds. After AIF selection, a total of 726 CBF data points were automatically extracted by the software. Results: This results in a comparison of the gold standard CBF to these 726 CBF values. Therefore, a reproducible and reliable deviation estimation between gold standard CBF and measured CBF using the software was computed. It can be shown that the deviation between gold standard and software-based evaluation ranges between 1 and 31 %. Conclusion: There is no significance for any correlation between flow speed and amount of deviation. The mean measured CBF is 11.4 % higher than the gold standard CBF (p-value < 0.001). Using this kind of perfusion-phantom, the validation of different software systems allows reliable conclusions about their quality. (orig.)

Perfusion CT in acute stroke

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckert, Bernd; Roether, Joachim; Fiehler, Jens; Thomalla, Goetz

2015-01-01

Modern multislice CT scanners enable multimodal protocols including non-enhanced CT, CT angiography, and CT perfusion. A 64-slice CT scanner provides 4-cm coverage. To cover the whole brain, a 128 - 256-slice scanner is needed. The use of perfusion CT requires an optimized scan protocol in order to reduce exposure to radiation. As compared to non-enhanced CT and CT angiography, the use of CT perfusion increases detection rates of cerebral ischemia, especially small cortical ischemic lesions, while the detection of lacunar and infratentorial stroke lesions remains limited. Perfusion CT enables estimation of collateral flow in acute occlusion of large intra- or extracranial arteries. Currently, no established reliable thresholds are available for determining infarct core and penumbral tissue by CT perfusion. Moreover, perfusion parameters depend on the processing algorithms and the software used for calculation. However, a number of studies point towards a reduction of cerebral blood volume (CBV) below 2 ml/100 g as a critical threshold that identifies infarct core. Large CBV lesions are associated with poor outcome even in the context of recanalization. The extent of early ischemic signs on non-enhanced CT remains the main parameter from CT imaging to guide acute reperfusion treatment. Nevertheless, perfusion CT increases diagnostic and therapeutic certainty in the acute setting. Similar to stroke MRI, perfusion CT enables the identification of tissue at risk of infarction by the mismatch between infarct core and the larger area of critical hypoperfusion. Further insights into the validity of perfusion parameters are expected from ongoing trials of mechanical thrombectomy in stroke.

Valve Concepts for Microfluidic Cell Handling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Grabowski

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present various pneumatically actuated microfluidic valves to enable user-defined fluid management within a microfluidic chip. To identify a feasible valve design, certain valve concepts are simulated in ANSYS to investigate the pressure dependent opening and closing characteristics of each design. The results are verified in a series of tests. Both the microfluidic layer and the pneumatic layer are realized by means of soft-lithographic techniques. In this way, a network of channels is fabricated in photoresist as a molding master. By casting these masters with PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane we get polymeric replicas containing the channel network. After a plasma-enhanced bonding process, the two layers are irreversibly bonded to each other. The bonding is tight for pressures up to 2 bar. The valves are integrated into a microfluidic cell handling system that is designed to manipulate cells in the presence of a liquid reagent (e.g. PEG – polyethylene glycol, for cell fusion. For this purpose a user-defined fluid management system is developed. The first test series with human cell lines show that the microfluidic chip is suitable for accumulating cells within a reaction chamber, where they can be flushed by a liquid medium.

Material Biocompatibility for PCR Microfluidic Chips

KAUST Repository

Kodzius, Rimantas

2010-04-23

As part of the current miniaturization trend, biological reactions and processes are being adapted to microfluidics devices. PCR is the primary method employed in DNA amplification, its miniaturization is central to efforts to develop portable devices for diagnostics and testing purposes. A problem is the PCR-inhibitory effect due to interaction between PCR reagents and the surrounding environment, which effect is increased in high-surface-are-to-volume ration microfluidics. In this study, we evaluated the biocompatibility of various common materials employed in the fabrication of microfluidic chips, including silicon, several kinds of silicon oxide, glasses, plastics, wax, and adhesives. Two-temperature PCR was performed with these materials to determine their PCR-inhibitory effect. In most of the cases, addition of bovine serum albumin effectively improved the reaction yield. We also studied the individual PCR components from the standpoint of adsorption. Most of the materials did not inhibit the DNA, whereas they did show noticeable interaction with the DNA polymerase. Our test, instead of using microfluidic devices, can be easily conducted in common PCR tubes using a standard bench thermocycler. Our data supports an overview of the means by which the materials most bio-friendly to microfluidics can be selected.

Material Biocompatibility for PCR Microfluidic Chips

KAUST Repository

Kodzius, Rimantas; Chang, Donald Choy; Gong, Xiuqing; Wen, Weijia; Wu, Jinbo; Xiao, Kang; Yi, Xin

2010-01-01

As part of the current miniaturization trend, biological reactions and processes are being adapted to microfluidics devices. PCR is the primary method employed in DNA amplification, its miniaturization is central to efforts to develop portable devices for diagnostics and testing purposes. A problem is the PCR-inhibitory effect due to interaction between PCR reagents and the surrounding environment, which effect is increased in high-surface-are-to-volume ration microfluidics. In this study, we evaluated the biocompatibility of various common materials employed in the fabrication of microfluidic chips, including silicon, several kinds of silicon oxide, glasses, plastics, wax, and adhesives. Two-temperature PCR was performed with these materials to determine their PCR-inhibitory effect. In most of the cases, addition of bovine serum albumin effectively improved the reaction yield. We also studied the individual PCR components from the standpoint of adsorption. Most of the materials did not inhibit the DNA, whereas they did show noticeable interaction with the DNA polymerase. Our test, instead of using microfluidic devices, can be easily conducted in common PCR tubes using a standard bench thermocycler. Our data supports an overview of the means by which the materials most bio-friendly to microfluidics can be selected.

Microfluidic Flame Barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Mungas, Gregory S. (Inventor); Fisher, David J. (Inventor); Mungas, Christopher (Inventor)

2013-01-01

Propellants flow through specialized mechanical hardware that is designed for effective and safe ignition and sustained combustion of the propellants. By integrating a micro-fluidic porous media element between a propellant feed source and the combustion chamber, an effective and reliable propellant injector head may be implemented that is capable of withstanding transient combustion and detonation waves that commonly occur during an ignition event. The micro-fluidic porous media element is of specified porosity or porosity gradient selected to be appropriate for a given propellant. Additionally the propellant injector head design integrates a spark ignition mechanism that withstands extremely hot running conditions without noticeable spark mechanism degradation.

Routing-based synthesis of digital microfluidic biochips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maftei, Elena; Pop, Paul; Madsen, Jan

2012-01-01

Microfluidic biochips are replacing the conventional biochemical analyzers, and are able to integrate on-chip all the necessary functions for biochemical analysis. The “digital” biochips are manipulating liquids as discrete droplets on a two-dimensional array of electrodes. Basic microfluidic...... electrodes are considered occupied during the operation execution, although the droplet uses only one electrode at a time. Moreover, the operations can actually be performed by routing the droplets on any sequence of electrodes on the microfluidic array. Hence, in this paper, we eliminate the concept...... on the surface of the microfluidic array. We have extended the GRASP-based algorithm to consider contamination avoidance during routing-based synthesis. Several real-life examples and synthetic benchmarks are used to evaluate the proposed approaches....

SU-F-R-48: Early Prediction of Pathological Response of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Using Perfusion CT:A Prospective Clinical Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nie, K; Yue, N; Jabbour, S; Kim, S [Rutgers-Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical, New Brunswick, NJ (United States); Shi, L; Mao, T; Qian, L; Hu, X; Sun, X; Niu, T [Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang (China)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate the tumor vascularity assessed by perfusion CT for prediction of chemo-radiation treatment (CRT) response in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods: Eighteen consecutive patients (61.9±8.8 years, from March–June 2015) diagnosed with LARC who underwent 6–8 weeks CRT followed by surgery were included. The pre-treatment perfusion CT was acquired after a 5s delay of contrast agent injection for 45s with 1s interval. A total of 7-cm craniocaudal range covered the tumor region with 3-mm slice thickness. The effective radiation dose is around 15mSv, which is about 1.5 the conventional abdomen/pelvis CT dose. The parametric map of blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT), permeability (PMB), and maximum intensity map (MIP) were obtained from commercial software (Syngo-CT 2011A, Siemens). An experienced radiation oncologist outlined the tumor based on the pre-operative MR and pathologic residual region, but was blinded with regards to pathological tumor stage. The perfusion parameters were compared to histopathological response quantified by tumor regression grade as good-responder (GR, TRG 0-1) vs. non-good responder (non-GR). Furthermore, the predictive value for pathological complete response (pCR) was also investigated. Results: Both BV (p=0.02) and MTT (P=0.02) was significantly higher and permeambility was lower (p=0.004) in the good responders. The BF was higher in GR group but not statistically significant. Regarding the discrimination of pCR vs non-pCR, the BF was higher in the pCR group (p=0.08) but none of those parameters showed statistically significant differences. Conclusion: BV and MTT can discriminate patients with a favorable response from those that fail to respond well, potentially selecting high-risk patients with resistant tumors that may benefit from an aggressive preoperative treatment approach. However, future studies with more patient data are needed to verify the prognostic value

Controlling two-phase flow in microfluidic systems using electrowetting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gu, H.

2011-01-01

Electrowetting (EW)-based digital microfluidic systems (DMF) and droplet-based two-phase flow microfluidic systems (TPF) with closed channels are the most widely used microfluidic platforms. In general, these two approaches have been considered independently. However, integrating the two

Microfluidic technology for PET radiochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillies, J.M.; Prenant, C.; Chimon, G.N.; Smethurst, G.J.; Dekker, B.A.; Zweit, J.

2006-01-01

This paper describes the first application of a microfabricated reaction system to positron emission tomography (PET) radiochemistry. We have applied microfluidic technology to synthesise PET radiopharmaceuticals using 18 F and 124 I as labels for fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and Annexin-V, respectively. These reactions involved established methods of nucleophilic substitution on a mannose triflate precursor and direct iodination of the protein using iodogen as an oxidant. This has demonstrated a proof of principle of using microfluidic technology to radiochemical reactions involving low and high molecular weight compounds. Using microfluidic reactions, [ 18 F]FDG was synthesised with a 50% incorporation of the available F-18 radioactivity in a very short time of 4 s. The radiolabelling efficiency of 124 I Annexin-V was 40% after 1 min reaction time. Chromatographic analysis showed that such reaction yields are comparable to conventional methods, but in a much shorter time. The yields can be further improved with more optimisation of the microfluidic device itself and its fluid mixing profiles. This demonstrates the potential for this technology to have an impact on rapid and simpler radiopharmaceutical synthesis using short and medium half-life radionuclides

Parametric imaging of tumor perfusion and neovascular morphology using ultrasound

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyt, Kenneth

2015-03-01

A new image processing strategy is detailed for the simultaneous measurement of tumor perfusion and neovascular morphology parameters from a sequence of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) images. A technique for locally mapping tumor perfusion parameters using skeletonized neovascular data is also introduced. Simulated images were used to test the neovascular skeletonization technique and variance (error) of relevant parametric estimates. Preliminary DCE-US image datasets were collected in 6 female patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and using a Philips iU22 ultrasound system equipped with a L9-3 MHz transducer and Definity contrast agent. Simulation data demonstrates that neovascular morphology parametric estimation is reproducible albeit measurement error can occur at a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Experimental results indicate the feasibility of our approach to performing both tumor perfusion and neovascular morphology measurements from DCE-US images. Future work will expand on our initial clinical findings and also extent our image processing strategy to 3-dimensional space to allow whole tumor characterization.

Volume perfusion CT imaging of cerebral vasospasm: diagnostic performance of different perfusion maps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Othman, Ahmed E. [RWTH Aachen University, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Aachen (Germany); Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, University Hospital Tuebingen, Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Tuebingen (Germany); Afat, Saif; Nikoubashman, Omid; Mueller, Marguerite; Wiesmann, Martin; Brockmann, Carolin [RWTH Aachen University, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Aachen (Germany); Schubert, Gerrit Alexander [RWTH Aachen University, Department of Neurosurgery, Aachen (Germany); Bier, Georg [Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, University Hospital Tuebingen, Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Tuebingen (Germany); Brockmann, Marc A. [RWTH Aachen University, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Aachen (Germany); University Hospital Mainz, Department of Neuroradiology, Mainz (Germany)

2016-08-15

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of different volume perfusion CT (VPCT) maps regarding the detection of cerebral vasospasm compared to angiographic findings. Forty-one datasets of 26 patients (57.5 ± 10.8 years, 18 F) with subarachnoid hemorrhage and suspected cerebral vasospasm, who underwent VPCT and angiography within 6 h, were included. Two neuroradiologists independently evaluated the presence and severity of vasospasm on perfusion maps on a 3-point Likert scale (0 - no vasospasm, 1 - vasospasm affecting <50 %, 2 - vasospasm affecting >50 % of vascular territory). A third neuroradiologist independently assessed angiography for the presence and severity of vasospasm on a 3-point Likert scale (0 - no vasospasm, 1 - vasospasm affecting < 50 %, 2 - vasospasm affecting > 50 % of vessel diameter). Perfusion maps of cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean transit time (MTT), and time to drain (TTD) were evaluated regarding diagnostic accuracy for cerebral vasospasm with angiography as reference standard. Correlation analysis of vasospasm severity on perfusion maps and angiographic images was performed. Furthermore, inter-reader agreement was assessed regarding findings on perfusion maps. Diagnostic accuracy for TTD and MTT was significantly higher than for all other perfusion maps (TTD, AUC = 0.832; MTT, AUC = 0.791; p < 0.001). TTD revealed higher sensitivity than MTT (p = 0.007). The severity of vasospasm on TTD maps showed significantly higher correlation levels with angiography than all other perfusion maps (p ≤ 0.048). Inter-reader agreement was (almost) perfect for all perfusion maps (kappa ≥ 0.927). The results of this study indicate that TTD maps have the highest sensitivity for the detection of cerebral vasospasm and highest correlation with angiography regarding the severity of vasospasm. (orig.)

Preface book Microfluidics for medical applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Berg, Albert; Segerink, Loes Irene

2015-01-01

This book presents an overview of the major microfluidics techniques and platforms used for medicine and medical applications, providing the reader with an overview of the recent developments in this field. It is divided in three parts: (1) tissue and organs on-chip, (2) microfluidics for medicine

High content screening in microfluidic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Cheong, Raymond; Paliwal, Saurabh; Levchenko, Andre

2011-01-01

Importance of the field Miniaturization is key to advancing the state-of-the-art in high content screening (HCS), in order to enable dramatic cost savings through reduced usage of expensive biochemical reagents and to enable large-scale screening on primary cells. Microfluidic technology offers the potential to enable HCS to be performed with an unprecedented degree of miniaturization. Areas covered in this review This perspective highlights a real-world example from the authors’ work of HCS assays implemented in a highly miniaturized microfluidic format. Advantages of this technology are discussed, including cost savings, high throughput screening on primary cells, improved accuracy, the ability to study complex time-varying stimuli, and ease of automation, integration, and scaling. What the reader will gain The reader will understand the capabilities of a new microfluidics-based platform for HCS, and the advantages it provides over conventional plate-based HCS. Take home message Microfluidics technology will drive significant advancements and broader usage and applicability of HCS in drug discovery. PMID:21852997

Manipulation of microfluidic droplets by electrorheological fluid

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Menying; Gong, Xiuqing; Wen, Weijia

2009-01-01

Microfluidics, especially droplet microfluidics, attracts more and more researchers from diverse fields, because it requires fewer materials and less time, produces less waste and has the potential of highly integrated and computer

Reconfigurable microfluidic platform in ice

OpenAIRE

Varejka, M.

2008-01-01

Microfluidic devices are popular tools in the biotechnology industry where they provide smaller reagent requirements, high speed of analysis and the possibility for automation. The aim of the project is to make a flexible biocompatible microfluidic platform adapted to different specific applications, mainly analytical and separations which parameters and configuration can be changed multiple times by changing corresponding computer programme. The current project has been sup...

Microfluidic Devices in Advanced Caenorhabditis elegans Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muniesh Muthaiyan Shanmugam

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The study of model organisms is very important in view of their potential for application to human therapeutic uses. One such model organism is the nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans. As a nematode, C. elegans have ~65% similarity with human disease genes and, therefore, studies on C. elegans can be translated to human, as well as, C. elegans can be used in the study of different types of parasitic worms that infect other living organisms. In the past decade, many efforts have been undertaken to establish interdisciplinary research collaborations between biologists, physicists and engineers in order to develop microfluidic devices to study the biology of C. elegans. Microfluidic devices with the power to manipulate and detect bio-samples, regents or biomolecules in micro-scale environments can well fulfill the requirement to handle worms under proper laboratory conditions, thereby significantly increasing research productivity and knowledge. The recent development of different kinds of microfluidic devices with ultra-high throughput platforms has enabled researchers to carry out worm population studies. Microfluidic devices primarily comprises of chambers, channels and valves, wherein worms can be cultured, immobilized, imaged, etc. Microfluidic devices have been adapted to study various worm behaviors, including that deepen our understanding of neuromuscular connectivity and functions. This review will provide a clear account of the vital involvement of microfluidic devices in worm biology.

Fluid flow in a spiral microfluidic duct

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, Brendan; Stokes, Yvonne

2018-04-01

We consider the steady, pressure driven flow of a viscous fluid through a microfluidic device having the geometry of a planar spiral duct with a slowly varying curvature and height smaller than width. For this problem, it is convenient to express the Navier-Stokes equations in terms of a non-orthogonal coordinate system. Then, after applying appropriate scalings, the leading order equations admit a relatively simple solution in the central region of the duct cross section. First-order corrections with respect to the duct curvature and aspect ratio parameters are also obtained for this region. Additional correction terms are needed to ensure that no slip and no penetration conditions are satisfied on the side walls. Our solutions allow for a top wall shape that varies with respect to the radial coordinate which allows us to study the flow in a variety of cross-sectional shapes, including trapezoidal-shaped ducts that have been studied experimentally. At leading order, the flow is found to depend on the local height and slope of the top wall within the central region. The solutions are compared with numerical approximations of a classical Dean flow and are found to be in good agreement for a small duct aspect ratio and a slowly varying and small curvature. We conclude that the slowly varying curvature typical of spiral microfluidic devices has a negligible impact on the flow in the sense that locally the flow does not differ significantly from the classical Dean flow through a duct having the same curvature.

Standardized perfusion value of the esophageal carcinoma and its correlation with quantitative CT perfusion parameter values

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Djuric-Stefanovic, A., E-mail: avstefan@eunet.rs [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Unit of Digestive Radiology (First University Surgical Clinic), Center of Radiology and MR, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (Serbia); Saranovic, Dj., E-mail: crvzve4@gmail.com [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Unit of Digestive Radiology (First University Surgical Clinic), Center of Radiology and MR, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (Serbia); Sobic-Saranovic, D., E-mail: dsobic2@gmail.com [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Center of Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (Serbia); Masulovic, D., E-mail: draganmasulovic@yahoo.com [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Unit of Digestive Radiology (First University Surgical Clinic), Center of Radiology and MR, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (Serbia); Artiko, V., E-mail: veraart@beotel.rs [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Center of Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (Serbia)

2015-03-15

Purpose: Standardized perfusion value (SPV) is a universal indicator of tissue perfusion, normalized to the whole-body perfusion, which was proposed to simplify, unify and allow the interchangeability among the perfusion measurements and comparison between the tumor perfusion and metabolism. The aims of our study were to assess the standardized perfusion value (SPV) of the esophageal carcinoma, and its correlation with quantitative CT perfusion measurements: blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT) and permeability surface area product (PS) of the same tumor volume samples, which were obtained by deconvolution-based CT perfusion analysis. Methods: Forty CT perfusion studies of the esophageal cancer were analyzed, using the commercial deconvolution-based CT perfusion software (Perfusion 3.0, GE Healthcare). The SPV of the esophageal tumor and neighboring skeletal muscle were correlated with the corresponding mean tumor and muscle quantitative CT perfusion parameter values, using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (r{sub S}). Results: Median SPV of the esophageal carcinoma (7.1; range: 2.8–13.4) significantly differed from the SPV of the skeletal muscle (median: 1.0; range: 0.4–2.4), (Z = −5.511, p < 0.001). The cut-off value of the SPV of 2.5 enabled discrimination of esophageal cancer from the skeletal muscle with sensitivity and specificity of 100%. SPV of the esophageal carcinoma significantly correlated with corresponding tumor BF (r{sub S} = 0.484, p = 0.002), BV (r{sub S} = 0.637, p < 0.001) and PS (r{sub S} = 0.432, p = 0.005), and SPV of the skeletal muscle significantly correlated with corresponding muscle BF (r{sub S} = 0.573, p < 0.001), BV (r{sub S} = 0.849, p < 0.001) and PS (r{sub S} = 0.761, p < 0.001). Conclusions: We presented a database of the SPV for the esophageal cancer and proved that SPV of the esophageal neoplasm significantly differs from the SPV of the skeletal muscle, which represented a sample of healthy

Microfluidic Technologies for Synthetic Biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung Kuk Lee

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic technologies have shown powerful abilities for reducing cost, time, and labor, and at the same time, for increasing accuracy, throughput, and performance in the analysis of biological and biochemical samples compared with the conventional, macroscale instruments. Synthetic biology is an emerging field of biology and has drawn much attraction due to its potential to create novel, functional biological parts and systems for special purposes. Since it is believed that the development of synthetic biology can be accelerated through the use of microfluidic technology, in this review work we focus our discussion on the latest microfluidic technologies that can provide unprecedented means in synthetic biology for dynamic profiling of gene expression/regulation with high resolution, highly sensitive on-chip and off-chip detection of metabolites, and whole-cell analysis.

Nuclear magnetic resonance of perfused tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harpen, M.D.; Allison, R.C.

1986-01-01

The effect of perfusion on the NMR signal observed in NMR imaging is studied in a phantom and in two isolated perfused canine lungs. It is observed that perfusion in tissue has little effect on longitudinal relaxation times. Transverse relaxation rates are observed to correlate linearly with rates of perfusion, in accordance with a model presented. (author)

Dynamic CT myocardial perfusion imaging identifies early perfusion abnormalities in diabetes and hypertension : Insights from a multicenter registry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; De Cecco, Carlo N.; Wichmann, Julian L.; Meinel, Felix G.; Pelgrim, Gert Jan; Tesche, Christian; Ebersberger, Ullrich; Pugliese, Francesca; Bamberg, Fabian; Choe, Yeon Hyeon; Wang, Yining; Schoepf, U. Joseph

2016-01-01

Background: To identify patients with early signs of myocardial perfusion reduction, a reference base for perfusion measures is needed. Objective: To analyze perfusion parameters derived from dynamic computed tomography perfusion imaging (CTPI) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease

Capture of DNA in microfluidic channel using magnetic beads: increasing capture efficiency with integrated microfluidic mixer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund-Olesen, Torsten; Dufva, Hans Martin; Hansen, Mikkel Fougt

2007-01-01

We have studied the hybridization of target DNA in solution with probe DNA on magnetic beads immobilized on the channel sidewalls in a magnetic bead separator. The hybridization is carried out under a liquid flow and is diffusion limited. Two systems are compared: one with a straight microfluidic...... place on the surface in a microfluidic system....

Construction of programmable interconnected 3D microfluidic networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunziker, Patrick R; Wolf, Marc P; Wang, Xueya; Zhang, Bei; Marsch, Stephan; Salieb-Beugelaar, Georgette B

2015-01-01

Microfluidic systems represent a key-enabling platform for novel diagnostic tools for use at the point-of-care in clinical contexts as well as for evolving single cell diagnostics. The design of 3D microfluidic systems is an active field of development, but construction of true interconnected 3D microfluidic networks is still a challenge, in particular when the goal is rapid prototyping, accurate design and flexibility. We report a novel approach for the construction of programmable 3D microfluidic systems consisting of modular 3D template casting of interconnected threads to allow user-programmable flow paths and examine its structural characteristics and its modular function. To overcome problems with thread template casting reported in the literature, low-surface-energy polymer threads were used, that allow solvent-free production. Connected circular channels with excellent roundness and low diameter variability were created. Variable channel termination allowed programming a flow path on-the-fly, thus rendering the resulting 3D microfluidic systems highly customizable even after production. Thus, construction of programmable/reprogrammable fully 3D microfluidic systems by template casting of a network of interconnecting threads is feasible, leads to high-quality and highly reproducible, complex 3D geometries. (paper)

Microfluidic-integrated biosensors: prospects for point-of-care diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Suveen; Kumar, Saurabh; Ali, Md Azahar; Anand, Pinki; Agrawal, Ved Varun; John, Renu; Maji, Sagar; Malhotra, Bansi D

2013-11-01

There is a growing demand to integrate biosensors with microfluidics to provide miniaturized platforms with many favorable properties, such as reduced sample volume, decreased processing time, low cost analysis and low reagent consumption. These microfluidics-integrated biosensors would also have numerous advantages such as laminar flow, minimal handling of hazardous materials, multiple sample detection in parallel, portability and versatility in design. Microfluidics involves the science and technology of manipulation of fluids at the micro- to nano-liter level. It is predicted that combining biosensors with microfluidic chips will yield enhanced analytical capability, and widen the possibilities for applications in clinical diagnostics. The recent developments in microfluidics have helped researchers working in industries and educational institutes to adopt some of these platforms for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. This review focuses on the latest advancements in the fields of microfluidic biosensing technologies, and on the challenges and possible solutions for translation of this technology for POC diagnostic applications. We also discuss the fabrication techniques required for developing microfluidic-integrated biosensors, recently reported biomarkers, and the prospects of POC diagnostics in the medical industry. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

New microfluidic platform for life sciences in South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Hugo, S

2012-10-01

Full Text Available is also offered as numerous devices can be implemented on one disc. A variety of components from sample preparation through to detection can be implemented simply and effectively into an integrated microfluidic solution for life sciences. The lab... in the field of centrifugal microfluidics. New microfluidic platform for life sciences in South Africa S. HUGO, K. LAND CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing P O Box 395, Pretoria 0001, SOUTH AFRICA Email: kland@csir.co.za INTRODUCTION Microfluidic...

Quantification of renal allograft perfusion using arterial spin labeling MRI: initial results.

Science.gov (United States)

Lanzman, Rotem S; Wittsack, Hans-Jörg; Martirosian, Petros; Zgoura, Panagiota; Bilk, Philip; Kröpil, Patric; Schick, Fritz; Voiculescu, Adina; Blondin, Dirk

2010-06-01

To quantify renal allograft perfusion in recipients with stable allograft function and acute decrease in allograft function using nonenhanced flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR)-TrueFISP arterial spin labeling (ASL) MR imaging. Following approval of the local ethics committee, 20 renal allograft recipients were included in this study. ASL perfusion measurement and an anatomical T2-weighted single-shot fast spin-echo (HASTE) sequence were performed on a 1.5-T scanner (Magnetom Avanto, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). T2-weighted MR urography was performed in patients with suspected ureteral obstruction. Patients were assigned to three groups: group a, 6 patients with stable allograft function over the previous 4 months; group b, 7 patients with good allograft function who underwent transplantation during the previous 3 weeks; group c, 7 allograft recipients with an acute deterioration of renal function. Mean cortical perfusion values were 304.8 +/- 34.4, 296.5 +/- 44.1, and 181.9 +/- 53.4 mg/100 ml/min for groups a, b and c, respectively. Reduction in cortical perfusion in group c was statistically significant. Our results indicate that ASL is a promising technique for nonenhanced quantification of cortical perfusion of renal allografts. Further studies are required to determine the clinical value of ASL for monitoring renal allograft recipients.

Quantification of renal allograft perfusion using arterial spin labeling MRI: initial results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanzman, Rotem S.; Wittsack, Hans-Joerg; Bilk, Philip; Kroepil, Patric; Blondin, Dirk; Martirosian, Petros; Schick, Fritz; Zgoura, Panagiota; Voiculescu, Adina

2010-01-01

To quantify renal allograft perfusion in recipients with stable allograft function and acute decrease in allograft function using nonenhanced flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR)-TrueFISP arterial spin labeling (ASL) MR imaging. Following approval of the local ethics committee, 20 renal allograft recipients were included in this study. ASL perfusion measurement and an anatomical T2-weighted single-shot fast spin-echo (HASTE) sequence were performed on a 1.5-T scanner (Magnetom Avanto, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). T2-weighted MR urography was performed in patients with suspected ureteral obstruction. Patients were assigned to three groups: group a, 6 patients with stable allograft function over the previous 4 months; group b, 7 patients with good allograft function who underwent transplantation during the previous 3 weeks; group c, 7 allograft recipients with an acute deterioration of renal function. Mean cortical perfusion values were 304.8 ± 34.4, 296.5 ± 44.1, and 181.9 ± 53.4 mg/100 ml/min for groups a, b and c, respectively. Reduction in cortical perfusion in group c was statistically significant. Our results indicate that ASL is a promising technique for nonenhanced quantification of cortical perfusion of renal allografts. Further studies are required to determine the clinical value of ASL for monitoring renal allograft recipients. (orig.)

Fabrication of Microfluidic Valves Using a Hydrogel Molding Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiura, Yusuke; Hirama, Hirotada; Torii, Toru

2015-08-24

In this paper, a method for fabricating a microfluidic valve made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using a rapid prototyping method for microchannels through hydrogel cast molding is discussed. Currently, the valves in microchannels play an important role in various microfluidic devices. The technology to prototype microfluidic valves rapidly is actively being developed. For the rapid prototyping of PDMS microchannels, a method that uses a hydrogel as the casting mold has been recently developed. This technique can be used to prepare a three-dimensional structure through simple and uncomplicated methods. In this study, we were able to fabricate microfluidic valves easily using this rapid prototyping method that utilizes hydrogel cast molding. In addition, we confirmed that the valve displacement could be predicted within a range of constant pressures. Moreover, because microfluidic valves fabricated using this method can be directly observed from a cross-sectional direction, we anticipate that this technology will significantly contribute to clarifying fluid behavior and other phenomena in microchannels and microfluidic valves with complex structures.

Microfluidic redox battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jin Wook; Goulet, Marc-Antoni; Kjeang, Erik

2013-07-07

A miniaturized microfluidic battery is proposed, which is the first membraneless redox battery demonstrated to date. This unique concept capitalizes on dual-pass flow-through porous electrodes combined with stratified, co-laminar flow to generate electrical power on-chip. The fluidic design is symmetric to allow for both charging and discharging operations in forward, reverse, and recirculation modes. The proof-of-concept device fabricated using low-cost materials integrated in a microfluidic chip is shown to produce competitive power levels when operated on a vanadium redox electrolyte. A complete charge/discharge cycle is performed to demonstrate its operation as a rechargeable battery, which is an important step towards providing sustainable power to lab-on-a-chip and microelectronic applications.

Methodology for ventilation/perfusion SPECT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bajc, Marika; Neilly, Brian; Miniati, Massimo

2010-01-01

radiolabeled liquid aerosols are not restricted to the presence of obstructive lung disease. Radiolabeled macroaggregated human albumin is the imaging agent of choice for perfusion scintigraphy. An optimal combination of nuclide activities and acquisition times for ventilation and perfusion, collimators......Ventilation/perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (V/Q SPECT) is the scintigraphic technique of choice for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism and many other disorders that affect lung function. Data from recent ventilation studies show that the theoretic advantages of Technegas over......, and imaging matrix yields an adequate V/Q SPECT study in approximately 20 minutes of imaging time. The recommended protocol based on the patient remaining in an unchanged position during the initial ventilation study and the perfusion study allows presentation of matching ventilation and perfusion slices...

Detection of a possible epilepsy focus in a preoperated patient by perfusion SPECT and computer-aided subtraction analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apostolova, I.; Wilke, F.; Clausen, M.; Buchert, R.; Lindenau, M.; Stodieck, S.; Fiehler, J.; Heese, O.

2008-01-01

Ictal perfusion SPECT with either 9 9mTc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) or 9 9mTc-ethylcysteinate dimer (ECD) has been reported to provide very good sensitivity for the determination of the SOA in fTLE. Sensitivity of interictal perfusion SPECT is much lower. However, interictal perfusion SPECT might enhance the specificity of ictal SPECT findings by improving the discrimination between seizure related local hyperperfusion and intersubject variability of perfusion (physiologic hyperperfusion). In addition, the combination of interictal and ictal perfusion SPECT might provide improved sensitivity compared to ictal SPECT alone, particularly when computer-aided subtraction of ictal and interictal SPECT is used instead of traditional side-by-side visual comparison. The combination of ictal and interictal perfusion SPECT eliminates not only physiological inter-subject variance, but it can also eliminate severe partial volume effects. Computer-aided subtraction analysis appears particularly useful in this case

Detection of a possible epilepsy focus in a preoperated patient by perfusion SPECT and computer-aided subtraction analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Apostolova, I.; Wilke, F.; Clausen, M.; Buchert, R. [Univ. Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine; Lindenau, M.; Stodieck, S. [Protestant Hospital Alsterdorf, Hamburg (Germany). Dept. of Neurology and Epileptology; Fiehler, J. [Univ. Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany). Dept. of Neuroradiology; Heese, O. [Univ. Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany). Neurological Surgery

2008-07-01

Ictal perfusion SPECT with either {sup 9}9mTc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) or {sup 9}9mTc-ethylcysteinate dimer (ECD) has been reported to provide very good sensitivity for the determination of the SOA in fTLE. Sensitivity of interictal perfusion SPECT is much lower. However, interictal perfusion SPECT might enhance the specificity of ictal SPECT findings by improving the discrimination between seizure related local hyperperfusion and intersubject variability of perfusion (physiologic hyperperfusion). In addition, the combination of interictal and ictal perfusion SPECT might provide improved sensitivity compared to ictal SPECT alone, particularly when computer-aided subtraction of ictal and interictal SPECT is used instead of traditional side-by-side visual comparison. The combination of ictal and interictal perfusion SPECT eliminates not only physiological inter-subject variance, but it can also eliminate severe partial volume effects. Computer-aided subtraction analysis appears particularly useful in this case.

Routing-based Synthesis of Digital Microfluidic Biochips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maftei, Elena; Pop, Paul; Madsen, Jan

2010-01-01

Microfluidic biochips are replacing the conventional biochemical analyzers, and are able to integrate on-chip all the basic functsions for biochemical analysis. The "digital" microfluidic biochips are manipulating liquids not as a continuous flow, but as discrete droplets on a two-dimensional array...... of electrodes. Basic microfluidic operations, such as mixing and dilution, are performed on the array, by routing the corresponding droplets on a series of electrodes. So far, researchers have assumed that these operations are executed on rectangular virtual devices, formed by grouping several adjacent...

Hydrostatic determinants of cerebral perfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, E.M.; Traystman, R.J.

1986-01-01

We examined the cerebral blood flow response to alterations in perfusion pressure mediated through decreases in mean arterial pressure, increases in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, and increases in jugular venous (JV) pressure in 42 pentobarbital anesthetized dogs. Each of these three pressures was independently controlled. Cerebral perfusion pressure was defined as mean arterial pressure minus JV or CSF pressure, depending on which was greater. Mean hemispheric blood flow was measured with the radiolabeled microsphere technique. Despite 30-mm Hg reductions in mean arterial pressure or increases in CSF or JV pressure, CBF did not change as long as the perfusion pressure remained greater than approximately 60 mm Hg. However, whenever perfusion pressure was reduced to an average of 48 mm Hg, cerebral blood flow decreased 27% to 33%. These results demonstrate the capacity of the cerebral vascular bed to respond similarly to changes in the perfusion pressure gradient obtained by decreasing mean arterial pressure, increasing JV pressure or increasing CSF pressure, and thereby support the above definition of cerebral perfusion pressure

Soft tubular microfluidics for 2D and 3D applications

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Wang; Kong, Fang; Yeo, Joo Chuan; Yu, Longteng; Sonam, Surabhi; Dao, Ming; Gong, Xiaobo; Teck Lim, Chwee

2017-10-01

Microfluidics has been the key component for many applications, including biomedical devices, chemical processors, microactuators, and even wearable devices. This technology relies on soft lithography fabrication which requires cleanroom facilities. Although popular, this method is expensive and labor-intensive. Furthermore, current conventional microfluidic chips precludes reconfiguration, making reiterations in design very time-consuming and costly. To address these intrinsic drawbacks of microfabrication, we present an alternative solution for the rapid prototyping of microfluidic elements such as microtubes, valves, and pumps. In addition, we demonstrate how microtubes with channels of various lengths and cross-sections can be attached modularly into 2D and 3D microfluidic systems for functional applications. We introduce a facile method of fabricating elastomeric microtubes as the basic building blocks for microfluidic devices. These microtubes are transparent, biocompatible, highly deformable, and customizable to various sizes and cross-sectional geometries. By configuring the microtubes into deterministic geometry, we enable rapid, low-cost formation of microfluidic assemblies without compromising their precision and functionality. We demonstrate configurable 2D and 3D microfluidic systems for applications in different domains. These include microparticle sorting, microdroplet generation, biocatalytic micromotor, triboelectric sensor, and even wearable sensing. Our approach, termed soft tubular microfluidics, provides a simple, cheaper, and faster solution for users lacking proficiency and access to cleanroom facilities to design and rapidly construct microfluidic devices for their various applications and needs.

"Connecting worlds - a view on microfluidics for a wider application".

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Ana C; Gernaey, Krist V; Krühne, Ulrich

From its birth, microfluidics has been referenced as a revolutionary technology and the solution to long standing technological and sociological issues, such as detection of dilute compounds and personalized healthcare. Microfluidics has for example been envisioned as: (1) being capable of miniaturizing industrial production plants, thereby increasing their automation and operational safety at low cost; (2) being able to identify rare diseases by running bioanalytics directly on the patient's skin; (3) allowing health diagnostics in point-of-care sites through cheap lab-on-a-chip devices. However, the current state of microfluidics, although technologically advanced, has so far failed to reach the originally promised widespread use. In this paper, some of the aspects are identified and discussed that have prevented microfluidics from reaching its full potential, especially in the chemical engineering and biotechnology fields, focusing mainly on the specialization on a single target of most microfluidic devices and offering a perspective on the alternate, multi-use, "plug and play" approach. Increasing the flexibility of microfluidic platforms, by increasing their compatibility with different substrates, reactions and operation conditions, and other microfluidic systems is indeed of surmount importance and current academic and industrial approaches to modular microfluidics are presented. Furthermore, two views on the commercialization of plug-and-play microfluidics systems, leading towards improved acceptance and more widespread use, are introduced. A brief review of the main materials and fabrication strategies used in these fields, is also presented. Finally, a step-wise guide towards the development of microfluidic systems is introduced with special focus on the integration of sensors in microfluidics. The proposed guidelines are then applied for the development of two different example platforms, and to three examples taken from literature. With this work, we

Reduced myocardial perfusion reserve in myocardium having coronary artery aneurysm of Kawasaki disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, S. N.; Lee, D. S.; Choi, J. Y.; Kil, H. R.; Jeong, Z. K.; Lee, M. C.; Ko, C. S.

1997-01-01

Kawasaki disease is a systemic vasculitis involving the coronary arteries at early childhood and cause coronary artery aneurysms and thrombotic occlusions. These coronary artery aneurysms were usually transformed later into stenotic or obstructive lesions, however, the majority of these aneurysms, even the giant ones, are known to be associated with normal epicardial coronary flow. Flow reserve is difficult to assess in aneurysmal arteries with echo or angiography. We performed this study to question if there are abnormalities in flow reserve in myocardial tissue with normal epicardial arterial flow on angiography in patients with Kawasaki disease, dipyridamole stress and rest Tc-99m-sestamibi SPECT were performed in 37 patients (28 boys, 9 girls, mean age 6.6 years). We compared SPECT findings with coronary angiography (CAG) findings in 21 patients who did both studies after finding abnormality on echocardiaography. On CAG, aneurysms were found in 26 arteries of 16 patients, i.e., 10 left main arteries, 6 left anterior descending arteries (LAD), 2 left circumflex arteries (LCX), and 8 right coronary arteries (RCA). Localized and segmental stenotic lesions were found in 11 arteries in 9 patients (LAD: 4, LCX: 1, RCA: 6). Eight of the 10 patients with aneurysms had no obvious stenosis. On stress-rest SPECT, 16(43%) out of 37 patients showed normal perfusion and the other 21(57%) showed reversible or persistent decrease. Among 11 stenotic artery territories, 3(27%) showed persistent and/or reversible perfusion defects. The other 8 were normal. Among 26 aneurysmal artery territories, 12 artery territories showe perfusion decrease. Three of the 5 patients with normal CAG showed persistent and/or transient perfusion defects. Among 14 artery territories with perfusion decrease in the 16 patients, 3(21%) could be localized to vascular territory having stenosis of supplying coronary arteries, 12(86%) were related to the coronary artery aneurysms. Two were not related to

Reagent-loaded plastic microfluidic chips for detecting homocysteine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suk, Ji Won; Jang, Jae-Young; Cho, Jun-Hyeong

2008-01-01

This report describes the preliminary study on plastic microfluidic chips with pre-loaded reagents for detecting homocysteine (Hcy). All reagents needed in an Hcy immunoassay were included in a microfluidic chip to remove tedious assay steps. A simple and cost-effective bonding method was developed to realize reagent-loaded microfluidic chips. This technique uses an intermediate layer between two plastic substrates by selectively patterning polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) on the embossed surface of microchannels and fixing the substrates under pressure. Using this bonding method, the competitive immunoassay for SAH, a converted form of Hcy, was performed without any damage to reagents in chips, and the results showed that the fluorescent signal from antibody antigen binding decreased as the SAH concentration increased. Based on the SAH immunoassay, whole immunoassay steps for Hcy detection were carried out in plastic microfluidic chips with all necessary reagents. These experiments demonstrated the feasibility of the Hcy immunoassay in microfluidic devices

Microfluidics as a functional tool for cell mechanics.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanapalli, Siva A; Duits, Michel H G; Mugele, Frieder

2009-01-05

Living cells are a fascinating demonstration of nature's most intricate and well-coordinated micromechanical objects. They crawl, spread, contract, and relax-thus performing a multitude of complex mechanical functions. Alternatively, they also respond to physical and chemical cues that lead to remodeling of the cytoskeleton. To understand this intricate coupling between mechanical properties, mechanical function and force-induced biochemical signaling requires tools that are capable of both controlling and manipulating the cell microenvironment and measuring the resulting mechanical response. In this review, the power of microfluidics as a functional tool for research in cell mechanics is highlighted. In particular, current literature is discussed to show that microfluidics powered by soft lithographic techniques offers the following capabilities that are of significance for understanding the mechanical behavior of cells: (i) Microfluidics enables the creation of in vitro models of physiological environments in which cell mechanics can be probed. (ii) Microfluidics is an excellent means to deliver physical cues that affect cell mechanics, such as cell shape, fluid flow, substrate topography, and stiffness. (iii) Microfluidics can also expose cells to chemical cues, such as growth factors and drugs, which alter their mechanical behavior. Moreover, these chemical cues can be delivered either at the whole cell or subcellular level. (iv) Microfluidic devices offer the possibility of measuring the intrinsic mechanical properties of cells in a high throughput fashion. (v) Finally, microfluidic methods provide exquisite control over drop size, generation, and manipulation. As a result, droplets are being increasingly used to control the physicochemical environment of cells and as biomimetic analogs of living cells. These powerful attributes of microfluidics should further stimulate novel means of investigating the link between physicochemical cues and the biomechanical

A Microfluidic Cell Concentrator

Science.gov (United States)

Warrick, Jay; Casavant, Ben; Frisk, Megan; Beebe, David

2010-01-01

Cell concentration via centrifugation is a ubiquitous step in many cell culture procedures. At the macroscale, centrifugation suffers from a number of limitations particularly when dealing with small numbers of cells (e.g., less than 50,000). On the other hand, typical microscale methods for cell concentration can affect cell physiology and bias readouts of cell behavior and function. In this paper, we present a microfluidic concentrator device that utilizes the effects of gravity to allow cells to gently settle out of a suspension into a collection region without the use of specific adhesion ligands. Dimensional analysis was performed to compare different device designs and was verified with flow modeling to optimize operational parameters. We are able to concentrate low-density cell suspensions in a microfluidic chamber, achieving a cell loss of only 1.1 ± 0.6% (SD, n=7) with no observed loss during a subsequent cell staining protocol which incorporates ~36 complete device volume replacements. This method provides a much needed interface between rare cell samples and microfluidic culture assays. PMID:20843010

Microfluidics with fluid walls.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Edmond J; Feuerborn, Alexander; Wheeler, James H R; Tan, Ann Na; Durham, William M; Foster, Kevin R; Cook, Peter R

2017-10-10

Microfluidics has great potential, but the complexity of fabricating and operating devices has limited its use. Here we describe a method - Freestyle Fluidics - that overcomes many key limitations. In this method, liquids are confined by fluid (not solid) walls. Aqueous circuits with any 2D shape are printed in seconds on plastic or glass Petri dishes; then, interfacial forces pin liquids to substrates, and overlaying an immiscible liquid prevents evaporation. Confining fluid walls are pliant and resilient; they self-heal when liquids are pipetted through them. We drive flow through a wide range of circuits passively by manipulating surface tension and hydrostatic pressure, and actively using external pumps. Finally, we validate the technology with two challenging applications - triggering an inflammatory response in human cells and chemotaxis in bacterial biofilms. This approach provides a powerful and versatile alternative to traditional microfluidics.The complexity of fabricating and operating microfluidic devices limits their use. Walsh et al. describe a method in which circuits are printed as quickly and simply as writing with a pen, and liquids in them are confined by fluid instead of solid walls.

Selective Bioparticle Retention and Characterization in a Chip-Integrated Confocal Ultrasonic Cavity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svennebring, J.; Manneberg, O.; Skafte-Pedersen, Peder

2009-01-01

We demonstrate selective retention and positioning of cells or other bioparticles by ultrasonic manipulation in a microfluidic expansion chamber during microfluidic perfusion. The chamber is designed as a confocal ultrasonic resonator for maximum confinement of the ultrasonic force field at the c......We demonstrate selective retention and positioning of cells or other bioparticles by ultrasonic manipulation in a microfluidic expansion chamber during microfluidic perfusion. The chamber is designed as a confocal ultrasonic resonator for maximum confinement of the ultrasonic force field...... sample feeding, a set of several manipulation functions performed in series is demonstrated: sample bypass-injection-aggregation and retention-positioning. Finally, we demonstrate transillumination microscopy imaging Of Ultrasonically trapped COS-7 cell aggregates. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;103: 323-328....

Intratympanic corticosteroid perfusion in the therapy of Meniere’s disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanković-Babić Snežana

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Over the last two decades the intratympanic perfusion of corticosteroids has been used as a minimally invasive surgical therapy of Meniere’s disease. According to experimental studies the antiinflammatory, immunoprotective, antioxidant and neuroprotective role of the locally perfused corticosteroids was noticed in the inner ear structures. The recovery of action potentials in the cells of the Corti organ was confirmed as well as a decreased expression of aquaporine-1, a glycoprotein responsible for labyrinth hydrops and N and K ions derangement. Objective. The study showed results of intratympanic perfusion therapy with dexamethasone in patients with retractable Meniere’s disease who are resistant to conservative treatment. Methods. Single doses of 4 mg/ml dexamethasone were given intratympanically in 19 patients with retractable Meniere’s disease. Six single successive doses of dexamethasone were administered in the posteroinferior quadrant of the tympanic membrane. Follow-up of the patients was conducted by using a clinical questionnaire a month after completed perfusion series as well as on every third month up to one year. Results. One month after completed first course of perfusions, in 78% of patients, vertigo problems completely ceased or were markedly reduced. The recovery of hearing function was recorded in 68% and marked tinnitus reduction in 84% of patients. After a year of follow-up, in 63% of patients the reduction of vertigo persisted, while hearing function was satisfactory in 52%. Tinitus reduction was present in 73% of patients. Conclusion. Intratympanic perfusion of dexamethasone in patients with Meniere’s disease is a minimally invasive therapeutic method that contributes to the reduction of the intensity of vertigo recurrent attacks, decrease of the intensity of tinnitus and improvement of the average hearing threshold. Patients with chronic diseases and Meniere’s disease who are contraindicted for

Optimization of a microfluidic electrophoretic immunoassay using a Peltier cooler.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhitov, Nikita; Yi, Lian; Schrell, Adrian M; Roper, Michael G

2014-11-07

Successful analysis of electrophoretic affinity assays depends strongly on the preservation of the affinity complex during separations. Elevated separation temperatures due to Joule heating promotes complex dissociation leading to a reduction in sensitivity. Affinity assays performed in glass microfluidic devices may be especially prone to this problem due to poor heat dissipation due to the low thermal conductivity of glass and the large amount of bulk material surrounding separation channels. To address this limitation, a method to cool a glass microfluidic chip for performing an affinity assay for insulin was achieved by a Peltier cooler localized over the separation channel. The Peltier cooler allowed for rapid stabilization of temperatures, with 21°C the lowest temperature that was possible to use without producing detrimental thermal gradients throughout the device. The introduction of cooling improved the preservation of the affinity complex, with even passive cooling of the separation channel improving the amount of complex observed by 2-fold. Additionally, the capability to thermostabilize the separation channel allowed for utilization of higher separation voltages than what was possible without temperature control. Kinetic CE analysis was utilized as a diagnostic of the affinity assay and indicated that optimal conditions were at the highest separation voltage, 6 kV, and the lowest separation temperature, 21°C, leading to 3.4% dissociation of the complex peak during the separation. These optimum conditions were used to generate a calibration curve and produced 1 nM limits of detection, representing a 10-fold improvement over non-thermostated conditions. This methodology of cooling glass microfluidic devices for performing robust and high sensitivity affinity assays on microfluidic systems should be amenable in a number of applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluorescence detection system for microfluidic droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Binyu; Han, Xiaoming; Su, Zhen; Liu, Quanjun

2018-05-01

In microfluidic detection technology, because of the universality of optical methods in laboratory, optical detection is an attractive solution for microfluidic chip laboratory equipment. In addition, the equipment with high stability and low cost can be realized by integrating appropriate optical detection technology on the chip. This paper reports a detection system for microfluidic droplets. Photomultiplier tubes (PMT) is used as a detection device to improve the sensitivity of detection. This system improves the signal to noise ratio by software filtering and spatial filter. The fluorescence intensity is proportional to the concentration of the fluorescence and intensity of the laser. The fluorescence micro droplets of different concentrations can be distinguished by this system.

Inkjet 3D printing of microfluidic structures—on the selection of the printer towards printing your own microfluidic chips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walczak, Rafał; Adamski, Krzysztof

2015-01-01

This article reports, for the first time, the results of detailed research on the application of inkjet 3D printing for the fabrication of microfluidic structures. CAD designed test structures were printed with four different printers. Dimensional fidelity, shape conformity, and surface roughness were studied for each printout. It was found that the minimum dimension (width or depth) for a properly printed microfluidic channel was approximately 200 μm. Although the nominal resolution of the printers was one order of magnitude better, smaller structures were significantly deformed or not printed at all. It was also found that a crucial step in one-step fabrication of embedded microchannels is the removal of the support material. We also discuss the source of print error and present a way to evaluate other printers. The printouts obtained from the four different printers were compared, and the optimal printing technique and printer were used to fabricate a microfluidic structure for the spectrophotometric characterisation of beverages. UV/VIS absorbance characteristics were collected using this microfluidic structure, demonstrating that the fabricated spectrophotometric chip operated properly. Thus, a proof-of-concept for using inkjet 3D printing for the fabrication of microfluidic structures was obtained. (paper)

Opportunities for microfluidic technologies in synthetic biology

OpenAIRE

Gulati, Shelly; Rouilly, Vincent; Niu, Xize; Chappell, James; Kitney, Richard I.; Edel, Joshua B.; Freemont, Paul S.; deMello, Andrew J.

2009-01-01

We introduce microfluidics technologies as a key foundational technology for synthetic biology experimentation. Recent advances in the field of microfluidics are reviewed and the potential of such a technological platform to support the rapid development of synthetic biology solutions is discussed.

Intra-Arterial MR Perfusion Imaging of Meningiomas: Comparison to Digital Subtraction Angiography and Intravenous MR Perfusion Imaging.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark A Lum

Full Text Available To evaluate the ability of IA MR perfusion to characterize meningioma blood supply.Studies were performed in a suite comprised of an x-ray angiography unit and 1.5T MR scanner that permitted intraprocedural patient movement between the imaging modalities. Patients underwent intra-arterial (IA and intravenous (IV T2* dynamic susceptibility MR perfusion immediately prior to meningioma embolization. Regional tumor arterial supply was characterized by digital subtraction angiography and classified as external carotid artery (ECA dural, internal carotid artery (ICA dural, or pial. MR perfusion data regions of interest (ROIs were analyzed in regions with different vascular supply to extract peak height, full-width at half-maximum (FWHM, relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF, relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV, and mean transit time (MTT. Linear mixed modeling was used to identify perfusion curve parameter differences for each ROI for IA and IV MR imaging techniques. IA vs. IV perfusion parameters were also directly compared for each ROI using linear mixed modeling.18 ROIs were analyzed in 12 patients. Arterial supply was identified as ECA dural (n = 11, ICA dural (n = 4, or pial (n = 3. FWHM, rCBV, and rCBF showed statistically significant differences between ROIs for IA MR perfusion. Peak Height and FWHM showed statistically significant differences between ROIs for IV MR perfusion. RCBV and MTT were significantly lower for IA perfusion in the Dural ECA compared to IV perfusion. Relative CBF in IA MR was found to be significantly higher in the Dural ICA region and MTT significantly lower compared to IV perfusion.

Effect of myocardial perfusion and metabolic interventions on cardiac kinetics of phenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) I 123

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reske, S.N.; Schoen, S.; Schmitt, W.; Knopp, R.; Winkler, C.; Machulla, H.J.

1986-08-01

The effect of regional myocardial perfusion and flow-independent adrenergic stimulation, as well as lactate-mediated inhibition of cardiac lipolysis, on cardiac IPPA uptake and metabolism was examined in canine hearts (flow studies) and in the isolated perfused Langendorff rat heart (metabolic interventions). In both normal and ischaemic myocardium, local perfusion is a major determinant of cardiac IPPA uptake. In pacing-induced hyperaemia, the strict flow-dependence of cardiac IPPA uptake is not preserved. Adrenergic stimulation raises the rate of oxidation of both palmitic acid /sup 14/C and IPPA. This change is reflected by increased metabolite production released into the perfusate and radioactivity clearance recorded externally. Lactate in high concentrations exerts the opposite effect on cardiac free fatty acid oxidation. IPPA is stored in this condition preferentially in tissue phospholipids and triglycerides.

Effect of myocardial perfusion and metabolic interventions on cardiac kinetics of phenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) I 123

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reske, S.N.; Schoen, S.; Schmitt, W.; Knopp, R.; Winkler, C.; Machulla, H.J.

1986-01-01

The effect of regional myocardial perfusion and flow-independent adrenergic stimulation, as well as lactate-mediated inhibition of cardiac lipolysis, on cardiac IPPA uptake and metabolism was examined in canine hearts (flow studies) and in the isolated perfused Langendorff rat heart (metabolic interventions). In both normal and ischaemic myocardium, local perfusion is a major determinant of cardiac IPPA uptake. In pacing-induced hyperaemia, the strict flow-dependence of cardiac IPPA uptake is not preserved. Adrenergic stimulation raises the rate of oxidation of both palmitic acid 14 C and IPPA. This change is reflected by increased metabolite production released into the perfusate and radioactivity clearance recorded externally. Lactate in high concentrations exerts the opposite effect on cardiac free fatty acid oxidation. IPPA is stored in this condition preferentially in tissue phospholipids and triglycerides. (orig.)

Pulmonary perfusion ''without ventilation''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, C.N.; Sziklas, J.J.; Spencer, R.P.; Rosenberg, R.J.

1983-01-01

An 88-yr-old man, with prior left upper lobectomy and phrenic nerve injury, had a ventilation/perfusion lung image. Both wash-in and equilibrium ventilation images showed no radioactive gas in the left lung. Nevertheless, the left lung was perfused. A similar result was obtained on a repeat study 8 days later. Delayed images, during washout, showed some radioactive gas in the left lung. Nearly absent ventilation (but continued perfusion) of that lung might have been related to altered gas dynamics brought about by the prior lobectomy, a submucosal bronchial lesion, phrenic nerve damage, and limited motion of the left part of the diaphragm. This case raises the issue of the degree of ventilation (and the phase relationship between the lungs) required for the entry of radioactive gas into a diseased lung, and the production of a ''reversed ventilation/perfusion mismatch.''

Microfluidics without channels: highly-flexible synthesis on a digital-microfluidic chip for production of diverse PET tracers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Dam, Robert Michael [Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2010-09-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is used for fundamental studies of living biological organisms and microbial ecosystems in applications ranging from biofuel production to environmental remediation to the study, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring of human disease. Routine access to PET imaging, to monitor biochemical reactions in living organisms in real time, could accelerate a broad range of research programs of interest to DOE. Using PET requires access to short-lived radioactive-labeled compounds that specifically probe the desired living processes. The overall aims of this project were to develop a miniature liquid-handling technology platform (called “microfluidics”) that increases the availability of diverse PET probes by reducing the cost and complexity of their production. Based on preliminary experiments showing that microfluidic chips can synthesis such compounds, we aimed to advance this technology to improve its robustness, increase its flexibility for a broad range of probes, and increase its user-friendliness. Through the research activities of this project, numerous advances were made; Tools were developed to enable the visualization of radioactive materials within microfluidic chips; Fundamental advances were made in the microfluidic chip architecture and fabrication process to increase its robustness and reliability; The microfluidic chip technology was shown to produce useful quantities of an example PET probes, and methods to further increase the output were successfully pursued; A “universal” chip was developed that could produce multiple types of PET probes, enabling the possibility of “on demand” synthesis of different probes; and Operation of the chip was automated to ensure minimal radiation exposure to the operator Based on the demonstrations of promising technical feasibility and performance, the microfluidic chip technology is currently being commercialized. It is anticipated that costs of microfluidic chips can be

Detection methods for centrifugal microfluidic platforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burger, Robert; Amato, Letizia; Boisen, Anja

2016-01-01

Centrifugal microfluidics has attracted much interest from academia as well as industry, since it potentially offers solutions for affordable, user-friendly and portable biosensing. A wide range of so-called fluidic unit operations, e.g. mixing, metering, liquid routing, and particle separation...... for the centrifugal microfluidics platform and cover optical as well as mechanical and electrical detection principles....

Theoretical microfluidics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruus, Henrik

Microfluidics is a young and rapidly expanding scientific discipline, which deals with fluids and solutions in miniaturized systems, the so-called lab-on-a-chip systems. It has applications in chemical engineering, pharmaceutics, biotechnology and medicine. As the lab-on-a-chip systems grow...

Rapid, low-cost prototyping of centrifugal microfluidic devices for effective implementation of various microfluidic operations

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Hugo, S

2013-10-01

Full Text Available can be achieved. This work provides a complete centrifugal microfluidic platform and the building blocks on which to develop a variety of microfluidic applications and potential products rapidly and at a low cost. ... stream_source_info Hugo_2015_ABSTRACT.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 1281 Content-Encoding UTF-8 stream_name Hugo_2015_ABSTRACT.pdf.txt Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Rapid Product Development...

Design of pressure-driven microfluidic networks using electric circuit analogy.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Kwang W; Lee, Kangsun; Ahn, Byungwook; Furlani, Edward P

2012-02-07

This article reviews the application of electric circuit methods for the analysis of pressure-driven microfluidic networks with an emphasis on concentration- and flow-dependent systems. The application of circuit methods to microfluidics is based on the analogous behaviour of hydraulic and electric circuits with correlations of pressure to voltage, volumetric flow rate to current, and hydraulic to electric resistance. Circuit analysis enables rapid predictions of pressure-driven laminar flow in microchannels and is very useful for designing complex microfluidic networks in advance of fabrication. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the physics of pressure-driven laminar flow, the formal analogy between electric and hydraulic circuits, applications of circuit theory to microfluidic network-based devices, recent development and applications of concentration- and flow-dependent microfluidic networks, and promising future applications. The lab-on-a-chip (LOC) and microfluidics community will gain insightful ideas and practical design strategies for developing unique microfluidic network-based devices to address a broad range of biological, chemical, pharmaceutical, and other scientific and technical challenges.

Synthesis of Application-Specific Fault-Tolerant Digital Microfluidic Biochip Architectures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alistar, Mirela; Pop, Paul; Madsen, Jan

2016-01-01

Digital microfluidic biochips (DMBs) are microfluidic devices that manipulate droplets on an array of electrodes. Microfluidic operations, such as transport, mixing, and split, are performed on the electrode array to perform a biochemical application. All previous work assumes that the DMB...

Magnetic resonance perfusion imaging without contrast media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martirosian, Petros; Graf, Hansjoerg; Schick, Fritz; Boss, Andreas; Schraml, Christina; Schwenzer, Nina F.; Claussen, Claus D.

2010-01-01

Principles of magnetic resonance imaging techniques providing perfusion-related contrast weighting without administration of contrast media are reported and analysed systematically. Especially common approaches to arterial spin labelling (ASL) perfusion imaging allowing quantitative assessment of specific perfusion rates are described in detail. The potential of ASL for perfusion imaging was tested in several types of tissue. After a systematic comparison of technical aspects of continuous and pulsed ASL techniques the standard kinetic model and tissue properties of influence to quantitative measurements of perfusion are reported. For the applications demonstrated in this paper a flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) ASL perfusion preparation approach followed by true fast imaging with steady precession (true FISP) data recording was developed and implemented on whole-body scanners operating at 0.2, 1.5 and 3 T for quantitative perfusion measurement in various types of tissue. ASL imaging provides a non-invasive tool for assessment of tissue perfusion rates in vivo. Images recorded from kidney, lung, brain, salivary gland and thyroid gland provide a spatial resolution of a few millimetres and sufficient signal to noise ratio in perfusion maps after 2-5 min of examination time. Newly developed ASL techniques provide especially high image quality and quantitative perfusion maps in tissues with relatively high perfusion rates (as also present in many tumours). Averaging of acquisitions and image subtraction procedures are mandatory, leading to the necessity of synchronization of data recording to breathing in abdominal and thoracic organs. (orig.)

[Advances on enzymes and enzyme inhibitors research based on microfluidic devices].

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Feng-Hua; Ye, Jian-Qing; Chen, Zuan-Guang; Cheng, Zhi-Yi

2010-06-01

With the continuous development in microfluidic fabrication technology, microfluidic analysis has evolved from a concept to one of research frontiers in last twenty years. The research of enzymes and enzyme inhibitors based on microfluidic devices has also made great progress. Microfluidic technology improved greatly the analytical performance of the research of enzymes and enzyme inhibitors by reducing the consumption of reagents, decreasing the analysis time, and developing automation. This review focuses on the development and classification of enzymes and enzyme inhibitors research based on microfluidic devices.

Synthetic microfluidic paper: high surface area and high porosity polymer micropillar arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansson, Jonas; Yasuga, Hiroki; Haraldsson, Tommy; van der Wijngaart, Wouter

2016-01-21

We introduce Synthetic Microfluidic Paper, a novel porous material for microfluidic applications that consists of an OSTE polymer that is photostructured in a well-controlled geometry of slanted and interlocked micropillars. We demonstrate the distinct benefits of Synthetic Microfluidic Paper over other porous microfluidic materials, such as nitrocellulose, traditional paper and straight micropillar arrays: in contrast to straight micropillar arrays, the geometry of Synthetic Microfluidic Paper was miniaturized without suffering capillary collapse during manufacturing and fluidic operation, resulting in a six-fold increased internal surface area and a three-fold increased porous fraction. Compared to commercial nitrocellulose materials for capillary assays, Synthetic Microfluidic Paper shows a wider range of capillary pumping speed and four times lower device-to-device variation. Compared to the surfaces of the other porous microfluidic materials that are modified by adsorption, Synthetic Microfluidic Paper contains free thiol groups and has been shown to be suitable for covalent surface chemistry, demonstrated here for increasing the material hydrophilicity. These results illustrate the potential of Synthetic Microfluidic Paper as a porous microfluidic material with improved performance characteristics, especially for bioassay applications such as diagnostic tests.

Hepatic arterial perfusion increases in the early stage of severe acute pancreatitis patients: Evaluation by perfusion computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyasu, Sho; Isoda, Hiroyoshi; Tsuji, Yoshihisa; Yamamoto, Hiroshi; Matsueda, Kazuhiro; Watanabe, Yuji; Chiba, Tsutomu; Togashi, Kaori

2012-01-01

Purpose: Although hepatic perfusion abnormalities have been reported in patients with acute pancreatitis, hepatic perfusion with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) has not been quantitatively evaluated in humans. Therefore, we investigated hepatic perfusion in patients with SAP using perfusion CT. Materials and methods: Hepatic perfusion CT was performed in 67 patients with SAP within 3 days after symptom onset. The patients were diagnosed as having SAP according to the Atlanta criteria. Fifteen cases were established as a control group. Perfusion CT was obtained for 54 s beginning with a bolus injection of 40 ml of contrast agent (600–630 mgI/kg) at a flow rate of 4 ml/s. Perfusion data were analyzed by the dual-input maximum slope method to obtain hepatic arterial perfusion (HAP) and hepatic portal perfusion (HPP). Finally, we compared HAP and HPP in SAP patients with those in the control group, respectively. Results: Average HAP was significantly higher in SAP patients than in the control group (75.1 ± 38.0 vs. 38.2 ± 9.0 ml/min/100 ml; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in average HPP between SAP patients and the control group (206.7 ± 54.9 vs. 204.4 ± 38.5 ml/min/100 ml; p = 0.92). Conclusion: Using quantitative analysis on perfusion CT, we first demonstrated an increase of HAP in the right hepatic lobe in SAP patients.

Diffusion phenomena of cells and biomolecules in microfluidic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Yildiz-Ozturk, Ece; Yesil-Celiktas, Ozlem

2015-09-01

Biomicrofluidics is an emerging field at the cross roads of microfluidics and life sciences which requires intensive research efforts in terms of introducing appropriate designs, production techniques, and analysis. The ultimate goal is to deliver innovative and cost-effective microfluidic devices to biotech, biomedical, and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, creating an in-depth understanding of the transport phenomena of cells and biomolecules becomes vital and concurrently poses significant challenges. The present article outlines the recent advancements in diffusion phenomena of cells and biomolecules by highlighting transport principles from an engineering perspective, cell responses in microfluidic devices with emphases on diffusion- and flow-based microfluidic gradient platforms, macroscopic and microscopic approaches for investigating the diffusion phenomena of biomolecules, microfluidic platforms for the delivery of these molecules, as well as the state of the art in biological applications of mammalian cell responses and diffusion of biomolecules.

Development & Characterization of Multifunctional Microfluidic Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Ucar, Ahmet Burak

The field of microfluidics has been mostly investigated for miniaturized lab on a chip devices for analytical and clinical applications. However, there is an emerging class of "smart" microfluidic materials, combining microfluidics with soft polymers to yield new functionalities. The best inspiration for such materials found in nature is skin, whose functions are maintained and controlled by a vascular "microfluidic" network. We report here the development and characterization of a few new classes of microfluidic materials. First, we introduced microfluidic materials that can change their stiffness on demand. These materials were based on an engineered microchannel network embedded into a matrix of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), whose channels were filled with a liquid photoresist (SU- 8). The elastomer filled with the photoresist was initially soft. The materials were shaped into a desired geometry and then exposed to UV-light. Once photocured, the material preserved the defined shape and it could be bent, twisted or stretched with a very high recoverable strain. As soon as the external force was removed the material returned back to its predefined shape. Thus, the polymerized SU-8 acted as the 'endoskeleton' of the microfluidic network, which drastically increased the composite's elastic and bending moduli. Second, we demonstrated a class of simple and versatile soft microfluidic materials that can be turned optically transparent or colored on demand. These materials were made in the form of flexible sheets containing a microchannel network embedded in PDMS, similar to the photocurable materials. However, this time the channels were filled with a glycerolwater mixture, whose refractive index was matched with that of the PDMS matrix. By pumping such dye solutions into the channel network and consecutively replacing the medium, we showed that we can control the material's color and light transmittance in the visible and near-infrared regions, which can be used for

Histogram based analysis of lung perfusion of children after congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Kassner, Nora; Weis, Meike; Zahn, Katrin; Schaible, Thomas; Schoenberg, Stefan O; Schad, Lothar R; Zöllner, Frank G

2018-05-01

To investigate a histogram based approach to characterize the distribution of perfusion in the whole left and right lung by descriptive statistics and to show how histograms could be used to visually explore perfusion defects in two year old children after Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) repair. 28 children (age of 24.2±1.7months; all left sided hernia; 9 after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy) underwent quantitative DCE-MRI of the lung. Segmentations of left and right lung were manually drawn to mask the calculated pulmonary blood flow maps and then to derive histograms for each lung side. Individual and group wise analysis of histograms of left and right lung was performed. Ipsilateral and contralateral lung show significant difference in shape and descriptive statistics derived from the histogram (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, phistogram derived parameters. Histogram analysis can be a valuable tool to characterize and visualize whole lung perfusion of children after CDH repair. It allows for several possibilities to analyze the data, either describing the perfusion differences between the right and left lung but also to explore and visualize localized perfusion patterns in the 3D lung volume. Subgroup analysis will be possible given sufficient sample sizes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved visualization of delayed perfusion in lung MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Risse, Frank; Eichinger, Monika; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Semmler, Wolfhard; Puderbach, Michael

2011-01-01

Introduction: The investigation of pulmonary perfusion by three-dimensional (3D) dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) was proposed recently. Subtraction images are generated for clinical evaluation, but temporal information is lost and perfusion defects might therefore be masked in this process. The aim of this study is to demonstrate a simple analysis strategy and classification for 3D-DCE-MRI perfusion datasets in the lung without omitting the temporal information. Materials and methods: Pulmonary perfusion measurements were performed in patients with different lung diseases using a 1.5 T MR-scanner with a time-resolved 3D-GRE pulse sequence. 25 3D-volumes were acquired after iv-injection of 0.1 mmol/kg KG Gadolinium-DTPA. Three parameters were determined for each pixel: (1) peak enhancement S n,max normalized to the arterial input function to detect regions of reduced perfusion; (2) time between arterial peak enhancement in the large pulmonary artery and tissue peak enhancement τ to visualize regions with delayed bolus onset; and (3) ratio R = S n,max /τ was calculated to visualize impaired perfusion, irrespectively of whether related to reduced or delayed perfusion. Results: A manual selection of peak perfusion images is not required. Five different types of perfusion can be found: (1) normal perfusion; (2) delayed non-reduced perfusion; (3) reduced non-delayed perfusion; (4) reduced and delayed perfusion; and (5) no perfusion. Types II and IV could not be seen in subtraction images since the temporal information is necessary for this purpose. Conclusions: The analysis strategy in this study allows for a simple and observer-independent visualization and classification of impaired perfusion in dynamic contrast-enhanced pulmonary perfusion MRI by using the temporal information of the datasets.

A "place n play" modular pump for portable microfluidic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Gang; Luo, Yahui; Chen, Qiang; Liao, Lingying; Zhao, Jianlong

2012-03-01

This paper presents an easy-to-use, power-free, and modular pump for portable microfluidic applications. The pump module is a degassed particle desorption polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slab with an integrated mesh-shaped chamber, which can be attached on the outlet port of microfluidic device to absorb the air in the microfluidic system and then to create a negative pressure for driving fluid. Different from the existing monolithic degassed PDMS pumps that are generally restricted to limited pumping capacity and are only compatible with PDMS-based microfluidic devices, this pump can offer various possible configures of pumping power by varying the geometries of the pump or by combining different pump modules and can also be employed in any material microfluidic devices. The key advantage of this pump is that its operation only requires the user to place the degassed PDMS slab on the outlet ports of microfluidic devices. To help design pumps with a suitable pumping performance, the effect of pump module geometry on its pumping capacity is also investigated. The results indicate that the performance of the degassed PDMS pump is strongly dependent on the surface area of the pump chamber, the exposure area and the volume of the PDMS pump slab. In addition, the initial volume of air in the closed microfluidic system and the cross-linking degree of PDMS also affect the performance of the degassed PDMS pump. Finally, we demonstrated the utility of this modular pumping method by applying it to a glass-based microfluidic device and a PDMS-based protein crystallization microfluidic device.

Muscle perfusion and metabolic heterogeneity: insights from noninvasive imaging techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kalliokoski, Kari K; Scheede-Bergdahl, Celena; Kjaer, Michael

2006-01-01

Recent developments in noninvasive imaging techniques have enabled the study of local changes in perfusion and metabolism in skeletal muscle as well as patterns of heterogeneity in these variables in humans. In this review, the principles of these techniques along with some recent findings...... on functional heterogeneity in human skeletal muscle will be presented....

Ventilation-perfused studies using SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zwijnenburg, A.

1989-01-01

A method for the quantitative analysis of ventilation-perfusion SPECT studies is decribed and an effort is made to evaluate its usefullness. The technical details of the emthod are described. In the the transaxial reconstructions of the tomographic studies the contour of the lungs is detected and regional values of lung volume, ventilation, perfusion and ventilation-perfusion ratios are calculated. The method is operator independent. The lung volume calculations from the SPECT studies are validated by comparing them with lung volume measurements using the helium dilution technique. A good correlation (r=0.91) was found between the two volumes. SPECT volume was greater than the volume measured with helium dilution, which was attributed to non-gas-containing structures in the. lungs. The use of ventilation-perfusion ratio SPECT is described to evaluate the effect of ionizing radiation on the lungs in patients treated with mantle field irradiation for Hodgkin's disease. Perfusion changes appear as early as 2 months after the start of irradiation. Ventilation changes appear later and relatively minor. No changes are seen outside the radiation portals. The ventilation-perfusion inequality in pulmonary sarcoidosis is treated. It is suggested that the decrease D LCO in these patients may be partly due to an even distribution of ventilation perfusion ratios. An effort is made to establish the properties of a new tracer used for the assessment of the metabolic function of the pulmonary endothelium. The lung uptake of I-123 IMP mimics the distribution of a perfusion tracer and it is suggested that this tracer may be useful for the early detection of pulmonary vascular damage, even when blood flow is still intact. Some aspects of the use of Kr-81m as a ventilation tracer are discussed as well as the effect of noise on Kr-81m SPECT reconstructions. (author). 146 refs.; 39 figs.; 8 tabs

Automatic assessment of cardiac perfusion MRI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ólafsdóttir, Hildur; Stegmann, Mikkel Bille; Larsson, Henrik B.W.

2004-01-01

In this paper, a method based on Active Appearance Models (AAM) is applied for automatic registration of myocardial perfusion MRI. A semi-quantitative perfusion assessment of the registered image sequences is presented. This includes the formation of perfusion maps for three parameters; maximum up...

Can preoperative myocardial perfusion scintigraphy predict changes in left ventricular perfusion and function after coronary artery bypass graft surgery?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eckardt, Rozy; Kjeldsen, Bo Juel; Johansen, Allan

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVESWe wanted to evaluate whether preoperative myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) could predict changes in cardiac symptoms and postoperative myocardial perfusion and left ventricular function after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).METHODSNinety-two patients with stable angina...... in 26%. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), which was normal before operation in 45%, improved in 40% of all patients. The increase in LVEF was not related to the preoperative pattern of perfusion defects. Of 30 patients with normalized perfusion after CABG, 29 (97%) had reversible defects...... that reversible or partly reversible perfusion defects at a preoperative MPS have a high chance of normalized myocardial perfusion assessed by MPS 6 months after operation. Normal perfusion is obtained almost exclusively in territories with reversible ischaemia. Symptoms improved in nearly all patients and LVEF...

Isolation of cancer cells by "in situ" microfluidic biofunctionalization protocols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Vitis, Stefania; Matarise, Giuseppina; Pardeo, Francesca

2014-01-01

The aim of this work is the development of a microfluidic immunosensor for the immobilization of cancer cells and their separation from healthy cells by using "in situ" microfluidic biofunctionalization protocols. These protocols allow to link antibodies on microfluidic device surfaces and can be...

Advantages and challenges of microfluidic cell culture in polydimethylsiloxane devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Halldorsson, Skarphedinn; Lucumi, Edinson; Gómez-Sjöberg, Rafael; Fleming, Ronan M T

2015-01-15

Culture of cells using various microfluidic devices is becoming more common within experimental cell biology. At the same time, a technological radiation of microfluidic cell culture device designs is currently in progress. Ultimately, the utility of microfluidic cell culture will be determined by its capacity to permit new insights into cellular function. Especially insights that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to obtain with macroscopic cell culture in traditional polystyrene dishes, flasks or well-plates. Many decades of heuristic optimization have gone into perfecting conventional cell culture devices and protocols. In comparison, even for the most commonly used microfluidic cell culture devices, such as those fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), collective understanding of the differences in cellular behavior between microfluidic and macroscopic culture is still developing. Moving in vitro culture from macroscopic culture to PDMS based devices can come with unforeseen challenges. Changes in device material, surface coating, cell number per unit surface area or per unit media volume may all affect the outcome of otherwise standard protocols. In this review, we outline some of the advantages and challenges that may accompany a transition from macroscopic to microfluidic cell culture. We focus on decisive factors that distinguish macroscopic from microfluidic cell culture to encourage a reconsideration of how macroscopic cell culture principles might apply to microfluidic cell culture. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Microfluidic Approach for Studying Piezo Channels.

Science.gov (United States)

Maneshi, M M; Gottlieb, P A; Hua, S Z

2017-01-01

Microfluidics is an interdisciplinary field intersecting many areas in engineering. Utilizing a combination of physics, chemistry, biology, and biotechnology, along with practical applications for designing devices that use low volumes of fluids to achieve high-throughput screening, is a major goal in microfluidics. Microfluidic approaches allow the study of cells growth and differentiation using a variety of conditions including control of fluid flow that generates shear stress. Recently, Piezo1 channels were shown to respond to fluid shear stress and are crucial for vascular development. This channel is ideal for studying fluid shear stress applied to cells using microfluidic devices. We have developed an approach that allows us to analyze the role of Piezo channels on any given cell and serves as a high-throughput screen for drug discovery. We show that this approach can provide detailed information about the inhibitors of Piezo channels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Highly Stretchable and Transparent Microfluidic Strain Sensors for Monitoring Human Body Motions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Sun Geun; Koo, Hyung-Jun; Chang, Suk Tai

2015-12-16

We report a new class of simple microfluidic strain sensors with high stretchability, transparency, sensitivity, and long-term stability with no considerable hysteresis and a fast response to various deformations by combining the merits of microfluidic techniques and ionic liquids. The high optical transparency of the strain sensors was achieved by introducing refractive-index matched ionic liquids into microfluidic networks or channels embedded in an elastomeric matrix. The microfluidic strain sensors offer the outstanding sensor performance under a variety of deformations induced by stretching, bending, pressing, and twisting of the microfluidic strain sensors. The principle of our microfluidic strain sensor is explained by a theoretical model based on the elastic channel deformation. In order to demonstrate its capability of practical usage, the simple-structured microfluidic strain sensors were performed onto a finger, wrist, and arm. The highly stretchable and transparent microfluidic strain sensors were successfully applied as potential platforms for distinctively monitoring a wide range of human body motions in real time. Our novel microfluidic strain sensors show great promise for making future stretchable electronic devices.

Review of Recent Metamaterial Microfluidic Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Salim, Ahmed; Lim, Sungjoon

2018-01-15

Metamaterial elements/arrays exhibit a sensitive response to fluids yet with a small footprint, therefore, they have been an attractive choice to realize various sensing devices when integrated with microfluidic technology. Micro-channels made from inexpensive biocompatible materials avoid any contamination from environment and require only microliter-nanoliter sample for sensing. Simple design, easy fabrication process, light weight prototype, and instant measurements are advantages as compared to conventional (optical, electrochemical and biological) sensing systems. Inkjet-printed flexible sensors find their utilization in rapidly growing wearable electronics and health-monitoring flexible devices. Adequate sensitivity and repeatability of these low profile microfluidic sensors make them a potential candidate for point-of-care testing which novice patients can use reliably. Aside from degraded sensitivity and lack of selectivity in all practical microwave chemical sensors, they require an instrument, such as vector network analyzer for measurements and not readily available as a self-sustained portable sensor. This review article presents state-of-the-art metamaterial inspired microfluidic bio/chemical sensors (passive devices ranging from gigahertz to terahertz range) with an emphasis on metamaterial sensing circuit and microfluidic detection. We also highlight challenges and strategies to cope these issues which set future directions.

Microfluidic Biochip Design

Science.gov (United States)

Panzarella, Charles

2004-01-01

As humans prepare for the exploration of our solar system, there is a growing need for miniaturized medical and environmental diagnostic devices for use on spacecrafts, especially during long-duration space missions where size and power requirements are critical. In recent years, the biochip (or Lab-on-a- Chip) has emerged as a technology that might be able to satisfy this need. In generic terms, a biochip is a miniaturized microfluidic device analogous to the electronic microchip that ushered in the digital age. It consists of tiny microfluidic channels, pumps and valves that transport small amounts of sample fluids to biosensors that can perform a variety of tests on those fluids in near real time. It has the obvious advantages of being small, lightweight, requiring less sample fluids and reagents and being more sensitive and efficient than larger devices currently in use. Some of the desired space-based applications would be to provide smaller, more robust devices for analyzing blood, saliva and urine and for testing water and food supplies for the presence of harmful contaminants and microorganisms. Our group has undertaken the goal of adapting as well as improving upon current biochip technology for use in long-duration microgravity environments. In addition to developing computational models of the microfluidic channels, valves and pumps that form the basis of every biochip, we are also trying to identify potential problems that could arise in reduced gravity and develop solutions to these problems. One such problem is due to the prevalence of bubbly sample fluids in microgravity. A bubble trapped in a microfluidic channel could be detrimental to the operation of a biochip. Therefore, the process of bubble formation in microgravity needs to be studied, and a model of this process has been developed and used to understand how bubbles develop and move through biochip components. It is clear that some type of bubble filter would be necessary in Space, and

Advanced combinational microfluidic multiplexer for fuel cell reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D W; Kim, Y; Cho, Y-H; Doh, I

2013-01-01

An advanced combinational microfluidic multiplexer capable to address multiple fluidic channels for fuel cell reactors is proposed. Using only 4 control lines and two different levels of control pressures, the proposed multiplexer addresses up to 19 fluidic channels, at least two times larger than the previous microfluidic multiplexers. The present multiplexer providing high control efficiency and simple structure for channel addressing would be used in the application areas of the integrated microfluidic systems such as fuel cell reactors and dynamic pressure generators

Digital microfluidic processing of mammalian embryos for vitrification.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Derek G Pyne

Full Text Available Cryopreservation is a key technology in biology and clinical practice. This paper presents a digital microfluidic device that automates sample preparation for mammalian embryo vitrification. Individual micro droplets manipulated on the microfluidic device were used as micro-vessels to transport a single mouse embryo through a complete vitrification procedure. Advantages of this approach, compared to manual operation and channel-based microfluidic vitrification, include automated operation, cryoprotectant concentration gradient generation, and feasibility of loading and retrieval of embryos.

Centrifugal microfluidic platforms: advanced unit operations and applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Strohmeier, O; Keller, M; Schwemmer, F; Zehnle, S; Mark, D; von Stetten, F; Zengerle, R; Paust, N

2015-10-07

Centrifugal microfluidics has evolved into a mature technology. Several major diagnostic companies either have products on the market or are currently evaluating centrifugal microfluidics for product development. The fields of application are widespread and include clinical chemistry, immunodiagnostics and protein analysis, cell handling, molecular diagnostics, as well as food, water, and soil analysis. Nevertheless, new fluidic functions and applications that expand the possibilities of centrifugal microfluidics are being introduced at a high pace. In this review, we first present an up-to-date comprehensive overview of centrifugal microfluidic unit operations. Then, we introduce the term "process chain" to review how these unit operations can be combined for the automation of laboratory workflows. Such aggregation of basic functionalities enables efficient fluidic design at a higher level of integration. Furthermore, we analyze how novel, ground-breaking unit operations may foster the integration of more complex applications. Among these are the storage of pneumatic energy to realize complex switching sequences or to pump liquids radially inward, as well as the complete pre-storage and release of reagents. In this context, centrifugal microfluidics provides major advantages over other microfluidic actuation principles: the pulse-free inertial liquid propulsion provided by centrifugal microfluidics allows for closed fluidic systems that are free of any interfaces to external pumps. Processed volumes are easily scalable from nanoliters to milliliters. Volume forces can be adjusted by rotation and thus, even for very small volumes, surface forces may easily be overcome in the centrifugal gravity field which enables the efficient separation of nanoliter volumes from channels, chambers or sensor matrixes as well as the removal of any disturbing bubbles. In summary, centrifugal microfluidics takes advantage of a comprehensive set of fluidic unit operations such as

Stereolithographic printing of ionically-crosslinked alginate hydrogels for degradable biomaterials and microfluidics.

Science.gov (United States)

Valentin, Thomas M; Leggett, Susan E; Chen, Po-Yen; Sodhi, Jaskiranjeet K; Stephens, Lauren H; McClintock, Hayley D; Sim, Jea Yun; Wong, Ian Y

2017-10-11

3D printed biomaterials with spatial and temporal functionality could enable interfacial manipulation of fluid flows and motile cells. However, such dynamic biomaterials are challenging to implement since they must be responsive to multiple, biocompatible stimuli. Here, we show stereolithographic printing of hydrogels using noncovalent (ionic) crosslinking, which enables reversible patterning with controlled degradation. We demonstrate this approach using sodium alginate, photoacid generators and various combinations of divalent cation salts, which can be used to tune the hydrogel degradation kinetics, pattern fidelity, and mechanical properties. This approach is first utilized to template perfusable microfluidic channels within a second encapsulating hydrogel for T-junction and gradient devices. The presence and degradation of printed alginate microstructures were further verified to have minimal toxicity on epithelial cells. Degradable alginate barriers were used to direct collective cell migration from different initial geometries, revealing differences in front speed and leader cell formation. Overall, this demonstration of light-based 3D printing using non-covalent crosslinking may enable adaptive and stimuli-responsive biomaterials, which could be utilized for bio-inspired sensing, actuation, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.

Ex-vivo machine perfusion for kidney preservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamar, Matyas; Selzner, Markus

2018-06-01

Machine perfusion is a novel strategy to decrease preservation injury, improve graft assessment, and increase organ acceptance for transplantation. This review summarizes the current advances in ex-vivo machine-based kidney preservation technologies over the last year. Ex-vivo perfusion technologies, such as hypothermic and normothermic machine perfusion and controlled oxygenated rewarming, have gained high interest in the field of organ preservation. Keeping kidney grafts functionally and metabolically active during the preservation period offers a unique chance for viability assessment, reconditioning, and organ repair. Normothermic ex-vivo kidney perfusion has been recently translated into clinical practice. Preclinical results suggest that prolonged warm perfusion appears superior than a brief end-ischemic reconditioning in terms of renal function and injury. An established standardized protocol for continuous warm perfusion is still not available for human grafts. Ex-vivo machine perfusion represents a superior organ preservation method over static cold storage. There is still an urgent need for the optimization of the perfusion fluid and machine technology and to identify the optimal indication in kidney transplantation. Recent research is focusing on graft assessment and therapeutic strategies.

A truly Lego®-like modular microfluidics platform

Science.gov (United States)

Vittayarukskul, Kevin; Lee, Abraham Phillip

2017-03-01

Ideally, a modular microfluidics platform should be simple to assemble and support 3D configurations for increased versatility. The modular building blocks should also be mass producible like electrical components. These are fundamental features of world-renowned Legos® and why Legos® inspire many existing modular microfluidics platforms. In this paper, a truly Lego®-like microfluidics platform is introduced, and its basic feasibility is demonstrated. Here, PDMS building blocks resembling 2  ×  2 Lego® bricks are cast from 3D-printed master molds. The blocks are pegged and stacked on a traditional Lego® plate to create simple, 3D microfluidic networks, such as a single basket weave. Characteristics of the platform, including reversible sealing and automatic alignment of channels, are also analyzed and discussed in detail.

A truly Lego®-like modular microfluidics platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vittayarukskul, Kevin; Lee, Abraham Phillip

2017-01-01

Ideally, a modular microfluidics platform should be simple to assemble and support 3D configurations for increased versatility. The modular building blocks should also be mass producible like electrical components. These are fundamental features of world-renowned Legos ® and why Legos ® inspire many existing modular microfluidics platforms. In this paper, a truly Lego ® -like microfluidics platform is introduced, and its basic feasibility is demonstrated. Here, PDMS building blocks resembling 2  ×  2 Lego ® bricks are cast from 3D-printed master molds. The blocks are pegged and stacked on a traditional Lego ® plate to create simple, 3D microfluidic networks, such as a single basket weave. Characteristics of the platform, including reversible sealing and automatic alignment of channels, are also analyzed and discussed in detail. (paper)

Materials for microfluidic chip fabrication.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Kangning; Zhou, Jianhua; Wu, Hongkai

2013-11-19

Through manipulating fluids using microfabricated channel and chamber structures, microfluidics is a powerful tool to realize high sensitive, high speed, high throughput, and low cost analysis. In addition, the method can establish a well-controlled microenivroment for manipulating fluids and particles. It also has rapid growing implementations in both sophisticated chemical/biological analysis and low-cost point-of-care assays. Some unique phenomena emerge at the micrometer scale. For example, reactions are completed in a shorter amount of time as the travel distances of mass and heat are relatively small; the flows are usually laminar; and the capillary effect becomes dominant owing to large surface-to-volume ratios. In the meantime, the surface properties of the device material are greatly amplified, which can lead to either unique functions or problems that we would not encounter at the macroscale. Also, each material inherently corresponds with specific microfabrication strategies and certain native properties of the device. Therefore, the material for making the device plays a dominating role in microfluidic technologies. In this Account, we address the evolution of materials used for fabricating microfluidic chips, and discuss the application-oriented pros and cons of different materials. This Account generally follows the order of the materials introduced to microfluidics. Glass and silicon, the first generation microfluidic device materials, are perfect for capillary electrophoresis and solvent-involved applications but expensive for microfabriaction. Elastomers enable low-cost rapid prototyping and high density integration of valves on chip, allowing complicated and parallel fluid manipulation and in-channel cell culture. Plastics, as competitive alternatives to elastomers, are also rapid and inexpensive to microfabricate. Their broad variety provides flexible choices for different needs. For example, some thermosets support in-situ fabrication of

Development of Microfluidic Systems Enabling High-Throughput Single-Cell Protein Characterization

OpenAIRE

Fan, Beiyuan; Li, Xiufeng; Chen, Deyong; Peng, Hongshang; Wang, Junbo; Chen, Jian

2016-01-01

This article reviews recent developments in microfluidic systems enabling high-throughput characterization of single-cell proteins. Four key perspectives of microfluidic platforms are included in this review: (1) microfluidic fluorescent flow cytometry; (2) droplet based microfluidic flow cytometry; (3) large-array micro wells (microengraving); and (4) large-array micro chambers (barcode microchips). We examine the advantages and limitations of each technique and discuss future research oppor...

Optical manipulation with two beam traps in microfluidic polymer systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khoury Arvelo, Maria; Matteucci, Marco; Sørensen, Kristian Tølbøl

2015-01-01

An optical trapping system with two opposing laser beams, also known as the optical stretcher, are naturally constructed inside a microfluidic lab-on-chip system. We present and compare two approaches to combine a simple microfluidic system with either waveguides directly written in the microflui......An optical trapping system with two opposing laser beams, also known as the optical stretcher, are naturally constructed inside a microfluidic lab-on-chip system. We present and compare two approaches to combine a simple microfluidic system with either waveguides directly written...

Downstream bioprocess characterisation within microfluidic devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marques, Marco; Krühne, Ulrich; Szita, Nicolas

2016-01-01

developed which has, to some extent, hindered their implementation as early process development tools. Microfluidic devices are particularly attractive for using fewer resources, for having the possibility of parallelisation and for requiring fewer mechanical manipulations. The expectation...... is that these devices will facilitate the rapid definition of critical process parameters, and thus ultimately reduce production costs. We have developed several microfluidic mDUOs and combined them with advanced and novel analytical approaches, resulting in devices that can potentially be employed for both analytical...... for the liquid–liquid extraction of pharmaceuticals, for the purification and concentration of drug delivery vehicles, and for the flocculation of yeast cells in microfluidic devices. For the latter, we will present for the first time the capability to study flocculation-growth independent from the floc breakage...

A centrifugal microfluidic platform for point-of-care diagnostic applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzanne Hugo

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic systems enable precise control over tiny volumes of fluid in a compact and low-cost form, thus providing the ideal platform on which to develop point-of-care diagnostic solutions. Centrifugal microfluidic systems, also referred to as lab-on-a-disc or lab-on-a-CD systems, provide a particularly attractive solution for the implementation of microfluidic point-of-care diagnostic solutions as a result of their simple and compact instrumentation, as well as their functional diversity. Here we detail the implementation of a centrifugal microfluidic platform the first of its kind in South Africa as a foundation for the development of point-of-care diagnostic applications for which both the need and impact is great. The centrifugal microfluidic platform consists of three main components: a microfluidic disc device similar in size and shape to a CD, a system for controlling fluid flow on the device, and a system for recording the results obtained. These components have been successfully implemented and tested. Preliminary test results show that microfluidic functions such as pumping and valving of fluids can be successfully achieved, as well as the generation of monodisperse microfluidic droplets, providing a complete centrifugal microfluidic platform and the building blocks on which to develop a variety of applications, including point-of-care diagnostics. The lab-on-a-disc platform has the potential to provide new diagnostic solutions at the point-of-need in health- and industry-related areas. This paves the way for providing resource limited areas with services such as improved, decentralised health-care access or water-quality monitoring, and reduced diagnosis times at a low cost.

Perfusion based cell culture chips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heiskanen, Arto; Emnéus, Jenny; Dufva, Martin

2010-01-01

Performing cell culture in miniaturized perfusion chambers gives possibilities to experiment with cells under near in vivo like conditions. In contrast to traditional batch cultures, miniaturized perfusion systems provide precise control of medium composition, long term unattended cultures...... and tissue like structuring of the cultures. However, as this chapter illustrates, many issues remain to be identified regarding perfusion cell culture such as design, material choice and how to use these systems before they will be widespread amongst biomedical researchers....

Microfluidic Impedance Flow Cytometry Enabling High-Throughput Single-Cell Electrical Property Characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jian; Xue, Chengcheng; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Deyong; Wu, Min-Hsien; Wang, Junbo

2015-01-01

This article reviews recent developments in microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for high-throughput electrical property characterization of single cells. Four major perspectives of microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for single-cell characterization are included in this review: (1) early developments of microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for single-cell electrical property characterization; (2) microfluidic impedance flow cytometry with enhanced sensitivity; (3) microfluidic impedance and optical flow cytometry for single-cell analysis and (4) integrated point of care system based on microfluidic impedance flow cytometry. We examine the advantages and limitations of each technique and discuss future research opportunities from the perspectives of both technical innovation and clinical applications. PMID:25938973

Brain Perfusion Changes in Intracerebral Hemorrhage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mititelu, R.; Mazilu, C.; Ghita, S.; Rimbu, A.; Marinescu, G.; Codorean, I.; Bajenaru, O.

2006-01-01

Full text: Purpose: Despite the latest advances in medical treatment and neuro critical care, patients suffering spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) still have a very poor prognosis, with a greater mortality and larger neurological deficits at the survivors than for ischemic stroke. Many authors have shown that there are many mechanisms involved in the pathology of SICH: edema, ischemia, inflammation, apoptosis. All of these factors are affecting brain tissue surrounding hematoma and are responsible of the progressive neurological deterioration; most of these damages are not revealed by anatomical imaging techniques. The aim of our study was to asses the role of brain perfusion SPECT in demonstrating perfusion changes in SICH patients. Method: 17 SICH pts were studied. All pts underwent same day CT and brain SPECT with 99mTcHMPAO, 24h-5d from onset of stroke. Results: 14/17 pts showed a larger perfusion defect than expected after CT. In 2 pts hematoma diameter was comparable on CT and SPECT; 1pt had quasinormal aspect of SPECT study. In pts with larger defects, SPECT revealed a large cold spot with similar size compared with CT, and a surrounding hypo perfused area. 6/17 pts revealed cortical hyper perfusion adjacent to hypo perfused area and corresponding to a normal-appearing brain tissue on CT. In 3 pts we found crossed cerebellar diaskisis.In 2 pts we found cortical hypo perfused area in the contralateral cortex, with normal appearing brain tissue on CT. Conclusions: Brain perfusion SPECT revealed different types of perfusion changes in the brain tissue surrounding hematoma. These areas contain viable brain tissue that may be a target for future ne uroprotective strategies. Further studies are definitely required to demonstrate prognostic significance of these changes, but we can conclude that brain perfusion SPECT can play an important role in SICH, by early demonstrating functional changes responsible of clinical deterioration, thus allowing prompt

A microfluidic renal proximal tubule with active reabsorptive function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Else M Vedula

Full Text Available In the kidney, the renal proximal tubule (PT reabsorbs solutes into the peritubular capillaries through active transport. Here, we replicate this reabsorptive function in vitro by engineering a microfluidic PT. The microfluidic PT architecture comprises a porous membrane with user-defined submicron surface topography separating two microchannels representing a PT filtrate lumen and a peritubular capillary lumen. Human PT epithelial cells and microvascular endothelial cells in respective microchannels created a PT-like reabsorptive barrier. Co-culturing epithelial and endothelial cells in the microfluidic architecture enhanced viability, metabolic activity, and compactness of the epithelial layer. The resulting tissue expressed tight junctions, kidney-specific morphology, and polarized expression of kidney markers. The microfluidic PT actively performed sodium-coupled glucose transport, which could be modulated by administration of a sodium-transport inhibiting drug. The microfluidic PT reproduces human physiology at the cellular and tissue levels, and measurable tissue function which can quantify kidney pharmaceutical efficacy and toxicity.

Redundancy Optimization for Error Recovery in Digital Microfluidic Biochips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alistar, Mirela; Pop, Paul; Madsen, Jan

2015-01-01

Microfluidic-based biochips are replacing the conventional biochemical analyzers, and are able to integrate all the necessary functions for biochemical analysis. The digital microfluidic biochips are based on the manipulation of liquids not as a continuous flow, but as discrete droplets. Research......Microfluidic-based biochips are replacing the conventional biochemical analyzers, and are able to integrate all the necessary functions for biochemical analysis. The digital microfluidic biochips are based on the manipulation of liquids not as a continuous flow, but as discrete droplets....... Researchers have proposed approaches for the synthesis of digital microfluidic biochips, which, starting from a biochemical application and a given biochip architecture, determine the allocation, resource binding, scheduling, placement and routing of the operations in the application. During the execution...... propose an online recovery strategy, which decides during the execution of the biochemical application the introduction of the redundancy required for fault-tolerance. We consider both time redundancy, i.e., re-executing erroneous operations, and space redundancy, i.e., creating redundant droplets...

Assessment of anatomic relation between pulmonary perfusion and morphology in pulmonary emphysema with breath-hold SPECT-CT fusion images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suga, Kazuyoshi; Kawakami, Yasuhiko; Iwanaga, Hideyuki; Hayashi, Noriko; Seto, Akiko; Matsunaga, Naofumi

2008-01-01

Anatomic relation between pulmonary perfusion and morphology in pulmonary emphysema was assessed on deep-inspiratory breath-hold (DIBrH) perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-CT fusion images. Subjects were 38 patients with pulmonary emphysema and 11 non-smoker controls, who successfully underwent DIBrH and non-BrH perfusion SPECT using a dual-headed SPECT system during the period between January 2004 and June 2006. DIBrH SPECT was three-dimensionally co-registered with DIBrH CT to comprehend the relationship between lung perfusion defects and CT low attenuation areas (LAA). By comparing the appearance of lung perfusion on DIBrH with non-BrH SPECT, the correlation with the rate constant for the alveolar-capillary transfer of carbon monoxide (DLCO/VA) was compared between perfusion abnormalities on these SPECTs and LAA on CT. DIBrH SPECT provided fairly uniform perfusion in controls, but significantly enhanced perfusion heterogeneity when compared with non-BrH SPECT in pulmonary emphysema patients (P<0.001). The reliable DIBrH SPECT-CT fusion images confirmed more extended perfusion defects than LAA on CT in majority (73%) of patients. Perfusion abnormalities on DIBrH SPECT were more closely correlated with DLCO/VA than LAA on CT (P<0.05). DIBrH SPECT identifies affected lungs with perfusion abnormality better than does non-BrH SPECT in pulmonary emphysema. DIBrH SPECT-CT fusion images are useful for more accurately localizing affected lungs than morphologic CT alone in this disease. (author)

Microfluidic Devices for Forensic DNA Analysis: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruijns, Brigitte; van Asten, Arian; Tiggelaar, Roald; Gardeniers, Han

2016-08-05

Microfluidic devices may offer various advantages for forensic DNA analysis, such as reduced risk of contamination, shorter analysis time and direct application at the crime scene. Microfluidic chip technology has already proven to be functional and effective within medical applications, such as for point-of-care use. In the forensic field, one may expect microfluidic technology to become particularly relevant for the analysis of biological traces containing human DNA. This would require a number of consecutive steps, including sample work up, DNA amplification and detection, as well as secure storage of the sample. This article provides an extensive overview of microfluidic devices for cell lysis, DNA extraction and purification, DNA amplification and detection and analysis techniques for DNA. Topics to be discussed are polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on-chip, digital PCR (dPCR), isothermal amplification on-chip, chip materials, integrated devices and commercially available techniques. A critical overview of the opportunities and challenges of the use of chips is discussed, and developments made in forensic DNA analysis over the past 10-20 years with microfluidic systems are described. Areas in which further research is needed are indicated in a future outlook.

Developing a Benchmarking Process in Perfusion: A Report of the Perfusion Downunder Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Robert A.; Newland, Richard F.; Fenton, Carmel; McDonald, Michael; Willcox, Timothy W.; Merry, Alan F.

2012-01-01

Abstract: Improving and understanding clinical practice is an appropriate goal for the perfusion community. The Perfusion Downunder Collaboration has established a multi-center perfusion focused database aimed at achieving these goals through the development of quantitative quality indicators for clinical improvement through benchmarking. Data were collected using the Perfusion Downunder Collaboration database from procedures performed in eight Australian and New Zealand cardiac centers between March 2007 and February 2011. At the Perfusion Downunder Meeting in 2010, it was agreed by consensus, to report quality indicators (QI) for glucose level, arterial outlet temperature, and pCO2 management during cardiopulmonary bypass. The values chosen for each QI were: blood glucose ≥4 mmol/L and ≤10 mmol/L; arterial outlet temperature ≤37°C; and arterial blood gas pCO2 ≥ 35 and ≤45 mmHg. The QI data were used to derive benchmarks using the Achievable Benchmark of Care (ABC™) methodology to identify the incidence of QIs at the best performing centers. Five thousand four hundred and sixty-five procedures were evaluated to derive QI and benchmark data. The incidence of the blood glucose QI ranged from 37–96% of procedures, with a benchmark value of 90%. The arterial outlet temperature QI occurred in 16–98% of procedures with the benchmark of 94%; while the arterial pCO2 QI occurred in 21–91%, with the benchmark value of 80%. We have derived QIs and benchmark calculations for the management of several key aspects of cardiopulmonary bypass to provide a platform for improving the quality of perfusion practice. PMID:22730861

Biomarker detection for disease diagnosis using cost-effective microfluidic platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanjay, Sharma T; Fu, Guanglei; Dou, Maowei; Xu, Feng; Liu, Rutao; Qi, Hao; Li, XiuJun

2015-11-07

Early and timely detection of disease biomarkers can prevent the spread of infectious diseases, and drastically decrease the death rate of people suffering from different diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases. Because conventional diagnostic methods have limited application in low-resource settings due to the use of bulky and expensive instrumentation, simple and low-cost point-of-care diagnostic devices for timely and early biomarker diagnosis is the need of the hour, especially in rural areas and developing nations. The microfluidics technology possesses remarkable features for simple, low-cost, and rapid disease diagnosis. There have been significant advances in the development of microfluidic platforms for biomarker detection of diseases. This article reviews recent advances in biomarker detection using cost-effective microfluidic devices for disease diagnosis, with the emphasis on infectious disease and cancer diagnosis in low-resource settings. This review first introduces different microfluidic platforms (e.g. polymer and paper-based microfluidics) used for disease diagnosis, with a brief description of their common fabrication techniques. Then, it highlights various detection strategies for disease biomarker detection using microfluidic platforms, including colorimetric, fluorescence, chemiluminescence, electrochemiluminescence (ECL), and electrochemical detection. Finally, it discusses the current limitations of microfluidic devices for disease biomarker detection and future prospects.

CMOS Enabled Microfluidic Systems for Healthcare Based Applications

KAUST Repository

Khan, Sherjeel M.; Gumus, Abdurrahman; Nassar, Joanna M.; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2018-01-01

With the increased global population, it is more important than ever to expand accessibility to affordable personalized healthcare. In this context, a seamless integration of microfluidic technology for bioanalysis and drug delivery and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology enabled data-management circuitry is critical. Therefore, here, the fundamentals, integration aspects, and applications of CMOS-enabled microfluidic systems for affordable personalized healthcare systems are presented. Critical components, like sensors, actuators, and their fabrication and packaging, are discussed and reviewed in detail. With the emergence of the Internet-of-Things and the upcoming Internet-of-Everything for a people-process-data-device connected world, now is the time to take CMOS-enabled microfluidics technology to as many people as possible. There is enormous potential for microfluidic technologies in affordable healthcare for everyone, and CMOS technology will play a major role in making that happen.

CMOS Enabled Microfluidic Systems for Healthcare Based Applications

KAUST Repository

Khan, Sherjeel M.

2018-02-27

With the increased global population, it is more important than ever to expand accessibility to affordable personalized healthcare. In this context, a seamless integration of microfluidic technology for bioanalysis and drug delivery and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology enabled data-management circuitry is critical. Therefore, here, the fundamentals, integration aspects, and applications of CMOS-enabled microfluidic systems for affordable personalized healthcare systems are presented. Critical components, like sensors, actuators, and their fabrication and packaging, are discussed and reviewed in detail. With the emergence of the Internet-of-Things and the upcoming Internet-of-Everything for a people-process-data-device connected world, now is the time to take CMOS-enabled microfluidics technology to as many people as possible. There is enormous potential for microfluidic technologies in affordable healthcare for everyone, and CMOS technology will play a major role in making that happen.

Non-contrast MRI perfusion angiosome in diabetic feet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Jie [Cardiovascular Imaging Lab, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, MO (United States); Hastings, Mary K.; Mueller, Michael J. [Washington University School of Medicine, The Program in Physical Therapy, St. Louis, MO (United States); Muccigross, David; Hildebolt, Charles F. [Washington University School of Medicine, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, MO (United States); Fan, Zhaoyang [Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Gao, Fabao [West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Department of Radiology, Chengdu (China); Curci, John [Washington University School of Medicine, The Department of Surgery, St. Louis, MO (United States)

2015-01-15

The purpose of this study is to develop a non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach to evaluate skeletal muscle perfusion in the diabetic foot based on the concept of angiosomes of the foot. Five healthy volunteers and five participants with diabetes (HbA1c = 7.2 ± 1.8 %) without a history of peripheral artery disease were examined. The non-contrast perfusion measurements were performed during a toe flexion challenge. Absolute perfusion maps were created and two regions (medial and lateral) on the maps were segmented based on angiosomes. Regional difference in the perfusion of foot muscle was readily visualized in the MRI perfusion angiosomes during the challenge. In the participants with diabetes, the perfusion during toe flexion challenge was significantly lower than in healthy volunteers (P < 0.01). The average perfusion for the medial plantar region of the right foot was lower in subjects with diabetes (38 ± 9 ml/min/100 g) than in healthy subjects (93 ± 33 ml/min/100 g). Non-contrast MRI perfusion angiosome maps demonstrate the feasibility of determining regional perfusion in foot muscles during toe challenge and may facilitate evaluation of muscle perfusion in diabetic feet. (orig.)

Non-contrast MRI perfusion angiosome in diabetic feet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Jie; Hastings, Mary K.; Mueller, Michael J.; Muccigross, David; Hildebolt, Charles F.; Fan, Zhaoyang; Gao, Fabao; Curci, John

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop a non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach to evaluate skeletal muscle perfusion in the diabetic foot based on the concept of angiosomes of the foot. Five healthy volunteers and five participants with diabetes (HbA1c = 7.2 ± 1.8 %) without a history of peripheral artery disease were examined. The non-contrast perfusion measurements were performed during a toe flexion challenge. Absolute perfusion maps were created and two regions (medial and lateral) on the maps were segmented based on angiosomes. Regional difference in the perfusion of foot muscle was readily visualized in the MRI perfusion angiosomes during the challenge. In the participants with diabetes, the perfusion during toe flexion challenge was significantly lower than in healthy volunteers (P < 0.01). The average perfusion for the medial plantar region of the right foot was lower in subjects with diabetes (38 ± 9 ml/min/100 g) than in healthy subjects (93 ± 33 ml/min/100 g). Non-contrast MRI perfusion angiosome maps demonstrate the feasibility of determining regional perfusion in foot muscles during toe challenge and may facilitate evaluation of muscle perfusion in diabetic feet. (orig.)

Dual-energy perfusion-CT of pancreatic adenocarcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klauß, M.; Stiller, W.; Pahn, G.; Fritz, F.; Kieser, M.; Werner, J.; Kauczor, H.U.; Grenacher, L.

2013-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of dual-energy CT (DECT)-perfusion of pancreatic carcinomas for assessing the differences in perfusion, permeability and blood volume of healthy pancreatic tissue and histopathologically confirmed solid pancreatic carcinoma. Materials and methods: 24 patients with histologically proven pancreatic carcinoma were examined prospectively with a 64-slice dual source CT using a dynamic sequence of 34 dual-energy (DE) acquisitions every 1.5 s (80 ml of iodinated contrast material, 370 mg/ml, flow rate 5 ml/s). 80 kV p , 140 kV p , and weighted average (linearly blended M0.3) 120 kV p -equivalent dual-energy perfusion image data sets were evaluated with a body-perfusion CT tool (Body-PCT, Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany) for estimating perfusion, permeability, and blood volume values. Color-coded parameter maps were generated. Results: In all 24 patients dual-energy CT-perfusion was. All carcinomas could be identified in the color-coded perfusion maps. Calculated perfusion, permeability and blood volume values were significantly lower in pancreatic carcinomas compared to healthy pancreatic tissue. Weighted average 120 kV p -equivalent perfusion-, permeability- and blood volume-values determined from DE image data were 0.27 ± 0.04 min −1 vs. 0.91 ± 0.04 min −1 (p −1 vs. 0.67 ± 0.05 *0.5 min −1 (p = 0.06) and 0.49 ± 0.07 min −1 vs. 1.28 ± 0.11 min −1 (p p the standard deviations of the kV p 120 kV p -equivalent values were manifestly smaller. Conclusion: Dual-energy CT-perfusion of the pancreas is feasible. The use of DECT improves the accuracy of CT-perfusion of the pancreas by fully exploiting the advantages of enhanced iodine contrast at 80 kV p in combination with the noise reduction at 140 kV p . Therefore using dual-energy perfusion data could improve the delineation of pancreatic carcinomas

In situ microfluidic dialysis for biological small-angle X-ray scattering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skou, Magda; Skou, Soren; Jensen, Thomas Glasdam

2014-01-01

Owing to the demand for low sample consumption and automated sample changing capabilities at synchrotron small-angle X-ray (solution) scattering (SAXS) beamlines, X-ray microfluidics is receiving continuously increasing attention. Here, a remote-controlled microfluidic device is presented for sim...... in incidental sample purification. Hence, this versatile microfluidic device enables investigation of experimentally induced structural changes under dynamically controllable sample conditions. (C) 2014 International Union of Crystallography......Owing to the demand for low sample consumption and automated sample changing capabilities at synchrotron small-angle X-ray (solution) scattering (SAXS) beamlines, X-ray microfluidics is receiving continuously increasing attention. Here, a remote-controlled microfluidic device is presented...

Microfluidic Devices for Drug Delivery Systems and Drug Screening

Science.gov (United States)

Kompella, Uday B.; Damiati, Safa A.

2018-01-01

Microfluidic devices present unique advantages for the development of efficient drug carrier particles, cell-free protein synthesis systems, and rapid techniques for direct drug screening. Compared to bulk methods, by efficiently controlling the geometries of the fabricated chip and the flow rates of multiphase fluids, microfluidic technology enables the generation of highly stable, uniform, monodispersed particles with higher encapsulation efficiency. Since the existing preclinical models are inefficient drug screens for predicting clinical outcomes, microfluidic platforms might offer a more rapid and cost-effective alternative. Compared to 2D cell culture systems and in vivo animal models, microfluidic 3D platforms mimic the in vivo cell systems in a simple, inexpensive manner, which allows high throughput and multiplexed drug screening at the cell, organ, and whole-body levels. In this review, the generation of appropriate drug or gene carriers including different particle types using different configurations of microfluidic devices is highlighted. Additionally, this paper discusses the emergence of fabricated microfluidic cell-free protein synthesis systems for potential use at point of care as well as cell-, organ-, and human-on-a-chip models as smart, sensitive, and reproducible platforms, allowing the investigation of the effects of drugs under conditions imitating the biological system. PMID:29462948

The relationship between ventilatory lung motion and pulmonary perfusion shown by ventilatory lung motion imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Tadashige; Tanaka, Masao; Nakatsuka, Tatsuya; Yoshimura, Kazuhiko; Hirose, Yoshiki; Hirayama, Jiro; Kobayashi, Toshio; Handa, Kenjiro

1991-01-01

Using ventilatory lung motion imaging, which was obtained from two perfusion lung scintigrams with 99m Tc-macroaggregated albumin taken in maximal inspiration and maximal expiration, the lung motion (E-I/I) of the each unilateral lung was studied in various cardiopulmonary diseases. The sum of (E-I)/I(+) of the unilateral lung was decreased in the diseased lung for localized pleuropulmonary diseases, including primary lung cancer and pleural thickening, and in both lungs for heart diseases, and diffuse pulmonary diseases including diffuse interstitial pneumonia and diffuse panbronchiolitis. The sum of (E-I)/I(+) of the both lungs, which correlated with vital capacity and PaO 2 , was decreased in diffuse interstitial pneumonia, pulmonary emphysema, diffuse panbronchiolitis, primary lung cancer, pleural diseases and so on. (E-I)/I(+), correlated with pulmonary perfusion (n=49, r=0.51, p 81m Kr or 133 Xe (n=49, r=0.61, p<0.001) than pulmonary perfusion. The ventilatory lung motion imaging, which demonstrates the motion of the intra-pulmonary areas and lung edges, appears useful for estimating pulmonary ventilation of the perfused area as well as pulmonary perfusion. (author)

The Microfluidic Jukebox

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Say Hwa; Maes, Florine; Semin, Benoît; Vrignon, Jérémy; Baret, Jean-Christophe

2014-04-01

Music is a form of art interweaving people of all walks of life. Through subtle changes in frequencies, a succession of musical notes forms a melody which is capable of mesmerizing the minds of people. With the advances in technology, we are now able to generate music electronically without relying solely on physical instruments. Here, we demonstrate a musical interpretation of droplet-based microfluidics as a form of novel electronic musical instruments. Using the interplay of electric field and hydrodynamics in microfluidic devices, well controlled frequency patterns corresponding to musical tracks are generated in real time. This high-speed modulation of droplet frequency (and therefore of droplet sizes) may also provide solutions that reconciles high-throughput droplet production and the control of individual droplet at production which is needed for many biochemical or material synthesis applications.

Review of Recent Metamaterial Microfluidic Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Salim

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Metamaterial elements/arrays exhibit a sensitive response to fluids yet with a small footprint, therefore, they have been an attractive choice to realize various sensing devices when integrated with microfluidic technology. Micro-channels made from inexpensive biocompatible materials avoid any contamination from environment and require only microliter–nanoliter sample for sensing. Simple design, easy fabrication process, light weight prototype, and instant measurements are advantages as compared to conventional (optical, electrochemical and biological sensing systems. Inkjet-printed flexible sensors find their utilization in rapidly growing wearable electronics and health-monitoring flexible devices. Adequate sensitivity and repeatability of these low profile microfluidic sensors make them a potential candidate for point-of-care testing which novice patients can use reliably. Aside from degraded sensitivity and lack of selectivity in all practical microwave chemical sensors, they require an instrument, such as vector network analyzer for measurements and not readily available as a self-sustained portable sensor. This review article presents state-of-the-art metamaterial inspired microfluidic bio/chemical sensors (passive devices ranging from gigahertz to terahertz range with an emphasis on metamaterial sensing circuit and microfluidic detection. We also highlight challenges and strategies to cope these issues which set future directions.

31P-NMR studies on perfused mouse liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin, A.C.; Takeda, H.; Chance, B.

1978-01-01

From a metabolic viewpoint, the most important organ in the body is the liver. In contrast to more specialized organs such as heart and kidney which perform only one major function, the liver performs a number of major metabolic functions. Two of the most important functions are the catabolism and storage of foodstuffs (in the form of glycogen) and the control of most of the constituents of the blood (in particular, the blood glucose level). Most of these functions are localized within a single type of cell. One way that the liver is able to regulate these diverse reactions is by the control of the ATP level in the cell. Encouraged by the recent success of many groups in using 31 P-NMR to provide a continuous and non-destructive monitor of ATP levels in isolated cells, skeletal muscle, and perfused organs such as heart and kidney, 31 P-NMR was used to investigate ATP levels in perfused liver of mice

Local and Global Function Model of the Liver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Hesheng, E-mail: hesheng@umich.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Feng, Mary [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Jackson, Andrew [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Ten Haken, Randall K.; Lawrence, Theodore S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Cao, Yue [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States)

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop a local and global function model in the liver based on regional and organ function measurements to support individualized adaptive radiation therapy (RT). Methods and Materials: A local and global model for liver function was developed to include both functional volume and the effect of functional variation of subunits. Adopting the assumption of parallel architecture in the liver, the global function was composed of a sum of local function probabilities of subunits, varying between 0 and 1. The model was fit to 59 datasets of liver regional and organ function measures from 23 patients obtained before, during, and 1 month after RT. The local function probabilities of subunits were modeled by a sigmoid function in relating to MRI-derived portal venous perfusion values. The global function was fitted to a logarithm of an indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes (an overall liver function measure). Cross-validation was performed by leave-m-out tests. The model was further evaluated by fitting to the data divided according to whether the patients had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or not. Results: The liver function model showed that (1) a perfusion value of 68.6 mL/(100 g · min) yielded a local function probability of 0.5; (2) the probability reached 0.9 at a perfusion value of 98 mL/(100 g · min); and (3) at a probability of 0.03 [corresponding perfusion of 38 mL/(100 g · min)] or lower, the contribution to global function was lost. Cross-validations showed that the model parameters were stable. The model fitted to the data from the patients with HCC indicated that the same amount of portal venous perfusion was translated into less local function probability than in the patients with non-HCC tumors. Conclusions: The developed liver function model could provide a means to better assess individual and regional dose-responses of hepatic functions, and provide guidance for individualized treatment planning of RT.

A One-Square-Millimeter Compact Hollow Structure for Microfluidic Pumping on an All-Glass Chip

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xing Yue (Larry Peng

2016-04-01

Full Text Available A micro surface tension pump is a new type of low-cost, built-in, all-glass, microfluidic pump on a glass microchip fabricated by one-step glass etching. However, geometric minimization and optimization for practical use are challenging. Here, we report a one-square-millimeter, built-in, all-glass pump controlled by two-way digital gas pressure. The pump consists simply of two joint chambers and a piston between two gas control channels. It does not require pre-perfusion for initialization, and can immediately begin to run when a liquid enters its inlet channel. It is also more reliable than conventional micro pumps for practical use due to its ability to restart after the formation of a blocking bubble, which can serve as a valuable troubleshooting procedure. Its volumetric pump output was 0.5–0.7 nL·s−1 under a pump head pressure of 300 Pa.

Temperature Sensing in Modular Microfluidic Architectures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krisna C. Bhargava

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A discrete microfluidic element with integrated thermal sensor was fabricated and demonstrated as an effective probe for process monitoring and prototyping. Elements were constructed using stereolithography and market-available glass-bodied thermistors within the modular, standardized framework of previous discrete microfluidic elements demonstrated in the literature. Flow rate-dependent response due to sensor self-heating and microchannel heating and cooling was characterized and shown to be linear in typical laboratory conditions. An acid-base neutralization reaction was performed in a continuous flow setting to demonstrate applicability in process management: the ratio of solution flow rates was varied to locate the equivalence point in a titration, closely matching expected results. This element potentially enables complex, three-dimensional microfluidic architectures with real-time temperature feedback and flow rate sensing, without application specificity or restriction to planar channel routing formats.

In-vivo quantitative evaluation of perfusion zones and perfusion gradient in the deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap

Science.gov (United States)

Saint-Cyr, Michel; Lakhiani, Chrisovalantis; Cheng, Angela; Mangum, Michael; Liang, Jinyang; Teotia, Sumeet; Livingston, Edward H.; Zuzak, Karel J.

2013-03-01

The selection of well-vascularized tissue during DIEP flap harvest remains controversial. While several studies have elucidated cross-midline perfusion, further characterization of perfusion to the ipsilateral hemiabdomen is necessary for minimizing rates of fat necrosis or partial fat necrosis in bilateral DIEP flaps. Eighteen patients (29 flaps) underwent DIEP flap harvest using a prospectively designed protocol. Perforators were marked and imaged with a novel system for quantitatively measuring tissue oxygenation, the Digital Light Hyperspectral Imager. Images were then analyzed to determine if perforator selection influenced ipsilateral flap perfusion. Flaps based on a single lateral row perforator (SLRP) were found to have a higher level of hemoglobin oxygenation in Zone I (mean %HbO2 = 76.1) compared to single medial row perforator (SMRP) flaps (%HbO2 = 71.6). Perfusion of Zone III relative to Zone I was similar between SLRP and SMRP flaps (97.4% vs. 97.9%, respectively). These differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Perfusion to the lateral edge of the flap was slightly greater for SLRP flaps compared SMRP flaps (92.1% vs. 89.5%, respectively). SMRP flaps had superior perfusion travelling inferiorly compared to SLRP flaps (88.8% vs. 83.9%, respectively). Overall, it was observed that flaps were better perfused in the lateral direction than inferiorly. Significant differences in perfusion gradients directed inferiorly or laterally were observed, and perforator selection influenced perfusion in the most distal or inferior aspects of the flap. This suggests broader clinical implications for flap design that merit further investigation.

Are there any determinants of interictal brain SPECT perfusion change in unilateral hippocampal sclerosis?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tepmongkol, S.; Locharernkul, C.; Lerdlum, S.

2005-01-01

In localizing ictal onset during pre-surgical evaluation, interictal brain SPECT has been used to determine baseline brain abnormalities in order to compare with ictal SPECT. However, in some patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS), no baseline perfusion abnormality is seen. In this subgroup of patients, performing interictal SPECT may be considered unnecessary. This study is aimed at determining the factors that may influence the interictal SPECT perfusion change in unilateral HS. Forty-one unilateral HS patients (21 males, 20 females; age 30.3±8.0 years) who had interictal brain perfusion SPECT (more than 24 hours after the seizure) were enrolled. Multiple factors i.e. age, sex, age of epilepsy onset, duration of epilepsy, presence of aura, clinical lateralization, interictal EEG lateralization, and ictal EEG lateralization were used as independent variables to predict hypoperfusion of the temporal lobe ipsilateral to hippocampal sclerosis detected on MRI. Ipsilateral temporal hypoperfusion were observed in 18/41 (43.9%) patients. None of these factors showed significant correlation to the perfusion changes. It was also concluded that age, sex, age of epilepsy onset, duration of epilepsy, presence of aura, clinical lateralization, interictal EEG lateralization, and ictal EEG lateralization cannot be used to predict interictal SPECT perfusion changes at the hippocampal sclerosis region. (author)

Three-Dimensional Printing Based Hybrid Manufacturing of Microfluidic Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Alapan, Yunus; Hasan, Muhammad Noman; Shen, Richang; Gurkan, Umut A

2015-05-01

Microfluidic platforms offer revolutionary and practical solutions to challenging problems in biology and medicine. Even though traditional micro/nanofabrication technologies expedited the emergence of the microfluidics field, recent advances in advanced additive manufacturing hold significant potential for single-step, stand-alone microfluidic device fabrication. One such technology, which holds a significant promise for next generation microsystem fabrication is three-dimensional (3D) printing. Presently, building 3D printed stand-alone microfluidic devices with fully embedded microchannels for applications in biology and medicine has the following challenges: (i) limitations in achievable design complexity, (ii) need for a wider variety of transparent materials, (iii) limited z-resolution, (iv) absence of extremely smooth surface finish, and (v) limitations in precision fabrication of hollow and void sections with extremely high surface area to volume ratio. We developed a new way to fabricate stand-alone microfluidic devices with integrated manifolds and embedded microchannels by utilizing a 3D printing and laser micromachined lamination based hybrid manufacturing approach. In this new fabrication method, we exploit the minimized fabrication steps enabled by 3D printing, and reduced assembly complexities facilitated by laser micromachined lamination method. The new hybrid fabrication method enables key features for advanced microfluidic system architecture: (i) increased design complexity in 3D, (ii) improved control over microflow behavior in all three directions and in multiple layers, (iii) transverse multilayer flow and precisely integrated flow distribution, and (iv) enhanced transparency for high resolution imaging and analysis. Hybrid manufacturing approaches hold great potential in advancing microfluidic device fabrication in terms of standardization, fast production, and user-independent manufacturing.

Placental perfusion - a human alternative

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mose, Tina; Knudsen, Lisbeth E

2006-01-01

Foetal exposures to environmental and medicinal products have impact on the growth of the foetus (e.g. cigarette smoke) and development of organs (e.g. methylmercury and Thalidomide). Perfusion studies of the human term placenta enable investigation of placental transport of chemical substances...... between the mother and foetus. Dual perfusion of a single cotyledon in the human placenta can contribute to a better understanding of the placental barrier, transport rate and mechanisms of different substances and placental metabolism. The perfusion system has recently been established in Copenhagen...

Optimized fabrication protocols of microfluidic devices for X-ray analysis

KAUST Repository

Catalano, Rossella

2014-07-01

Microfluidics combined with X-ray scattering techniques allows probing conformational changes or assembly processes of biological materials. Our aim was to develop a highly X-ray transparent microfluidic cell for detecting small variations of X-ray scattering involved in such processes. We describe the fabrication of a polyimide microfluidic device based on a simple, reliable and inexpensive lamination process. The implemented microstructured features result in windows with optimized X-ray transmission. The microfluidic device was characterized by X-ray microbeam scattering at the ID13 beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mapping three-dimensional temperature in microfluidic chip.

KAUST Repository

Wu, Jinbo

2013-11-25

Three-dimensional (3D) temperature mapping method with high spatial resolution and acquisition rate is of vital importance in evaluating thermal processes in micro-environment. We have synthesized a new temperature-sensitive functional material (Rhodamine B functionalized Polydimethylsiloxane). By performing optical sectioning of this material, we established an advanced method for visualizing the micro-scale 3D thermal distribution inside microfluidic chip with down to 10 ms temporal resolution and 2 ~ 6 °C temperature resolution depending the capture parameters. This method is successfully applied to monitor the local temperature variation throughout micro-droplet heat transfer process and further reveal exothermic nanoliter droplet reactions to be unique and milder than bench-top experiment.

Microfluidic Devices for Blood Fractionation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chwee Teck Lim

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Blood, a complex biological fluid, comprises 45% cellular components suspended in protein rich plasma. These different hematologic components perform distinct functions in vivo and thus the ability to efficiently fractionate blood into its individual components has innumerable applications in both clinical diagnosis and biological research. Yet, processing blood is not trivial. In the past decade, a flurry of new microfluidic based technologies has emerged to address this compelling problem. Microfluidics is an attractive solution for this application leveraging its numerous advantages to process clinical blood samples. This paper reviews the various microfluidic approaches realized to successfully fractionate one or more blood components. Techniques to separate plasma from hematologic cellular components as well as isolating blood cells of interest including certain rare cells are discussed. Comparisons based on common separation metrics including efficiency (sensitivity, purity (selectivity, and throughput will be presented. Finally, we will provide insights into the challenges associated with blood-based separation systems towards realizing true point-of-care (POC devices and provide future perspectives.

Accelerated Biofluid Filling in Complex Microfluidic Networks by Vacuum-Pressure Accelerated Movement (V-PAM).

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zeta Tak For; Cheung, Mei Ki; Liu, Shirley Xiaosu; Fu, Jianping

2016-09-01

Rapid fluid transport and exchange are critical operations involved in many microfluidic applications. However, conventional mechanisms used for driving fluid transport in microfluidics, such as micropumping and high pressure, can be inaccurate and difficult for implementation for integrated microfluidics containing control components and closed compartments. Here, a technology has been developed termed Vacuum-Pressure Accelerated Movement (V-PAM) capable of significantly enhancing biofluid transport in complex microfluidic environments containing dead-end channels and closed chambers. Operation of the V-PAM entails a pressurized fluid loading into microfluidic channels where gas confined inside can rapidly be dissipated through permeation through a thin, gas-permeable membrane sandwiched between microfluidic channels and a network of vacuum channels. Effects of different structural and operational parameters of the V-PAM for promoting fluid filling in microfluidic environments have been studied systematically. This work further demonstrates the applicability of V-PAM for rapid filling of temperature-sensitive hydrogels and unprocessed whole blood into complex irregular microfluidic networks such as microfluidic leaf venation patterns and blood circulatory systems. Together, the V-PAM technology provides a promising generic microfluidic tool for advanced fluid control and transport in integrated microfluidics for different microfluidic diagnosis, organs-on-chips, and biomimetic studies. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Frequency and severity of myocardial perfusion abnormalities using Tc-99m MIBI SPECT in cardiac syndrome X

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saghari, Mohsen; Assadi, Majid; Eftekhari, Mohammad; Yaghoubi, Mohammad; Fard-Esfahani, Armaghan; Malekzadeh, Jan-Mohammad; Sichani, Babak Fallhi; Beiki, Davood; Takavar, Abbas

2006-01-01

Cardiac syndrome X is defined by a typical angina pectoris with normal or near normal (stenosis <40%) coronary angiogram with or without electrocardiogram (ECG) change or atypical angina pectoris with normal or near normal coronary angiogram plus a positive none-invasive test (exercise tolerance test or myocardial perfusion scan) with or without ECG change. Studies with myocardial perfusion imaging on this syndrome have indicated some abnormal perfusion scan. We evaluated the role of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and also the severity and extent of perfusion abnormality using Tc-99m MIBI Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) in these patients. The study group consisted of 36 patients with cardiac syndrome X. The semiquantitative perfusion analysis was performed using exercise Tc-99m MIBI SPECT. The MPI results were analyzed by the number, location and severity of perfusion defects. Abnormal perfusion defects were detected in 13 (36.10%) cases, while the remaining 23 (63.90%) had normal cardiac imaging. Five of 13 (38.4%) abnormal studies showed multiple perfusion defects. The defects were localized in the apex in 3, apical segments in 4, midventricular segments in 12 and basal segments in 6 cases. Fourteen (56%) of all abnormal segments revealed mild, 7(28%) moderate and 4 (16%) severe reduction of tracer uptake. No fixed defects were identified. The vessel territories were approximately the same in all subjects. The Exercise treadmill test (ETT) was positive in 25(69%) and negative in 11(30%) patients. There was no consistent pattern as related to the extent of MPI defects or exercise test results. Our study suggests that multiple perfusion abnormalities with different levels of severity are common in cardiac syndrome X, with more than 30 % of these patients having at least one abnormal perfusion segment. Our findings suggest that in these patients microvascular angina is probably more common than is generally believed

The Groningen hypothermic liver perfusion pump : Functional evaluation of a new machine perfusion system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Plaats, A.; Maathuis, M. H. J.; Hart, N. A. 't; Bellekom, A. A.; Hofker, H. S.; van der Houwen, E. B.; Verkerke, G. J.; Leuvenink, H. G. D.; Verdonck, P.; Ploeg, R. J.; Rakhorst, G.

2006-01-01

To improve preservation of donor livers, we have developed a portable hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) system as an alternative for static cold storage. A prototype of the system was built and evaluated on functionality. Evaluation criteria included 24 h of adequate pressure controlled perfusion,

Enabling liquid solvent structure analysis using hard x-ray absorption spectroscopy with a transferrable microfluidic reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Jian; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Feng; Yu, Xiao-Ying

2018-04-11

In this paper, a vacuum compatible microfluidic device, System for Analysis at the Liquid Vacuum Interface (SALVI), is integrated to hard x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to obtain the local structure of K3[Fe(CN)6] in aqueous solutions with three concentrations of 0.5 M, 0.05 M, and 0.005 M. The solutions were sealed in a microchannel of 500 μm wide and 300 µm deep in a portable microfluidic device. The Fe K-edge x-ray absorption spectra show that the complex in water is Fe(III). The complex is present with octahedral geometry coordinated with 6 C atoms in the first shell with a distance of ~1.92 Å and 6 N atoms in the second shell with a distance of ~3.10 Å. Varying the concentration has no observable influence on the structure of K3[Fe(CN)6]. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using microfluidic based liquid cells in large synchrotron facilities and it is a viable approach to enable multifaceted measurements of liquids in the future.

Enabling liquid solvent structure analysis using hard x-ray absorption spectroscopy with a transferrable microfluidic reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Jian; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Feng; Yu, Xiao-Ying

2018-05-01

In this paper, a vacuum compatible microfluidic device, system for analysis at the liquid vacuum interface, is integrated to hard x-ray absorption spectroscopy to obtain the local structure of K3[Fe(CN)6] in aqueous solutions with three concentrations of 0.5 M, 0.05 M, and 0.005 M. The solutions were sealed in a microchannel 500 µm wide and 300 µm deep in a portable microfluidic device. The Fe K-edge x-ray absorption spectra indicate a presence of Fe(III) in the complex in water, with an octahedral geometry coordinated with 6 C atoms in the first shell with a distance of ~1.92 Å and 6 N atoms in the second shell with a distance of ~3.10 Å. Varying the concentration has no observable influence on the structure of K3[Fe(CN)6]. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using microfluidic based liquid cells in large synchrotron facilities. Using portable microfludic reactors provides a viable approach to enable multifaceted measurements of liquids in the future.

Inhibitory effect of common microfluidic materials on PCR outcome

KAUST Repository

Kodzius, Rimantas; Xiao, Kang; Wu, Jinbo; Yi, Xin; Gong, Xiuqing; Foulds, Ian G.; Wen, Weijia

2012-01-01

Microfluidic chips have a variety of applications in the biological sciences and medicine. In contrast with traditional experimental approaches, microfluidics entails lower sample and reagent consumption, allows faster reactions and enables

Optial sensing systems for microfluidic devices: a review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuswandi, Bambang; Nuriman, [Unknown; Huskens, Jurriaan; Verboom, Willem

2007-01-01

This review deals with the application of optical sensing systems for microfluidic devices. In the “off-chip approach” macro-scale optical infrastructure is coupled, while the “on-chip approach” comprises the integration of micro-optical functions into microfluidic devices. The current progress of

Vicarious audiovisual learning in perfusion education.

Science.gov (United States)

Rath, Thomas E; Holt, David W

2010-12-01

Perfusion technology is a mechanical and visual science traditionally taught with didactic instruction combined with clinical experience. It is difficult to provide perfusion students the opportunity to experience difficult clinical situations, set up complex perfusion equipment, or observe corrective measures taken during catastrophic events because of patient safety concerns. Although high fidelity simulators offer exciting opportunities for future perfusion training, we explore the use of a less costly low fidelity form of simulation instruction, vicarious audiovisual learning. Two low fidelity modes of instruction; description with text and a vicarious, first person audiovisual production depicting the same content were compared. Students (n = 37) sampled from five North American perfusion schools were prospectively randomized to one of two online learning modules, text or video.These modules described the setup and operation of the MAQUET ROTAFLOW stand-alone centrifugal console and pump. Using a 10 question multiple-choice test, students were assessed immediately after viewing the module (test #1) and then again 2 weeks later (test #2) to determine cognition and recall of the module content. In addition, students completed a questionnaire assessing the learning preferences of today's perfusion student. Mean test scores from test #1 for video learners (n = 18) were significantly higher (88.89%) than for text learners (n = 19) (74.74%), (p audiovisual learning modules may be an efficacious, low cost means of delivering perfusion training on subjects such as equipment setup and operation. Video learning appears to improve cognition and retention of learned content and may play an important role in how we teach perfusion in the future, as simulation technology becomes more prevalent.

Electric field-decoupled electroosmotic pump for microfluidic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shaorong; Pu, Qiaosheng; Lu, Joann J

2003-09-26

An electric field-free electroosmotic pump has been constructed and its pumping rate has been measured under various experimental conditions. The key component of the pump is an ion-exchange membrane grounding joint that serves two major functions: (i) to maintain fluid continuity between pump channels and microfluidic conduit and (ii) to ground the solution in the microfluidic channel at the joint through an external electrode, and hence to decouple the electric field applied to the pump channels from the rest of the microfluidic system. A theoretical model has been developed to calculate the pumping rates and its validity has been demonstrated.

Microfluidic production of polymeric functional microparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Kunqiang

This dissertation focuses on applying droplet-based microfluidics to fabricate new classes of polymeric microparticles with customized properties for various applications. The integration of microfluidic techniques with microparticle engineering allows for unprecedented control over particle size, shape, and functional properties. Specifically, three types of microparticles are discussed here: (1) Magnetic and fluorescent chitosan hydrogel microparticles and their in-situ assembly into higher-order microstructures; (2) Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microbeads with phosphorescent properties for oxygen sensing; (3) Macroporous microparticles as biological immunosensors. First, we describe a microfluidic approach to generate monodisperse chitosan hydrogel microparticles that can be further connected in-situ into higher-order microstructures. Microparticles of the biopolymer chitosan are created continuously by contacting an aqueous solution of chitosan at a microfluidic T-junction with a stream of hexadecane containing a nonionic detergent, followed by downstream crosslinking of the generated droplets by a ternary flow of glutaraldehyde. Functional properties of the microparticles can be easily varied by introducing payloads such as magnetic nanoparticles and/or fluorescent dyes into the chitosan solution. We then use these prepared microparticles as "building blocks" and assemble them into high ordered microstructures, i.e. microchains with controlled geometry and flexibility. Next, we describe a new approach to produce monodisperse microbeads of PDMS using microfluidics. Using a flow-focusing configuration, a PDMS precursor solution is dispersed into microdroplets within an aqueous continuous phase. These droplets are collected and thermally cured off-chip into soft, solid microbeads. In addition, our technique allows for direct integration of payloads, such as an oxygen-sensitive porphyrin dye, into the PDMS microbeads. We then show that the resulting dye

A PEG-DA microfluidic device for chemotaxis studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traore, Mahama Aziz; Behkam, Bahareh

2013-01-01

The study of cells in a well-defined and chemically programmable microenvironment is essential for a complete and fundamental understanding of the cell behaviors with respect to specific chemical compounds. Flow-free microfluidic devices that generate quasi-steady chemical gradients (spatially varying but temporally constant) have been demonstrated as effective chemotaxis assay platforms due to dissociating the effect of chemical cues from mechanical shear forces caused by fluid flow. In this work, we demonstrate the fabrication and characterization of a flow-free microfluidic platform made of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEG-DA) hydrogel. We have demonstrated that the mass transport properties of these devices can be customized by fabricating them from PEG-DA gels of four distinct molecular weights. In contrast to microfluidic devices developed using soft lithography; this class of devices can be realized using a more cost-effective approach of direct photopolymerization with fewer microfabrication steps. This microfluidic platform was tested by conducting a quantitative study of the chemotactic behavior of Escherichia coli (E. coli) RP437, a model microorganism, in presence of the chemo-effector, casamino-acids. Using the microfabrication and characterization methodology presented in this work, microfluidic platforms with well-defined and customizable diffusive properties can be developed to accommodate the study of a wide range of cell types. (paper)

Pulmonary ventilation and perfusion abnormalities and ventilation perfusion imbalance in children with pulmonary atresia or extreme tetralogy of Fallot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dowdle, S.C.; Human, D.G.; Mann, M.D. (Univ. of Cape Town (South Africa))

1990-08-01

Xenon-133 lung ventilation and perfusion scans were done preoperatively after cardiac catheterization and cineangiocardiography in 19 children; 6 had pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum and hypoplastic right ventricle, 4 pulmonary atresia with associated complex univentricular heart, and 9 extreme Tetralogy of Fallot. The four patients with discrepancies in the sizes of the left and right pulmonary arteries on angiography had marked asymmetry of pulmonary perfusion and ventilation-perfusion imbalance on scintigraphy. Similar degrees of asymmetry and imbalance were present in 6 of the 15 children with equal-size pulmonary vessels. Asymmetry of pulmonary perfusion and ventilation-perfusion imbalance were associated with a poor prognosis.

Pulmonary ventilation and perfusion abnormalities and ventilation perfusion imbalance in children with pulmonary atresia or extreme tetralogy of Fallot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dowdle, S.C.; Human, D.G.; Mann, M.D.

1990-01-01

Xenon-133 lung ventilation and perfusion scans were done preoperatively after cardiac catheterization and cineangiocardiography in 19 children; 6 had pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum and hypoplastic right ventricle, 4 pulmonary atresia with associated complex univentricular heart, and 9 extreme Tetralogy of Fallot. The four patients with discrepancies in the sizes of the left and right pulmonary arteries on angiography had marked asymmetry of pulmonary perfusion and ventilation-perfusion imbalance on scintigraphy. Similar degrees of asymmetry and imbalance were present in 6 of the 15 children with equal-size pulmonary vessels. Asymmetry of pulmonary perfusion and ventilation-perfusion imbalance were associated with a poor prognosis

Molecular Imaging Probe Development using Microfluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kan; Wang, Ming-Wei; Lin, Wei-Yu; Phung, Duy Linh; Girgis, Mark D.; Wu, Anna M.; Tomlinson, James S.; Shen, Clifton K.-F.

2012-01-01

In this manuscript, we review the latest advancement of microfluidics in molecular imaging probe development. Due to increasing needs for medical imaging, high demand for many types of molecular imaging probes will have to be met by exploiting novel chemistry/radiochemistry and engineering technologies to improve the production and development of suitable probes. The microfluidic-based probe synthesis is currently attracting a great deal of interest because of their potential to deliver many advantages over conventional systems. Numerous chemical reactions have been successfully performed in micro-reactors and the results convincingly demonstrate with great benefits to aid synthetic procedures, such as purer products, higher yields, shorter reaction times compared to the corresponding batch/macroscale reactions, and more benign reaction conditions. Several ‘proof-of-principle’ examples of molecular imaging probe syntheses using microfluidics, along with basics of device architecture and operation, and their potential limitations are discussed here. PMID:22977436

Cell Culture Microfluidic Biochips: Experimental Throughput Maximization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Minhass, Wajid Hassan; Pop, Paul; Madsen, Jan

2011-01-01

Microfluidic biochips offer a promising alternative to a conventional biochemical laboratory, integrating all necessary functionalities on-chip in order to perform biochemical applications. Researchers have started to propose computer-aided design tools for the synthesis of such biochips. Our focus...... metaheuristic for experimental design generation for the cell culture microfluidic biochips, and we have evaluated our approach using multiple experimental setups....

Modular microfluidic system for biological sample preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Klint A.; Mariella, Jr., Raymond P.; Bailey, Christopher G.; Ness, Kevin Dean

2015-09-29

A reconfigurable modular microfluidic system for preparation of a biological sample including a series of reconfigurable modules for automated sample preparation adapted to selectively include a) a microfluidic acoustic focusing filter module, b) a dielectrophoresis bacteria filter module, c) a dielectrophoresis virus filter module, d) an isotachophoresis nucleic acid filter module, e) a lyses module, and f) an isotachophoresis-based nucleic acid filter.

Route to one-step microstructure mold fabrication for PDMS microfluidic chip

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Xiaoqing; Geng, Zhaoxin; Fan, Zhiyuan; Wang, Shicai; Su, Yue; Fang, Weihao; Pei, Weihua; Chen, Hongda

2018-04-01

The microstructure mold fabrication for PDMS microfluidic chip remains complex and time-consuming process requiring special equipment and protocols: photolithography and etching. Thus, a rapid and cost-effective method is highly needed. Comparing with the traditional microfluidic chip fabricating process based on the micro-electromechanical system (MEMS), this method is simple and easy to implement, and the whole fabrication process only requires 1-2 h. Different size of microstructure from 100 to 1000 μm was fabricated, and used to culture four kinds of breast cancer cell lines. Cell viability and morphology was assessed when they were cultured in the micro straight channels, micro square holes and the bonding PDMS-glass microfluidic chip. The experimental results indicate that the microfluidic chip is good and meet the experimental requirements. This method can greatly reduce the process time and cost of the microfluidic chip, and provide a simple and effective way for the structure design and in the field of biological microfabrications and microfluidic chips.

Spontaneous oscillations in microfluidic networks

Science.gov (United States)

Case, Daniel; Angilella, Jean-Regis; Motter, Adilson

2017-11-01

Precisely controlling flows within microfluidic systems is often difficult which typically results in systems being heavily reliant on numerous external pumps and computers. Here, I present a simple microfluidic network that exhibits flow rate switching, bistablity, and spontaneous oscillations controlled by a single pressure. That is, by solely changing the driving pressure, it is possible to switch between an oscillating and steady flow state. Such functionality does not rely on external hardware and may even serve as an on-chip memory or timing mechanism. I use an analytic model and rigorous fluid dynamics simulations to show these results.

Collective oscillations and coupled modes in confined microfluidic droplet arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Schiller, Ulf D.; Fleury, Jean-Baptiste; Seemann, Ralf; Gompper, Gerhard

Microfluidic droplets have a wide range of applications ranging from analytic assays in cellular biology to controlled mixing in chemical engineering. Ensembles of microfluidic droplets are interesting model systems for non-equilibrium many-body phenomena. When flowing in a microchannel, trains of droplets can form microfluidic crystals whose dynamics are governed by long-range hydrodynamic interactions and boundary effects. In this contribution, excitation mechanisms for collective waves in dense and confined microfluidic droplet arrays are investigated by experiments and computer simulations. We demonstrate that distinct modes can be excited by creating specific `defect' patterns in flowing droplet trains. While longitudinal modes exhibit a short-lived cascade of pairs of laterally displacing droplets, transversely excited modes form propagating waves that behave like microfluidic phonons. We show that the confinement induces a coupling between longitudinal and transverse modes. We also investigate the life time of the collective oscillations and discuss possible mechanisms for the onset of instabilities. Our results demonstrate that microfluidic phonons can exhibit effects beyond the linear theory, which can be studied particularly well in dense and confined systems. This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft under Grant No. SE 1118/4.

CMOS Enabled Microfluidic Systems for Healthcare Based Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Sherjeel M; Gumus, Abdurrahman; Nassar, Joanna M; Hussain, Muhammad M

2018-04-01

With the increased global population, it is more important than ever to expand accessibility to affordable personalized healthcare. In this context, a seamless integration of microfluidic technology for bioanalysis and drug delivery and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology enabled data-management circuitry is critical. Therefore, here, the fundamentals, integration aspects, and applications of CMOS-enabled microfluidic systems for affordable personalized healthcare systems are presented. Critical components, like sensors, actuators, and their fabrication and packaging, are discussed and reviewed in detail. With the emergence of the Internet-of-Things and the upcoming Internet-of-Everything for a people-process-data-device connected world, now is the time to take CMOS-enabled microfluidics technology to as many people as possible. There is enormous potential for microfluidic technologies in affordable healthcare for everyone, and CMOS technology will play a major role in making that happen. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Compilation and Synthesis for Fault-Tolerant Digital Microfluidic Biochips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alistar, Mirela

Microfluidic-based biochips are replacing the conventional biochemical analyzers, by integrating all the necessary functions for biochemical analysis using microfluidics. The digital microfluidic biochips (DMBs) manipulate discrete amounts of fluids of nanoliter volume, named droplets, on an array...... of the operations in the application. During the execution of a bioassay, operations could experience transient faults, thus impacting negatively the correctness of the application. We have proposed both offline (design time) and online (runtime) recovery strategies. The online recovery strategy decides...

Wound healing in below-knee amputations in relation to skin perfusion pressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holstein, P; Sager, P; Lassen, N A

1979-01-01

In 60 below-knee amputations the healing of the stumps was correlated with the local skin perfusion pressure (SPP) measured preoperatively as the external pressure required to stop isotope washout using 131I- or 125I--antipyrine mixed with histamine. Of the eight cases with an SPP below 20 mm...

Plastic-Based Structurally Programmable Microfluidic Biochips for Clinical Diagnostics

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ahn, Chong H; Nevin, Joseph H; Beaucage, Gregory

2005-01-01

... and reliable measurements of metabolic parameters from a human body with minimum invasion. The fully integrated disposable biochip is capable of precise volume control with smart microfluidic manipulation without costly on-chip microfluidic components...

Clinical application of cerebral dynamic perfusion studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeLand, F.H.

1975-01-01

Radionuclide cerebral perfusion studies are assuming a far greater importance in the detection and differential diagnosis of cerebral lesions. Perfusion studies not only contribute to the differential diagnosis of lesions but in certain cases are the preferred methods by which more accurate clinical interpretations can be made. The characteristic blood flow of arterio-venous malformations readily differentiates this lesion from neoplasms. The decreased perfusion or absent perfusion observed in cerebral infarctions is diagnostic without concurrent evidence from static images. Changes in rates and direction of blood flow contribute fundamental information to the status of stenosis and vascular occlusion and, in addition, offer valuable information on the competency and routes of collateral circulation. The degree of cerebral perfusion after cerebral vascular accidents appears to be directly related to patient recovery, particularly muscular function. Cerebral perfusion adds a new parameter in the diagnosis of subdural haematomas and concussion and in the differentiation of obscuring radioactivity from superficial trauma. Although pictorial displays of perfusion blood flow will offer information in most cerebral vascular problems, the addition of computer analysis better defines temporal relationships of regional blood flow, quantitative changes in flow and the detection of the more subtle increases or decreases in cerebral blood flow. The status of radionuclide cerebral perfusion studies has taken on an importance making it the primary modality for the diagnosis of cerebral lesions. (author)

Wax-bonding 3D microfluidic chips

KAUST Repository

Gong, Xiuqing; Yi, Xin; Xiao, Kang; Li, Shunbo; Kodzius, Rimantas; Qin, Jianhua; Wen, Weijia

2013-01-01

We report a simple, low-cost and detachable microfluidic chip incorporating easily accessible paper, glass slides or other polymer films as the chip materials along with adhesive wax as the recycling bonding material. We use a laser to cut through the paper or film to form patterns and then sandwich the paper and film between glass sheets or polymer membranes . The hot-melt adhesive wax can realize bridge bonding between various materials, for example, paper, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) film, glass sheets, or metal plate. The bonding process is reversible and the wax is reusable through a melting and cooling process. With this process, a three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chip is achievable by vacuating and venting the chip in a hot-water bath. To study the biocompatibility and applicability of the wax-based microfluidic chip, we tested the PCR compatibility with the chip materials first. Then we applied the wax-paper based microfluidic chip to HeLa cell electroporation (EP ). Subsequently, a prototype of a 5-layer 3D chip was fabricated by multilayer wax bonding. To check the sealing ability and the durability of the chip, green fluorescence protein (GFP) recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were cultured, with which the chemotaxis of E. coli was studied in order to determine the influence of antibiotic ciprofloxacin concentration on the E. coli migration.

Wax-bonding 3D microfluidic chips

KAUST Repository

Gong, Xiuqing

2013-10-10

We report a simple, low-cost and detachable microfluidic chip incorporating easily accessible paper, glass slides or other polymer films as the chip materials along with adhesive wax as the recycling bonding material. We use a laser to cut through the paper or film to form patterns and then sandwich the paper and film between glass sheets or polymer membranes . The hot-melt adhesive wax can realize bridge bonding between various materials, for example, paper, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) film, glass sheets, or metal plate. The bonding process is reversible and the wax is reusable through a melting and cooling process. With this process, a three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chip is achievable by vacuating and venting the chip in a hot-water bath. To study the biocompatibility and applicability of the wax-based microfluidic chip, we tested the PCR compatibility with the chip materials first. Then we applied the wax-paper based microfluidic chip to HeLa cell electroporation (EP ). Subsequently, a prototype of a 5-layer 3D chip was fabricated by multilayer wax bonding. To check the sealing ability and the durability of the chip, green fluorescence protein (GFP) recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were cultured, with which the chemotaxis of E. coli was studied in order to determine the influence of antibiotic ciprofloxacin concentration on the E. coli migration.

Neurotensin releases norepinephrine differentially from perfused hypothalamus of sated and fasted rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, T.F.; Rezvani, A.H.; Hepler, J.R.; Myers, R.D.

1987-01-01

The central injection of neurotensin (NT) has been reported to attenuate the intake of food in the fasted animal. To determine whether endogenous norepinephrine (NE) is involved in the satiating effect of NT, the in vivo activity of NE in circumscribed sites in the hypothalamus of the unanesthetized rat was examined. Bilateral guide tubes for push-pull perfusion were implanted stereotaxically to rest permanently above one of several intended sites of perfusion, which included the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), ventromedial nucleus (VMN), and the lateral hypothalamic (LH) area. After endogenous stores of NE at a specific hypothalamic locus were radiolabeled by microinjection of 0.02-0.5 μCi of [ 3 H]NE, an artificial cerebrospinal fluid was perfused at the site at a rate of 20 μl/min over successive intervals of 5.0 min. When 0.05 or 0.1 μg/μl NT was added to the perfusate, the peptide served either to enhance or educe the local release of NE at 50% of the sites of perfusion. In these experiments, the circumscribed effect of NT on the characteristics of catecholamine efflux depended entirely on the state of hunger or satiety of the rat. That is, when NT was perfused in the fully satiated rat, NE release was augmented within the PVn or VMN; conversely, NE release was inhibited in the LH. in the animal fasted for 18-22 h, NT exerted an opposite effect on the activity of NE within the same anatomical loci in that the efflux of NE was enhanced in the LH but attenuated or unaffected in the PVN or VMN. Taken together, these observations provide experimental support for the view-point that NT could act as a neuromodulator of the activity of hypothalamic noradrenergic neurons that are thought to play a functional role in the regulation of food intake

Microfluidic chemical reaction circuits

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chung-cheng [Irvine, CA; Sui, Guodong [Los Angeles, CA; Elizarov, Arkadij [Valley Village, CA; Kolb, Hartmuth C [Playa del Rey, CA; Huang, Jiang [San Jose, CA; Heath, James R [South Pasadena, CA; Phelps, Michael E [Los Angeles, CA; Quake, Stephen R [Stanford, CA; Tseng, Hsian-rong [Los Angeles, CA; Wyatt, Paul [Tipperary, IE; Daridon, Antoine [Mont-Sur-Rolle, CH

2012-06-26

New microfluidic devices, useful for carrying out chemical reactions, are provided. The devices are adapted for on-chip solvent exchange, chemical processes requiring multiple chemical reactions, and rapid concentration of reagents.

Dynamic perfusion CT: Optimizing the temporal resolution for the calculation of perfusion CT parameters in stroke patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaemena, Andreas [Department of Radiology, Charite-Medical University Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin (Germany)], E-mail: andreas.kaemena@charite.de; Streitparth, Florian; Grieser, Christian; Lehmkuhl, Lukas [Department of Radiology, Charite-Medical University Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin (Germany); Jamil, Basil [Department of Radiotherapy, Charite-Medical University Berlin, Schumannstr. 20/21, D-10117 Berlin (Germany); Wojtal, Katarzyna; Ricke, Jens; Pech, Maciej [Department of Radiology, Charite-Medical University Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin (Germany)

2007-10-15

Purpose: To assess the influence of different temporal sampling rates on the accuracy of the results from cerebral perfusion CTs in patients with an acute ischemic stroke. Material and methods: Thirty consecutive patients with acute stroke symptoms received a dynamic perfusion CT (LightSpeed 16, GE). Forty millilitres of iomeprol (Imeron 400) were administered at an injection rate of 4 ml/s. After a scan delay of 7 s, two adjacent 10 mm slices at 80 kV and 190 mA were acquired in a cine mode technique with a cine duration of 49 s. Parametric maps for the blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV) and mean transit time (MTT) were calculated for temporal sampling intervals of 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 s using GE's Perfusion 3 software package. In addition to the quantitative ROI data analysis, a visual perfusion map analysis was performed. Results: The perfusion analysis proved to be technically feasible with all patients. The calculated perfusion values revealed significant differences with regard to the BF, BV and MTT, depending on the employed temporal resolution. The perfusion contrast between ischemic lesions and healthy brain tissue decreased continuously at the lower temporal resolutions. The visual analysis revealed that ischemic lesions were best depicted with sampling intervals of 0.5 and 1 s. Conclusion: We recommend a temporal scan resolution of two images per second for the best detection and depiction of ischemic areas.

The clinical value of planar thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niemeyer, M.G.

1989-01-01

The clinical value of planar thalium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy was examined, using visual and quantitative analysis, for the detection of presence, localization and extent of coronary disease, using coronary arteriography as gold standard. The indremental diagnostic yield of different noninvasive tests for the diagnosis and the severity of coronary artery disease was quantified by using multivariate discriminant analysis. (author). 284 refs.; 14 figs.; 37 tabs

Measurement of biofilm growth and local hydrodynamics using optical coherence tomography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weiss, Nicolas; El Tayeb El Obied, Khalid; Kalkman, Jeroen; Lammertink, Rob G.H.; van Leeuwen, Ton G.

2016-01-01

We report on localized and simultaneous measurement of biofilm growth and local hydrodynamics in a microfluidic channel using optical coherence tomography. We measure independently with high spatio-temporal resolution the longitudinal flow velocity component parallel to the imaging beam and the

PREFACE: Nano- and microfluidics Nano- and microfluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Karin

2011-05-01

The field of nano- and microfluidics emerged at the end of the 1990s parallel to the demand for smaller and smaller containers and channels for chemical, biochemical and medical applications such as blood and DNS analysis [1], gene sequencing or proteomics [2, 3]. Since then, new journals and conferences have been launched and meanwhile, about two decades later, a variety of microfluidic applications are on the market. Briefly, 'the small flow becomes mainstream' [4]. Nevertheless, research in nano- and microfluidics is more than downsizing the spatial dimensions. For liquids on the nanoscale, surface and interface phenomena grow in importance and may even dominate the behavior in some systems. The studies collected in this special issue all concentrate on these type of systems and were part ot the priority programme SPP1164 'Nano- and Microfluidics' of the German Science Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). The priority programme was initiated in 2002 by Hendrik Kuhlmann and myself and was launched in 2004. Friction between a moving liquid and a solid wall may, for instance, play an important role so that the usual assumption of a no-slip boundary condition is no longer valid. Likewise, the dynamic deformations of soft objects like polymers, vesicles or capsules in flow arise from the subtle interplay between the (visco-)elasticity of the object and the viscous stresses in the surrounding fluid and, potentially, the presence of structures confining the flow like channels. Consequently, new theories were developed ( see articles in this issue by Münch and Wagner, Falk and Mecke, Bonthuis et al, Finken et al, Almenar and Rauscher, Straube) and experiments were set up to unambiguously demonstrate deviations from bulk, or 'macro', behavior (see articles in this issue by Wolff et al, Vinogradova and Belyaev, Hahn et al, Seemann et al, Grüner and Huber, Müller-Buschbaum et al, Gutsche et al, Braunmüller et al, Laube et al, Brücker, Nottebrock et al

Optical two-beam traps in microfluidic systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg-Sørensen, Kirstine

2016-01-01

An attractive solution for optical trapping and stretching by means of two counterpropagating laser beams is to embed waveguides or optical fibers in a microfluidic system. The microfluidic system can be constructed in different materials, ranging from soft polymers that may easily be cast...... written waveguides and in an injection molded polymer chip with grooves for optical fibers. (C) 2016 The Japan Society of Applied Physics....

Characteristics of Brain Perfusion in Patients of Parkinson's Disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Young Jin; Park, Min Jung; Kim, Jae Woo; Kang, Young Kang

2008-01-01

It was well known that cerebral blood perfusion is normal or diffusely decreased in the majority of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Actually we interpreted brain perfusion SPECT images of PD patients in the clinical situation, we observed various cerebral perfusion patterns in patients with PD. So we performed brain perfusion SPECT to know the brain perfusion patterns of PD patients and the difference of perfusion patterns according to the sex and the age. Also we classified PD patients into small groups based on the brain perfusion pattern. Two hundred nineteen patients (M: 70, F: 149, mean age: 62.9±6.9 y/o) who were diagnosed as PD without dementia clinically and 55 patients (M: 15, F: 40, mean age: 61.4±9.2 y/o) as normal controls who had no past illness history were performed 99m Tc-HMPAO brain perfusion SPECT and neuropsychological test. At first, we compared all patients with PD and normal controls. Brain perfusion in left inferior frontal gyrus, left insula, left transverse temporal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, left superior parietal lobule, right precuneus, right caudate tail were lower in patients with PD than normal controls. Secondly, we compared male and female patients with PD and normal controls, respectively. Brain perfusion SPECT showed more decreased cerebral perfusion in left hemisphere than right side in both male and female patients compared to normal controls. And there was larger hypoperfusion area in female patients compared with male. Thirdly, we classified patients with PD and normal controls into 4 groups according to the age and compared brain perfusion respectively. In patient below fifties, brain perfusion in both occipitoparietal and left temporal lobe were lower in PD group. As the patients with PD grew older, hypoperfusion area were shown in both frontal, temporal and limbic lobes. Fourthly, We were able to divide patients into small groups based on cerebral perfusion pattern. There was normal cerebral blood

Particle-Based Microfluidic Device for Providing High Magnetic Field Gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Adam Y. (Inventor); Wong, Tak S. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A microfluidic device for manipulating particles in a fluid has a device body that defines a main channel therein, in which the main channel has an inlet and an outlet. The device body further defines a particulate diverting channel therein, the particulate diverting channel being in fluid connection with the main channel between the inlet and the outlet of the main channel and having a particulate outlet. The microfluidic device also has a plurality of microparticles arranged proximate or in the main channel between the inlet of the main channel and the fluid connection of the particulate diverting channel to the main channel. The plurality of microparticles each comprises a material in a composition thereof having a magnetic susceptibility suitable to cause concentration of magnetic field lines of an applied magnetic field while in operation. A microfluidic particle-manipulation system has a microfluidic particle-manipulation device and a magnet disposed proximate the microfluidic particle-manipulation device.

Leveraging liquid dielectrophoresis for microfluidic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chugh, Dipankar; Kaler, Karan V I S

2008-01-01

Miniaturized fluidic systems have been developed in recent years and offer new and novel means of leveraging the domain of microfluidics for the development of micro-total analysis systems (μTAS). Initially, such systems employed closed microchannels in order to facilitate chip-based biochemical assays, requiring very small quantities of sample and/or reagents and furthermore providing rapid and low-cost analysis on a compact footprint. More recently, advancements in the domain of surface microfluidics have suggested that similar low volume sample handling and manipulation capabilities for bioassays can be attained by leveraging the phenomena of liquid dielectrophoresis and droplet dielectrophoresis (DEP), without the need for separate pumps or valves. Some of the key aspects of this surface microfluidic technology and its capabilities are discussed and highlighted in this paper. We, furthermore, examine the integration and utility of liquid DEP and droplet DEP in providing rapid and automated sample handling and manipulation capabilities on a compact chip-based platform

Effect of injection time on postictal SPET perfusion changes in medically refractory epilepsy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Avery, R.A.; Corsi, M.; Seibyl, J.P.; Zubal, I.G. [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT (United States); Spencer, S.S.; Spanaki, M.V. [Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (United States)

1999-08-01

Single-photon emission tomography (SPET) brain imaging in epilepsy has become an increasingly important noninvasive tool in localizing the epileptogenic site. Ictal SPET demonstrates the highest localization sensitivity as compared with postictal and interictal SPET. While ictal SPET consistently reveals hyperperfusion at the epileptogenic site, postictal SPET reveals either hyper- or hypoperfusion depending on the timing of radiopharmaceutical injection. Much discussion in the literature exists about exactly when the transition from hyper- to hypoperfusion occurs at the epileptogenic site in postictal SPET. The systematic examination of two clinical variables - time of injection from seizure onset and offset - was useful in understanding postictal perfusion changes. Twenty-seven patients with medically refractory epilepsy receiving postictal and interictal SPET scans were studied. Quantitative SPET difference imaging was used to evaluate perfusion changes in relationship to injection time. Perfusion changes were found to reflect the time of injection in relation to seizure onset, but to be somewhat independent of seizure offset. Thus, the majority of patients (8/12, 67%) receiving postictal injections within 100 s after seizure onset demonstrated hyperperfusion, while all patients (15/15, 100%) receiving postictal injections more than 100 s after seizure onset showed hypoperfusion. The explanation of this phenomenon is unknown but the findings appear to parallel known changes in cerebral lactate levels. (orig.) With 2 figs., 2 tabs., 32 refs.

Magnetically Triggered Monodispersed Nanocomposite Fabricated by Microfluidic Approach for Drug Delivery

KAUST Repository

Yassine, Omar; Li, Erqiang; Alfadhel, Ahmed; Zaher, A.; Kavaldzhiev, Mincho; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T; Kosel, Jü rgen

2016-01-01

Responsive microgel poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) or PNIPAM is a gel that can swell or shrink in response to external stimuli (temperature, pH, etc.). In this work, a nanocomposite gel is developed consisting of PNIPAM and magnetic iron oxide nanobeads for controlled release of liquids (like drugs) upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field. Microparticles of the nanocomposite are fabricated efficiently with a monodisperse size distribution and a diameter ranging from 20 to 500  µ m at a rate of up to 1 kHz using a simple and inexpensive microfluidic system. The nanocomposite is heated through magnetic losses, which is exploited for a remotely stimulated liquid release. The efficiency of the microparticles for controlled drug release applications is tested with a solution of Rhodamine B as a liquid drug model. In continuous and pulsatile mode, a release of 7% and 80% was achieved, respectively. Compared to external thermal actuation that heats the entire surrounding or embedded heaters that need complex fabrication steps, the magnetic actuation provides localized heating and is easy to implement with our microfluidic fabrication method.

Magnetically Triggered Monodispersed Nanocomposite Fabricated by Microfluidic Approach for Drug Delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Yassine

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Responsive microgel poly(N-isopropylacrylamide or PNIPAM is a gel that can swell or shrink in response to external stimuli (temperature, pH, etc.. In this work, a nanocomposite gel is developed consisting of PNIPAM and magnetic iron oxide nanobeads for controlled release of liquids (like drugs upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field. Microparticles of the nanocomposite are fabricated efficiently with a monodisperse size distribution and a diameter ranging from 20 to 500 µm at a rate of up to 1 kHz using a simple and inexpensive microfluidic system. The nanocomposite is heated through magnetic losses, which is exploited for a remotely stimulated liquid release. The efficiency of the microparticles for controlled drug release applications is tested with a solution of Rhodamine B as a liquid drug model. In continuous and pulsatile mode, a release of 7% and 80% was achieved, respectively. Compared to external thermal actuation that heats the entire surrounding or embedded heaters that need complex fabrication steps, the magnetic actuation provides localized heating and is easy to implement with our microfluidic fabrication method.

Magnetically Triggered Monodispersed Nanocomposite Fabricated by Microfluidic Approach for Drug Delivery

KAUST Repository

Yassine, Omar

2016-01-01

Responsive microgel poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) or PNIPAM is a gel that can swell or shrink in response to external stimuli (temperature, pH, etc.). In this work, a nanocomposite gel is developed consisting of PNIPAM and magnetic iron oxide nanobeads for controlled release of liquids (like drugs) upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field. Microparticles of the nanocomposite are fabricated efficiently with a monodisperse size distribution and a diameter ranging from 20 to 500  µ m at a rate of up to 1 kHz using a simple and inexpensive microfluidic system. The nanocomposite is heated through magnetic losses, which is exploited for a remotely stimulated liquid release. The efficiency of the microparticles for controlled drug release applications is tested with a solution of Rhodamine B as a liquid drug model. In continuous and pulsatile mode, a release of 7% and 80% was achieved, respectively. Compared to external thermal actuation that heats the entire surrounding or embedded heaters that need complex fabrication steps, the magnetic actuation provides localized heating and is easy to implement with our microfluidic fabrication method.

Designing Polymeric Microfluidic Platforms for Biomedical Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedarethinam, Indumathi

Micro- and Nanotechnology have the potential to offer a smart solution for diagnostics and academia research with rapid, low cost, robust analysis systems to facilitate biological analyses. New, high throughput microfluidic platforms have the potential to surpass in performance the conventional...... analyses systems in use today. The overall goal of this PhD project is to address two different areas using microfluidics : i) Chromosome analysis by metaphase FISH such a platform, if successful, can immediately substitute the routine, labor-intensive, glass slide-based FISH analyses in Clinical...... Cytogenetics laboratories. During the course of this project, initially the suitability of the polymeric chip substrate was tested and a microfluidic device was developed for performing interphase FISH analysis. With this device, the key factors involved in chromosome spreading crucial to FISH analysis were...

Towards rapid prototyped convective microfluidic DNA amplification platform

Science.gov (United States)

Ajit, Smrithi; Praveen, Hemanth Mithun; Puneeth, S. B.; Dave, Abhishek; Sesham, Bharat; Mohan, K. N.; Goel, Sanket

2017-02-01

Today, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based DNA amplification plays an indispensable role in the field of biomedical research. Its inherent ability to exponentially amplify sample DNA has proven useful for the identification of virulent pathogens like those causing Multiple Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The intervention of Microfluidics technology has revolutionized the concept of PCR from being a laborious and time consuming process into one that is faster, easily portable and capable of being multifunctional. The Microfluidics based PCR outweighs its traditional counterpart in terms of flexibility of varying reaction rate, operation simplicity, need of a fraction of volume and capability of being integrated with other functional elements. The scope of the present work involves the development of a real-time continuous flow microfluidic device, fabricated by 3D printing-governed rapid prototyping method, eventually leading to an automated and robust platform to process multiple DNA samples for detection of MDRTB-associated mutations. The thermal gradient characteristic to the PCR process is produced using peltier units appropriate to the microfluidic environment fully monitored and controlled by a low cost controller driven by a Data Acquisition System. The process efficiency achieved in the microfluidic environment in terms of output per cycle is expected to be on par with the traditional PCR and capable of earning the additional advantages of being faster and minimizing the handling.

Microfluidic method for measuring viscosity using images from smartphone

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sooyeong; Kim, Kyung Chun; Yeom, Eunseop

2018-05-01

The viscosity of a fluid is the most important characteristic in fluid rheology. Many microfluidic devices have been proposed for easily measuring the fluid viscosity of small samples. A hybrid system consisting of a smartphone and microfluidic device can offer a mobile laboratory for performing a wide range of detection and analysis functions related to healthcare. In this study, a new mobile sensing method based on a microfluidic device was proposed for fluid viscosity measurements. By separately delivering sample and reference fluids into the two inlets of a Y-shaped microfluidic device, an interfacial line is induced at downstream of the device. Because the interfacial width (W) between the sample and reference fluid flows was determined by their pressure ratio, the viscosity (μ) of the sample could be estimated by measuring the interfacial width. To distinguish the interfacial width of a sample, optical images of the flows at downstream of the Y-shaped microfluidic device were acquired using a smartphone. To check the measurement accuracy of the proposed method, the viscosities of glycerol mixtures were compared with those measured by a conventional viscometer. The proposed technique was applied to monitor the variations in blood and oil samples depending on storage or rancidity. We expect that this mobile sensing method based on a microfluidic device could be utilized as a viscometer with significant advantages in terms of mobility, ease-of-operation, and data management.

Regional Cerebral Perfusion in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Won Yong; Lee, Ki Hyeong; Yoon, Byung Woo; Lee, Sang Bok; Jeon, Beom S. [Samsung Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Kyung Han; Lee, Myung Chul [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1996-03-15

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a Parkinson-plus syndrome characterized clinically by supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, pseudobulbar palsy, axial rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability and dementia. Presence of dementia and lack of cortical histopathology suggest the derangement of cortical function by pathological changes in subcortical structures in PSP, which is supported by the pattern of behavioral changes and measurement of brain metabolism using positron emission tomography. This study was done to examine whether there are specific changes of regional cerebral perfusion in PSP and whether there is a correlation between severity of motor abnormaility and degree of changes in cerebral perfusion. We measured regional cerebral perfusion indices in 5 cortical and 2 subcortical areas in 6 patients with a clinical diagnosis of PSP and 6 healthy age and sex matched controls using Tc-99m-HMPAO SPECT. Compared with age and sex matched controls, only superior frontal regional perfusion index was significantly decreased in PSP (p<0.05). There was no correlation between the severity of the motor abnormality and any of the regional cerebral perfusion indices (p>0.05). We affirm the previous reports that perfusion in superior frontal cortex is decreased in PSP. Based on our results that there was no correlation between severity of motor abnormality and cerebral perfusion in the superior frontal cortex, nonmotoric symptoms including dementia needs to be looked at whether there is a correlation with the perfusion abnormality in superior frontal cortex

Engineering and evaluating drug delivery particles in microfluidic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Björnmalm, Mattias; Yan, Yan; Caruso, Frank

2014-09-28

The development of new and improved particle-based drug delivery is underpinned by an enhanced ability to engineer particles with high fidelity and integrity, as well as increased knowledge of their biological performance. Microfluidics can facilitate these processes through the engineering of spatiotemporally highly controlled environments using designed microstructures in combination with physical phenomena present at the microscale. In this review, we discuss microfluidics in the context of addressing key challenges in particle-based drug delivery. We provide an overview of how microfluidic devices can: (i) be employed to engineer particles, by providing highly controlled interfaces, and (ii) be used to establish dynamic in vitro models that mimic in vivo environments for studying the biological behavior of engineered particles. Finally, we discuss how the flexible and modular nature of microfluidic devices provides opportunities to create increasingly realistic models of the in vivo milieu (including multi-cell, multi-tissue and even multi-organ devices), and how ongoing developments toward commercialization of microfluidic tools are opening up new opportunities for the engineering and evaluation of drug delivery particles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parameter Screening in Microfluidics Based Hydrodynamic Single-Cell Trapping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Deng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic cell-based arraying technology is widely used in the field of single-cell analysis. However, among developed devices, there is a compromise between cellular loading efficiencies and trapped cell densities, which deserves further analysis and optimization. To address this issue, the cell trapping efficiency of a microfluidic device with two parallel micro channels interconnected with cellular trapping sites was studied in this paper. By regulating channel inlet and outlet status, the microfluidic trapping structure can mimic key functioning units of previously reported devices. Numerical simulations were used to model this cellular trapping structure, quantifying the effects of channel on/off status and trapping structure geometries on the cellular trapping efficiency. Furthermore, the microfluidic device was fabricated based on conventional microfabrication and the cellular trapping efficiency was quantified in experiments. Experimental results showed that, besides geometry parameters, cellular travelling velocities and sizes also affected the single-cell trapping efficiency. By fine tuning parameters, more than 95% of trapping sites were taken by individual cells. This study may lay foundation in further studies of single-cell positioning in microfluidics and push forward the study of single-cell analysis.

Universal lab-on-a-chip platform for complex, perfused 3D cell cultures

Science.gov (United States)

Sonntag, F.; Schmieder, F.; Ströbel, J.; Grünzner, S.; Busek, M.; Günther, K.; Steege, T.; Polk, C.; Klotzbach, U.

2016-03-01

The miniaturization, rapid prototyping and automation of lab-on-a-chip technology play nowadays a very important role. Lab-on-a-chip technology is successfully implemented not only for environmental analysis and medical diagnostics, but also as replacement of animals used for the testing of substances in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. For that purpose the Fraunhofer IWS and partners developed a lab-on-a-chip platform for perfused cell-based assays in the last years, which includes different micropumps, valves, channels, reservoirs and customized cell culture modules. This technology is already implemented for the characterization of different human cell cultures and organoids, like skin, liver, endothelium, hair follicle and nephron. The advanced universal lab-on-a-chip platform for complex, perfused 3D cell cultures is divided into a multilayer basic chip with integrated micropump and application-specific 3D printed cell culture modules. Moreover a technology for surface modification of the printed cell culture modules by laser micro structuring and a complex and flexibly programmable controlling device based on an embedded Linux system was developed. A universal lab-on-a-chip platform with an optional oxygenator and a cell culture module for cubic scaffolds as well as first cell culture experiments within the cell culture device will be presented. The module is designed for direct interaction with robotic dispenser systems. This offers the opportunity to combine direct organ printing of cells and scaffolds with the microfluidic cell culture module. The characterization of the developed system was done by means of Micro-Particle Image Velocimetry (μPIV) and an optical oxygen measuring system.

Simple and Versatile 3D Printed Microfluidics Using Fused Filament Fabrication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex J L Morgan

Full Text Available The uptake of microfluidics by the wider scientific community has been limited by the fabrication barrier created by the skills and equipment required for the production of traditional microfluidic devices. Here we present simple 3D printed microfluidic devices using an inexpensive and readily accessible printer with commercially available printer materials. We demonstrate that previously reported limitations of transparency and fidelity have been overcome, whilst devices capable of operating at pressures in excess of 2000 kPa illustrate that leakage issues have also been resolved. The utility of the 3D printed microfluidic devices is illustrated by encapsulating dental pulp stem cells within alginate droplets; cell viability assays show the vast majority of cells remain live, and device transparency is sufficient for single cell imaging. The accessibility of these devices is further enhanced through fabrication of integrated ports and by the introduction of a Lego®-like modular system facilitating rapid prototyping whilst offering the potential for novices to build microfluidic systems from a database of microfluidic components.

Simple and Versatile 3D Printed Microfluidics Using Fused Filament Fabrication.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Alex J L; Hidalgo San Jose, Lorena; Jamieson, William D; Wymant, Jennifer M; Song, Bing; Stephens, Phil; Barrow, David A; Castell, Oliver K

2016-01-01

The uptake of microfluidics by the wider scientific community has been limited by the fabrication barrier created by the skills and equipment required for the production of traditional microfluidic devices. Here we present simple 3D printed microfluidic devices using an inexpensive and readily accessible printer with commercially available printer materials. We demonstrate that previously reported limitations of transparency and fidelity have been overcome, whilst devices capable of operating at pressures in excess of 2000 kPa illustrate that leakage issues have also been resolved. The utility of the 3D printed microfluidic devices is illustrated by encapsulating dental pulp stem cells within alginate droplets; cell viability assays show the vast majority of cells remain live, and device transparency is sufficient for single cell imaging. The accessibility of these devices is further enhanced through fabrication of integrated ports and by the introduction of a Lego®-like modular system facilitating rapid prototyping whilst offering the potential for novices to build microfluidic systems from a database of microfluidic components.

3D Ceramic Microfluidic Device Manufacturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natarajan, Govindarajan; Humenik, James N

2006-01-01

Today, semiconductor processing serves as the backbone for the bulk of micromachined devices. Precision lithography and etching technology used in the semiconductor industry are also leveraged by alternate techniques like electroforming and molding. The nature of such processing is complex, limited and expensive for any manufacturing foundry. This paper details the technology elements developed to manufacture cost effective and versatile microfluidic devices for applications ranging from medical diagnostics to characterization of bioassays. Two applications using multilayer ceramic technology to manufacture complex 3D microfluidic devices are discussed

Microfluidic device for drug delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Beebe, David J. (Inventor); MacDonald, Michael J. (Inventor); Eddington, David T. (Inventor); Mensing, Glennys A. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A microfluidic device is provided for delivering a drug to an individual. The microfluidic device includes a body that defines a reservoir for receiving the drug therein. A valve interconnects the reservoir to an output needle that is insertable into the skin of an individual. A pressure source urges the drug from the reservoir toward the needle. The valve is movable between a closed position preventing the flow of the drug from the reservoir to the output needle and an open position allowing for the flow of the drug from the reservoir to the output needle in response to a predetermined condition in the physiological fluids of the individual.

Regional Cerebral Perfusion in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Won Yong; Lee, Ki Hyeong; Yoon, Byung Woo; Lee, Sang Bok; Jeon, Beom S.; Lee, Kyung Han; Lee, Myung Chul

1996-01-01

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a Parkinson-plus syndrome characterized clinically by supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, pseudobulbar palsy, axial rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability and dementia. Presence of dementia and lack of cortical histopathology suggest the derangement of cortical function by pathological changes in subcortical structures in PSP, which is supported by the pattern of behavioral changes and measurement of brain metabolism using positron emission tomography. This study was done to examine whether there are specific changes of regional cerebral perfusion in PSP and whether there is a correlation between severity of motor abnormaility and degree of changes in cerebral perfusion. We measured regional cerebral perfusion indices in 5 cortical and 2 subcortical areas in 6 patients with a clinical diagnosis of PSP and 6 healthy age and sex matched controls using Tc-99m-HMPAO SPECT. Compared with age and sex matched controls, only superior frontal regional perfusion index was significantly decreased in PSP (p 0.05). We affirm the previous reports that perfusion in superior frontal cortex is decreased in PSP. Based on our results that there was no correlation between severity of motor abnormality and cerebral perfusion in the superior frontal cortex, nonmotoric symptoms including dementia needs to be looked at whether there is a correlation with the perfusion abnormality in superior frontal cortex

Computerized analysis of brain perfusion parameter images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turowski, B.; Haenggi, D.; Wittsack, H.J.; Beck, A.; Aurich, V.

2007-01-01

Purpose: The development of a computerized method which allows a direct quantitative comparison of perfusion parameters. The display should allow a clear direct comparison of brain perfusion parameters in different vascular territories and over the course of time. The analysis is intended to be the basis for further evaluation of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The method should permit early diagnosis of cerebral vasospasm. Materials and Methods: The Angiotux 2D-ECCET software was developed with a close cooperation between computer scientists and clinicians. Starting from parameter images of brain perfusion, the cortex was marked, segmented and assigned to definite vascular territories. The underlying values were averages for each segment and were displayed in a graph. If a follow-up was available, the mean values of the perfusion parameters were displayed in relation to time. The method was developed under consideration of CT perfusion values but is applicable for other methods of perfusion imaging. Results: Computerized analysis of brain perfusion parameter images allows an immediate comparison of these parameters and follow-up of mean values in a clear and concise manner. Values are related to definite vascular territories. The tabular output facilitates further statistic evaluations. The computerized analysis is precisely reproducible, i. e., repetitions result in exactly the same output. (orig.)

Deep wells integrated with microfluidic valves for stable docking and storage of cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Yun-Ho; Kwon, Cheong Hoon; Kim, Sang Bok; Selimović, Seila; Sim, Woo Young; Bae, Hojae; Khademhosseini, Ali

2011-02-01

In this paper, we describe a microfluidic mechanism that combines microfluidic valves and deep wells for cell localization and storage. Cells are first introduced into the device via externally controlled flow. Activating on-chip valves was used to interrupt the flow and to sediment the cells floating above the wells. Thus, valves could be used to localize the cells in the desired locations. We quantified the effect of valves in the cell storage process by comparing the total number of cells stored with and without valve activation. We hypothesized that in deep wells external flows generate low shear stress regions that enable stable, long-term docking of cells. To assess this hypothesis we conducted numerical calculations to understand the influence of well depth on the forces acting on cells. We verified those predictions experimentally by comparing the fraction of stored cells as a function of the well depth and input flow rate upon activation of the valves. As expected, upon reintroduction of the flow the cells in the deep wells were not moved whereas those in shallow wells were washed away. Taken together, our paper demonstrates that deep wells and valves can be combined to enable a broad range of cell studies. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Microfluidic Device

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Yu-Chong (Inventor); Zheng, Siyang (Inventor); Lin, Jeffrey Chun-Hui (Inventor); Kasdan, Harvey L. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

Described herein are particular embodiments relating to a microfluidic device that may be utilized for cell sensing, counting, and/or sorting. Particular aspects relate to a microfabricated device that is capable of differentiating single cell types from dense cell populations. One particular embodiment relates a device and methods of using the same for sensing, counting, and/or sorting leukocytes from whole, undiluted blood samples.

Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and local tolerance at injection site of marbofloxacin administered by regional intravenous limb perfusion in standing horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Lallemand, Elodie; Trencart, Pierre; Tahier, Carine; Dron, Frederic; Paulin, Angelique; Tessier, Caroline

2013-08-01

To evaluate pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic variables and local tolerance at injection-site of marbofloxacin administered via regional intravenous limb perfusion (RIVLP) in standing horses. Adult horses (n = 6). RIVLP were performed with rubber tourniquets applied to the forelimbs of standing sedated horses. Marbofloxacin (0.67 mg/kg) was randomly injected in 1 forelimb, with the contralateral limb serving as a control (0.9% NaCl solution). Samples of jugular blood and synovial fluid from the radiocarpal joint of the marbofloxacin-perfused limb were collected before and at intervals after RIVLP for determination of drug concentrations. All injection sites were evaluated before, 24 and 48 hours after RIVLP by means of ultrasonographic examination, circumferential measurements and subjective visible inflammation scores by veterinarians unaware of treatment received. No adverse effects associated with the technique or antibiotic were observed. High marbofloxacin concentrations were obtained in the synovial fluid, AUCINF was significantly higher in synovial fluid than in plasma (78.64 ± 49.41 and 2.85 ± 0.60 µg h/mL respectively, P = .028). The efficacy indices, AUC0-24 /MIC90 and Cmaxobs/MIC90 , predicted a favorable outcome in the treatment of synovial fluid infections caused by enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus aureus. After RIVLP, there was no statistically significant difference between marbofloxacin-injected and control limbs for lameness, visual inflammation score, limb circumference, and ultrasonographic appearance of the veins. Marbofloxacin injected limbs had a significantly greater subcutaneous thickness, compared with control limbs. These data suggest that RIVLP of marbofloxacin (0.67 mg/kg) could be a safe and effective method for treatment of infections of the distal portion of the limb for susceptible organisms. © Copyright 2013 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Ictal cerebral perfusion patterns in partial epilepsy: SPECT subtraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hyang Woon; Hong, Seung Bong; Tae, Woo Suk; Kim, Sang Eun; Seo, Dae Won; Jeong, Seung Cheol; Yi, Ji Young; Hong, Seung Chyul

2000-01-01

To investigate the various ictal perfusion patterns and find the relationships between clinical factors and different perfusion patterns. Interictal and ictal SPECT and SPECT subtraction were performed in 61 patients with partial epilepsy. Both positive images showing ictal hyperperfusion and negative images revealing ictal hypoperfusion were obtained by SPECT subtraction. The ictal perfusion patterns of subtracted SPECT were classified into focal hyperperfusion, hyperperfusion-plus, combined hyperperfusion-hypoperfusion, and focal hypoperfusion only. The concordance rates with epileptic focus were 91.8% in combined analysis of ictal hyperperfusion and hypoperfusion images of subtracted SPECT, 85.2% in hyperperfusion images only of subtracted SPECT, and 68.9% in conventional ictal SPECT analysis. Ictal hypoperfusion occurred less frequently in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) than extratemporal lobe epilepsy. Mesial temporal hyperperfusion alone was seen only in mesial TLE while lateral temporal hyperperfusion alone was observed only in neocortical TLE. Hippocampal sclerosis had much lower incidence of ictal hypoperfusion than any other pathology. Some patients showed ictal hypoperfusion at epileptic focus with ictal hyperperfusion in the neighboring brain regions where ictal discharges propagated. Hypoperfusion as well as hyperperfusion in ictal SPECT should be considered for localizing epileptic focus. Although the mechanism of ictal hypoperfusion could be an intra-ictal early exhaustion of seizure focus or a steal phenomenon by the propagation of ictal discharges to adjacent brain areas, further study is needed to elucidate it.=20

Ictal cerebral perfusion patterns in partial epilepsy: SPECT subtraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hyang Woon; Hong, Seung Bong; Tae, Woo Suk; Kim, Sang Eun; Seo, Dae Won; Jeong, Seung Cheol; Yi, Ji Young; Hong, Seung Chyul [Sungkyunkwan Univ. School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2000-06-01

To investigate the various ictal perfusion patterns and find the relationships between clinical factors and different perfusion patterns. Interictal and ictal SPECT and SPECT subtraction were performed in 61 patients with partial epilepsy. Both positive images showing ictal hyperperfusion and negative images revealing ictal hypoperfusion were obtained by SPECT subtraction. The ictal perfusion patterns of subtracted SPECT were classified into focal hyperperfusion, hyperperfusion-plus, combined hyperperfusion-hypoperfusion, and focal hypoperfusion only. The concordance rates with epileptic focus were 91.8% in combined analysis of ictal hyperperfusion and hypoperfusion images of subtracted SPECT, 85.2% in hyperperfusion images only of subtracted SPECT, and 68.9% in conventional ictal SPECT analysis. Ictal hypoperfusion occurred less frequently in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) than extratemporal lobe epilepsy. Mesial temporal hyperperfusion alone was seen only in mesial TLE while lateral temporal hyperperfusion alone was observed only in neocortical TLE. Hippocampal sclerosis had much lower incidence of ictal hypoperfusion than any other pathology. Some patients showed ictal hypoperfusion at epileptic focus with ictal hyperperfusion in the neighboring brain regions where ictal discharges propagated. Hypoperfusion as well as hyperperfusion in ictal SPECT should be considered for localizing epileptic focus. Although the mechanism of ictal hypoperfusion could be an intra-ictal early exhaustion of seizure focus or a steal phenomenon by the propagation of ictal discharges to adjacent brain areas, further study is needed to elucidate it.

Recent Advances in Magnetic Microfluidic Biosensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioanna Giouroudi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The development of portable biosening devices for the detection of biological entities such as biomolecules, pathogens, and cells has become extremely significant over the past years. Scientific research, driven by the promise for miniaturization and integration of complex laboratory equipment on inexpensive, reliable, and accurate devices, has successfully shifted several analytical and diagnostic methods to the submillimeter scale. The miniaturization process was made possible with the birth of microfluidics, a technology that could confine, manipulate, and mix very small volumes of liquids on devices integrated on standard silicon technology chips. Such devices are then directly translating the presence of these entities into an electronic signal that can be read out with a portable instrumentation. For the aforementioned tasks, the use of magnetic markers (magnetic particles—MPs—functionalized with ligands in combination with the application of magnetic fields is being strongly investigated by research groups worldwide. The greatest merits of using magnetic fields are that they can be applied either externally or from integrated microconductors and they can be well-tuned by adjusting the applied current on the microconductors. Moreover, the magnetic markers can be manipulated inside microfluidic channels by high gradient magnetic fields that can in turn be detected by magnetic sensors. All the above make this technology an ideal candidate for the development of such microfluidic biosensors. In this review, focus is given only to very recent advances in biosensors that use microfluidics in combination with magnetic sensors and magnetic markers/nanoparticles.

Integrated microchip incorporating atomic magnetometer and microfluidic channel for NMR and MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Ledbetter, Micah P [Oakland, CA; Savukov, Igor M [Los Alamos, NM; Budker, Dmitry [El Cerrito, CA; Shah, Vishal K [Plainsboro, NJ; Knappe, Svenja [Boulder, CO; Kitching, John [Boulder, CO; Michalak, David J [Berkeley, CA; Xu, Shoujun [Houston, TX; Pines, Alexander [Berkeley, CA

2011-08-09

An integral microfluidic device includes an alkali vapor cell and microfluidic channel, which can be used to detect magnetism for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Small magnetic fields in the vicinity of the vapor cell can be measured by optically polarizing and probing the spin precession in the small magnetic field. This can then be used to detect the magnetic field of in encoded analyte in the adjacent microfluidic channel. The magnetism in the microfluidic channel can be modulated by applying an appropriate series of radio or audio frequency pulses upstream from the microfluidic chip (the remote detection modality) to yield a sensitive means of detecting NMR and MRI.

Time-resolved, single-cell analysis of induced and programmed cell death via non-invasive propidium iodide and counterstain perfusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Krämer, Christina E M; Wiechert, Wolfgang; Kohlheyer, Dietrich

2016-09-01

Conventional propidium iodide (PI) staining requires the execution of multiple steps prior to analysis, potentially affecting assay results as well as cell vitality. In this study, this multistep analysis method has been transformed into a single-step, non-toxic, real-time method via live-cell imaging during perfusion with 0.1 μM PI inside a microfluidic cultivation device. Dynamic PI staining was an effective live/dead analytical tool and demonstrated consistent results for single-cell death initiated by direct or indirect triggers. Application of this method for the first time revealed the apparent antibiotic tolerance of wild-type Corynebacterium glutamicum cells, as indicated by the conversion of violet fluorogenic calcein acetoxymethyl ester (CvAM). Additional implementation of this method provided insight into the induced cell lysis of Escherichia coli cells expressing a lytic toxin-antitoxin module, providing evidence for non-lytic cell death and cell resistance to toxin production. Finally, our dynamic PI staining method distinguished necrotic-like and apoptotic-like cell death phenotypes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae among predisposed descendants of nutrient-deprived ancestor cells using PO-PRO-1 or green fluorogenic calcein acetoxymethyl ester (CgAM) as counterstains. The combination of single-cell cultivation, fluorescent time-lapse imaging, and PI perfusion facilitates spatiotemporally resolved observations that deliver new insights into the dynamics of cellular behaviour.

Comparison with myocardial perfusion MRI and myocardial perfusion SPECT in the diagnostic performance of coronary artery disease. A meta-analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwata, Kunihiro; Kubota, Makoto; Ogasawara, Katsuhiko

2008-01-01

We compared the diagnostic abilities of stress myocardial perfusion MRI (myocardial perfusion MRI) and myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), using a meta-analysis method. We investigated the diagnostic abilities of MRI and SPECT in similar subject groups in reports written in English or Japanese. The reports to be used for analysis were selected according to a ''screening standard,'' which was established in advance. After consolidating the data from the selected reports, we compared the integrated odds ratio, the point estimation values of sensibility/specificity, and the summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. For the analysis, six reports were selected (subjects: 153, coronary-artery target sites: 447). Meta-analysis revealed that the diagnostic ability of myocardial perfusion MRI was superior to that of myocardial perfusion SPECT regarding each of the parameters. This is considered to be supportive evidence of the usefulness of myocardial perfusion MRI. (author)

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Integrated Centrifugal Microfluidics Platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Durucan, Onur

This PhD thesis demonstrates (i) centrifugal microfluidics disc platform integrated with Au capped nanopillar (NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based sensing, and (ii) novel sample analysis concepts achieved by synergistical combination of sensing techniques and minia......This PhD thesis demonstrates (i) centrifugal microfluidics disc platform integrated with Au capped nanopillar (NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based sensing, and (ii) novel sample analysis concepts achieved by synergistical combination of sensing techniques...... dense array of NP structures. Furthermore, the wicking assisted nanofiltration procedure was accomplished in centrifugal microfluidics platform and as a result additional sample purification was achieved through the centrifugation process. In this way, the Au coated NP substrate was utilized...

Enhancing Single Molecule Imaging in Optofluidics and Microfluidics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas E. Vasdekis

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Microfluidics and optofluidics have revolutionized high-throughput analysis and chemical synthesis over the past decade. Single molecule imaging has witnessed similar growth, due to its capacity to reveal heterogeneities at high spatial and temporal resolutions. However, both resolution types are dependent on the signal to noise ratio (SNR of the image. In this paper, we review how the SNR can be enhanced in optofluidics and microfluidics. Starting with optofluidics, we outline integrated photonic structures that increase the signal emitted by single chromophores and minimize the excitation volume. Turning then to microfluidics, we review the compatible functionalization strategies that reduce noise stemming from non-specific interactions and architectures that minimize bleaching and blinking.

Equilibrium and Nonequilibrium States in Microfluidic Double Emulsions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pannacci, N.; Bruus, Henrik; Bartolo, D.

2008-01-01

We describe experimental and theoretical studies dedicated to establishing the physics of formation of double droplets in microfluidic systems. We show that the morphologies (complete engulfing, partial engulfing, and nonengulfing) obtained at late times minimize the interfacial energy of the sys......We describe experimental and theoretical studies dedicated to establishing the physics of formation of double droplets in microfluidic systems. We show that the morphologies (complete engulfing, partial engulfing, and nonengulfing) obtained at late times minimize the interfacial energy...... of the system. We explain that nonequilibrium morphologies generated in the system can have long lifetimes. Remarkably, the physics of formation of the double droplets with microfluidics allows the synthesis of particles with new morphologies....

Rapid prototyping of microfluidic systems using a PDMS/polymer tape composite.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jungkyu; Surapaneni, Rajesh; Gale, Bruce K

2009-05-07

Rapid prototyping of microfluidic systems using a combination of double-sided tape and PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) is introduced. PDMS is typically difficult to bond using adhesive tapes due to its hydrophobic nature and low surface energy. For this reason, PDMS is not compatible with the xurography method, which uses a knife plotter and various adhesive coated polymer tapes. To solve these problems, a PDMS/tape composite was developed and demonstrated in microfluidic applications. The PDMS/tape composite was created by spinning it to make a thin layer of PDMS over double-sided tape. Then the PDMS/tape composite was patterned to create channels using xurography, and bonded to a PDMS slab. After removing the backing paper from the tape, a complete microfluidic system could be created by placing the construct onto nearly any substrate; including glass, plastic or metal-coated glass/silicon substrates. The bond strength was shown to be sufficient for the pressures that occur in typical microfluidic channels used for chemical or biological analysis. This method was demonstrated in three applications: standard microfluidic channels and reactors, a microfluidic system with an integrated membrane, and an electrochemical biosensor. The PDMS/tape composite rapid prototyping technique provides a fast and cost effective fabrication method and can provide easy integration of microfluidic channels with sensors and other components without the need for a cleanroom facility.

Electrogates for stop-and-go control of liquid flow in microfluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Arango, Y.; Temiz, Y.; Gökçe, O.; Delamarche, E.

2018-04-01

Diagnostics based on microfluidic devices necessitate specific reagents, flow conditions, and kinetics for optimal performance. Such an optimization is often achieved using assay-specific microfluidic chip designs or systems with external liquid pumps. Here, we present "electrogates" for stop-and-go control of flow of liquids in capillary-driven microfluidic chips by combining liquid pinning and electrowetting. Electrogates are simple to fabricate and efficient: a sample pipetted to a microfluidic chip flows autonomously in 15-μm-deep hydrophilic channels until the liquid meniscus is pinned at the edge of a 1.5-μm-deep trench patterned at the bottom of a rectangular microchannel. The flow can then be resumed by applying a DC voltage between the liquid and the trench via integrated electrodes. Using a trench geometry with a semicircular shape, we show that retention times longer than 30 min are achieved for various aqueous solutions such as biological buffers, artificial urine, and human serum. We studied the activation voltage and activation delay of electrogates using a chip architecture having 6 independent flow paths and experimentally showed that the flow can be resumed in less than 1 s for voltages smaller than 10 V, making this technique compatible with low-power and portable microfluidic systems. Electrogates therefore can make capillary-driven microfluidic chips very versatile by adding flow control in microfluidic channels in a flexible manner.

Microfluidics for Antibiotic Susceptibility and Toxicity Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Dai

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The recent emergence of antimicrobial resistance has become a major concern for worldwide policy makers as very few new antibiotics have been developed in the last twenty-five years. To prevent the death of millions of people worldwide, there is an urgent need for a cheap, fast and accurate set of tools and techniques that can help to discover and develop new antimicrobial drugs. In the past decade, microfluidic platforms have emerged as potential systems for conducting pharmacological studies. Recent studies have demonstrated that microfluidic platforms can perform rapid antibiotic susceptibility tests to evaluate antimicrobial drugs’ efficacy. In addition, the development of cell-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip platforms have enabled the early drug testing, providing more accurate insights into conventional cell cultures on the drug pharmacokinetics and toxicity, at the early and cheaper stage of drug development, i.e., prior to animal and human testing. In this review, we focus on the recent developments of microfluidic platforms for rapid antibiotics susceptibility testing, investigating bacterial persistence and non-growing but metabolically active (NGMA bacteria, evaluating antibiotic effectiveness on biofilms and combinatorial effect of antibiotics, as well as microfluidic platforms that can be used for in vitro antibiotic toxicity testing.

Tc-99m DTPA perfusion scintigraphy and color coded duplex sonography in the evaluation of minimal renal allograft perfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bair, H.J.; Platsch, G.; Wolf, F.; Guenter, E.; Becker, D.; Rupprecht, H.; Neumayer, H.H.

1997-01-01

Aim: The clinical impact of perfusion scintigraphy versus color coded Duplex sonography was evaluated, with respect to their potential in assessing minimal allograft perfusion in vitally threatened kidney transplants, i.e. oligoanuric allografts suspected to have either severe rejection or thrombosis of the renal vein or artery. Methods: From July 1990 to August 1994 the grafts of 15 out of a total of 315 patients were vitally threatened. Technetium-99m DTPA scintigraphy and color coded Duplex sonography were performed in all patients. For scintigraphic evaluation of transplant perfusion analog scans up to 60 min postinjection, and time-activity curves over the first 60 sec after injection of 370-440 MBq Tc-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetate acid (DTPA) were used and classified by a perfusion score, the time between renal and iliac artery peaks (TDiff) and the washout of the renogram curve. Additionally, evaluation of excretion function and assessment of vascular or urinary leaks were performed. By color coded Duplex sonography the perfusion in all sections of the graft as well as the vascular anastomoses were examined and the maximal blood flow velocity (Vmax) and the resistive index (RI) in the renal artery were determined by means of the pulsed Doppler device. Pathologic-anatomical diagnosis was achieved by either biopsy or post-explant histology in all grafts. Results: Scintigraphy and color coded Duplex sonography could reliably differentiate minimal (8/15) and not perfused (7/15) renal allografts. The results were confirmed either by angiography in digital subtraction technique (DSA) or the clinical follow up. Conclusion: In summary, perfusion scintigraphy and color coded Duplex sonography are comparable modalities to assess kidney graft perfusion. In clinical practice scintigraphy and colorcoded Doppler sonography can replace digital subtraction angiography in the evaluation of minimal allograft perfusion. (orig.) [de

Design and Testing of Digital Microfluidic Biochips

CERN Document Server

Zhao, Yang

2013-01-01

This book provides a comprehensive methodology for automated design, test and diagnosis, and use of robust, low-cost, and manufacturable digital microfluidic systems. It focuses on the development of a comprehensive CAD optimization framework for digital microfluidic biochips that unifies different design problems. With the increase in system complexity and integration levels, biochip designers can utilize the design methods described in this book to evaluate different design alternatives, and carry out design-space exploration to obtain the best design point. Describes practical design automation tools that address different design problems (e.g., synthesis, droplet routing, control-pin mapping, testing and diagnosis, and error recovery) in a unified manner; Applies test pattern generation and error-recovery techniques for digital microfluidics-based biochips; Uses real bioassays as evaluation examples, e.g., multiplexed in vitro human physiological fluids diagnostics, PCR, protein crystallization.  

An optical microfluidic platform for spatiotemporal biofilm treatment monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Wook; Mosteller, Matthew P; Subramanian, Sowmya; Meyer, Mariana T; Ghodssi, Reza; Bentley, William E

2016-01-01

Bacterial biofilms constitute in excess of 65% of clinical microbial infections, with the antibiotic treatment of biofilm infections posing a unique challenge due to their high antibiotic tolerance. Recent studies performed in our group have demonstrated that a bioelectric effect featuring low-intensity electric signals combined with antibiotics can significantly improve the efficacy of biofilm treatment. In this work, we demonstrate the bioelectric effect using sub-micron thick planar electrodes in a microfluidic device. This is critical in efforts to develop microsystems for clinical biofilm infection management, including both in vivo and in vitro applications. Adaptation of the method to the microscale, for example, can enable the development of localized biofilm infection treatment using microfabricated medical devices, while augmenting existing capabilities to perform biofilm management beyond the clinical realm. Furthermore, due to scale-down of the system, the voltage requirement for inducing the electric field is reduced further below the media electrolysis threshold. Enhanced biofilm treatment using the bioelectric effect in the developed microfluidic device elicited a 56% greater reduction in viable cell density and 26% further decrease in biomass growth compared to traditional antibiotic therapy. This biofilm treatment efficacy, demonstrated in a micro-scale device and utilizing biocompatible voltage ranges, encourages the use of this method for future clinical biofilm treatment applications. (paper)

Dynamics of ceramide channels detected using a microfluidic system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chenren Shao

Full Text Available Ceramide, a proapoptotic sphingolipid, has been shown to form channels, in mitochondrial outer membranes, large enough to translocate proteins. In phospholipid membranes, electrophysiological studies and electron microscopic visualization both report that these channels form in a range of sizes with a modal value of 10 nm in diameter. A hydrogen bonded barrel-like structure consisting of hundreds of ceramide molecules has been proposed for the structure of the channel and this is supported by electrophysiological studies and molecular dynamic simulations. To our knowledge, the mechanical strength and deformability of such a large diameter but extremely thin cylindrical structure has never been reported. Here we present evidence for a reversible mechanical distortion of the cylinder following the addition of La(3+. A microfluidic system was used to repeatedly lower and then restore the conductance by alternatively perfusing La(3+ and EDTA. Although aspects of the kinetics of conductance drop and recovery are consistent with a disassembly/diffusion/reassembly model, others are inconsistent with the expected time scale of lateral diffusion of disassembled channel fragments in the membrane. The presence of a residual conductance following La(3+ treatment and the relationship between the residual conductance and the initial conductance were both indicative of a distortion/recovery process in analogy with a pressure-induced distortion of a flexible cylinder.

Fabrication and Operation of Microfluidic Hanging-Drop Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Misun, Patrick M; Birchler, Axel K; Lang, Moritz; Hierlemann, Andreas; Frey, Olivier

2018-01-01

The hanging-drop network (HDN) is a technology platform based on a completely open microfluidic network at the bottom of an inverted, surface-patterned substrate. The platform is predominantly used for the formation, culturing, and interaction of self-assembled spherical microtissues (spheroids) under precisely controlled flow conditions. Here, we describe design, fabrication, and operation of microfluidic hanging-drop networks.

Microfluidic devices and methods for integrated flow cytometry

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Nimisha [Goleta, CA; Singh, Anup K [Danville, CA

2011-08-16

Microfluidic devices and methods for flow cytometry are described. In described examples, various sample handling and preparation steps may be carried out within a same microfluidic device as flow cytometry steps. A combination of imaging and flow cytometry is described. In some examples, spiral microchannels serve as incubation chambers. Examples of automated sample handling and flow cytometry are described.

Reversible thermo-pneumatic valves on centrifugal microfluidic platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Aeinehvand, Mohammad Mahdi; Ibrahim, Fatimah; Harun, Sulaiman Wadi; Kazemzadeh, Amin; Rothan, Hussin A; Yusof, Rohana; Madou, Marc

2015-08-21

Centrifugal microfluidic systems utilize a conventional spindle motor to automate parallel biochemical assays on a single microfluidic disk. The integration of complex, sequential microfluidic procedures on these platforms relies on robust valving techniques that allow for the precise control and manipulation of fluid flow. The ability of valves to consistently return to their former conditions after each actuation plays a significant role in the real-time manipulation of fluidic operations. In this paper, we introduce an active valving technique that operates based on the deflection of a latex film with the potential for real-time flow manipulation in a wide range of operational spinning speeds. The reversible thermo-pneumatic valve (RTPV) seals or reopens an inlet when a trapped air volume is heated or cooled, respectively. The RTPV is a gas-impermeable valve composed of an air chamber enclosed by a latex membrane and a specially designed liquid transition chamber that enables the efficient usage of the applied thermal energy. Inputting thermo-pneumatic (TP) energy into the air chamber deflects the membrane into the liquid transition chamber against an inlet, sealing it and thus preventing fluid flow. From this point, a centrifugal pressure higher than the induced TP pressure in the air chamber reopens the fluid pathway. The behaviour of this newly introduced reversible valving system on a microfluidic disk is studied experimentally and theoretically over a range of rotational frequencies from 700 RPM to 2500 RPM. Furthermore, adding a physical component (e.g., a hemispherical rubber element) to induce initial flow resistance shifts the operational range of rotational frequencies of the RTPV to more than 6000 RPM. An analytical solution for the cooling of a heated RTPV on a spinning disk is also presented, which highlights the need for the future development of time-programmable RTPVs. Moreover, the reversibility and gas impermeability of the RTPV in the

Normal anatomy of lung perfusion SPECT scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moskowitz, G.W.; Levy, L.M.

1987-01-01

Ten patients studies for possible pulmonary embolic disease had normal lung perfusion planar and SPECT scintigraphy. A computer program was developed to superimpose the CT scans on corresponding SPECT images. Superimposition of CT scans on corresponding SPECT transaxial cross-sectional images, when available, provides the needed definition and relationships of adjacent organs. SPECT transaxial sections provide clear anatomic definition of perfusion defects without foreground and background lung tissue superimposed. The location, shape, and size of the perfusion defects can be readily assessed by SPECT. An algorithm was developed for the differentiation of abnormal pulmonary perfusion patterns from normal structures on variation

Hepatic Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in a Perfused 3D Porous Polymer Scaffold for Liver Tissue Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hemmingsen, Mette; Muhammad, Haseena Bashir; Mohanty, Soumyaranjan

A huge shortage of liver organs for transplantation has motivated the research field of tissue engineering to develop bioartificial liver tissue and even a whole liver. The goal of NanoBio4Trans is to create a vascularized bioartificial liver tissue, initially as a liver-support system. Due...... to limitations of primary hepatocytes regarding availability and maintenance of functionality, stem cells and especially human induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPS cells) are an attractive cell source for liver tissue engineering. The aim of this part of NanoBio4Trans is to optimize culture and hepatic...... differentiation of hIPS-derived definitive endoderm (DE) cells in a 3D porous polymer scaffold built-in a perfusable bioreactor. The use of a microfluidic bioreactor array enables the culture of 16 independent tissues in one experimental run and thereby an optimization study to be performed....

Regional cortical hyper perfusion on perfusion CT during postical motor deficit: A case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baik, Hye Jin [Dept. of Radiology, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2013-08-15

Postictal neurologic deficit is a well-known complication mimicking the manifestation of a stroke. We present a case of a patient with clinical evidence of Todd's paralysis correlating with reversible postictal parenchymal changes on perfusion CT and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. In this case, perfusion CT and MR imaging were helpful in the differential diagnosis of stroke-mimicking conditions.

Fabrication of polyimide based microfluidic channels for biosensor devices

Science.gov (United States)

Zulfiqar, Azeem; Pfreundt, Andrea; Svendsen, Winnie Edith; Dimaki, Maria

2015-03-01

The ever-increasing complexity of the fabrication process of Point-of-care (POC) devices, due to high demand of functional versatility, compact size and ease-of-use, emphasizes the need of multifunctional materials that can be used to simplify this process. Polymers, currently in use for the fabrication of the often needed microfluidic channels, have limitations in terms of their physicochemical properties. Therefore, the use of a multipurpose biocompatible material with better resistance to the chemical, thermal and electrical environment, along with capability of forming closed channel microfluidics is inevitable. This paper demonstrates a novel technique of fabricating microfluidic devices using polyimide (PI) which fulfills the aforementioned properties criteria. A fabrication process to pattern microfluidic channels, using partially cured PI, has been developed by using a dry etching method. The etching parameters are optimized and compared to those used for fully cured PI. Moreover, the formation of closed microfluidic channel on wafer level by bonding two partially cured PI layers or a partially cured PI to glass with high bond strength has been demonstrated. The reproducibility in uniformity of PI is also compared to the most commonly used SU8 polymer, which is a near UV sensitive epoxy resin. The potential applications of PI processing are POC and biosensor devices integrated with microelectronics.

Acute stroke: automatic perfusion lesion outlining using level sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Mouridsen, Kim; Nagenthiraja, Kartheeban; Jónsdóttir, Kristjana Ýr; Ribe, Lars R; Neumann, Anders B; Hjort, Niels; Østergaard, Leif

2013-11-01

To develop a user-independent algorithm for the delineation of hypoperfused tissue on perfusion-weighted images and evaluate its performance relative to a standard threshold method in simulated data, as well as in acute stroke patients. The study was approved by the local ethics committee, and patients gave written informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study. The algorithm identifies hypoperfused tissue in mean transit time maps by simultaneously minimizing the mean square error between individual and mean perfusion values inside and outside a smooth boundary. In 14 acute stroke patients, volumetric agreement between automated outlines and manual outlines determined in consensus among four neuroradiologists was assessed with Bland-Altman analysis, while spatial agreement was quantified by using lesion overlap relative to mean lesion volume (Dice coefficient). Performance improvement relative to a standard threshold approach was tested with the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The mean difference in lesion volume between automated outlines and manual outlines was -9.0 mL ± 44.5 (standard deviation). The lowest mean volume difference for the threshold approach was -25.8 mL ± 88.2. A significantly higher Dice coefficient was observed with the algorithm (0.71; interquartile range [IQR], 0.42-0.75) compared with the threshold approach (0.50; IQR, 0.27- 0.57; P , .001). The corresponding agreement among experts was 0.79 (IQR, 0.69-0.83). The perfusion lesions outlined by the automated algorithm agreed well with those defined manually in consensus by four experts and were superior to those obtained by using the standard threshold approach. This user-independent algorithm may improve the assessment of perfusion images as part of acute stroke treatment. http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.13121622/-/DC1. RSNA, 2013

Localization of 3H-diethylstilbestrol in skeletal muscle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruber, B.; Cohen, L.

1981-01-01

The localization of diethylstilbestrol (DES) in skeletal muscle was studied in CF1 mice and perfused rat hindlimbs. There was a slow accumulation of 3H-DES in mouse muscle from 4 to 24 hours following i.p. injection even though plasma DES was decreasing. Twenty-four hours after injection of 50 microCi 3H-DES (714 pmole) mouse gastrocnemius contained 8.9 x 10(-17) mole unaltered 3H-DES per mg muscle. Extrapolating to the entire skeletal muscle mass of the animal, this represents 0.15% of the radioactivity injected. The radioactivity in muscle was completely extracted with 95% ethanol or ether: ethanol (3:1), and both unaltered DES and DES-metabolites were present in the extracts. The fraction of radioactivity due to unaltered DES 4 hours after injection was 0.51 +/- 0.09 in muscle and 0.30 +/- 0.11 in plasma. Significant extrahepatic metabolism of DES was demonstrated in perfused isolated rat hindlimbs by the presence of DES-metabolites in the perfusate. The radioactivity extracted from the perfused muscle itself was unaltered DES. These results indicate that skeletal muscle is an important site of DES localization in rodents

A Microfluidic Ion Pump for In Vivo Drug Delivery

KAUST Repository

Uguz, Ilke

2017-05-15

Implantable devices offer an alternative to systemic delivery of drugs for the treatment of neurological disorders. A microfluidic ion pump (µFIP), capable of delivering a drug without the solvent through electrophoresis, is developed. The device is characterized in vitro by delivering γ-amino butyric acid to a target solution, and demonstrates low-voltage operation, high drug-delivery capacity, and high ON/OFF ratio. It is also demonstrated that the device is suitable for cortical delivery in vivo by manipulating the local ion concentration in an animal model and altering neural behavior. These results show that µFIPs represent a significant step forward toward the development of implantable drug-delivery systems.

CT perfusion of the liver during selective hepatic arteriography. Pure arterial blood perfusion of liver tumor and parenchyma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komemushi, Atsushi; Tanigawa, Noboru; Kojima, Hiroyuki; Kariya, Shuji; Sawada, Satoshi

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify pure arterial blood perfusion of liver tumor and parenchyma by using CT perfusion during selective hepatic arteriography. A total of 44 patients underwent liver CT perfusion study by injection of contrast medium via the hepatic artery. CT-perfusion parameters including arterial blood flow, arterial blood volume, and arterial mean transit time in the liver parenchyma and liver tumor were calculated using the deconvolution method. The CT-perfusion parameters and vascularity of the tumor were compared. A complete analysis could be performed in 36 of the 44 patients. For liver tumor and liver parenchyma, respectively, arterial blood flow was 184.6±132.7 and 41.0±27.0 ml/min/100 g, arterial blood volume was 19.4±14.6 and 4.8±4.2 ml/100 g, and arterial mean transit time was 8.9±4.2 and 10.2±5.3 sec. Arterial blood flow and arterial blood volume correlated significantly with the vascularity of the tumor; however no correlation was detected between arterial mean transit time and the vascularity of the tumor. This technique could be used to quantify pure hepatic arterial blood perfusion. (author)

Quantitative perfusion imaging in magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoellner, F.G.; Gaa, T.; Zimmer, F.; Ong, M.M.; Riffel, P.; Hausmann, D.; Schoenberg, S.O.; Weis, M.

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recognized for its superior tissue contrast while being non-invasive and free of ionizing radiation. Due to the development of new scanner hardware and fast imaging techniques during the last decades, access to tissue and organ functions became possible. One of these functional imaging techniques is perfusion imaging with which tissue perfusion and capillary permeability can be determined from dynamic imaging data. Perfusion imaging by MRI can be performed by two approaches, arterial spin labeling (ASL) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI. While the first method uses magnetically labelled water protons in arterial blood as an endogenous tracer, the latter involves the injection of a contrast agent, usually gadolinium (Gd), as a tracer for calculating hemodynamic parameters. Studies have demonstrated the potential of perfusion MRI for diagnostics and also for therapy monitoring. The utilization and application of perfusion MRI are still restricted to specialized centers, such as university hospitals. A broad application of the technique has not yet been implemented. The MRI perfusion technique is a valuable tool that might come broadly available after implementation of standards on European and international levels. Such efforts are being promoted by the respective professional bodies. (orig.) [de

Application of a Simplified Method for Estimating Perfusion Derived from Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging in Glioma Grading.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Mengqiu; Suo, Shiteng; Han, Xu; Jin, Ke; Sun, Yawen; Wang, Yao; Ding, Weina; Qu, Jianxun; Zhang, Xiaohua; Zhou, Yan

2017-01-01

Purpose : To evaluate the feasibility of a simplified method based on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) acquired with three b -values to measure tissue perfusion linked to microcirculation, to validate it against from perfusion-related parameters derived from intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and to investigate its utility to differentiate low- from high-grade gliomas. Materials and Methods : The prospective study was approved by the local institutional review board and written informed consent was obtained from all patients. From May 2016 and May 2017, 50 patients confirmed with glioma were assessed with multi- b -value DWI and DCE MR imaging at 3.0 T. Besides conventional apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC 0,1000 ) map, perfusion-related parametric maps for IVIM-derived perfusion fraction ( f ) and pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), DCE MR imaging-derived pharmacokinetic metrics, including K trans , v e and v p , as well as a metric named simplified perfusion fraction (SPF), were generated. Correlation between perfusion-related parameters was analyzed by using the Spearman rank correlation. All imaging parameters were compared between the low-grade ( n = 19) and high-grade ( n = 31) groups by using the Mann-Whitney U test. The diagnostic performance for tumor grading was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results : SPF showed strong correlation with IVIM-derived f and D* ( ρ = 0.732 and 0.716, respectively; both P simplified method to measure tissue perfusion based on DWI by using three b -values may be helpful to differentiate low- from high-grade gliomas. SPF may serve as a valuable alternative to measure tumor perfusion in gliomas in a noninvasive, convenient and efficient way.

Perfusion-weighted MR imaging of uterine leiomyoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takase, Hiroyasu; Munechika, Hirotsugu [Showa Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine

2001-06-01

Serial images of uterine leiomyoma in gradient-echo, echo-planar, magnetic resonance imaging were taken to draw a {delta}R2{sup *} curve after intravenous bolus injection of Gd-DTPA. The {delta}R2{sup *} integral was calculated from a {delta}R2{sup *} curve to have relative perfusion of uterine leiomyoma. We then, evaluated the amount of perfusion correlated with MR findings, size and number of leiomyoma or the clinical symptoms and established that perfusion was correlated positively with the findings of T2 weighted images and clinical symptoms but not with other MR findings or size and number of leiomyoma. In conclusion, we presumed that the clinical symptoms could be reduced by decreasing of an amount of perfusion of uterine leiomyoma in some means. However, it remained uncertain why severe clinical symptoms were associated with a high amount of perfusion in uterine leiomyomas. (author)

Evaluation of microfluidic channels with optical coherence tomography

KAUST Repository

Czajkowski, J.; Prykä ri, T.; Alarousu, E.; Lauri, J.; Myllylä , R.

2010-01-01

Application of time domain, ultra high resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT) in evaluation of microfluidic channels is demonstrated. Presented study was done using experimental UHR-OCT device based on a Kerr-lens mode locked Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser, a photonic crystal fibre and modified, free-space Michelson interferometer. To show potential of the technique, microfluidic chip fabricated by VTT Center for Printed Intelligence (Oulu, Finland) was measured. Ability for full volumetric reconstruction in non-contact manner enabled complete characterization of closed entity of a microfluidic channel without contamination and harm for the sample. Measurement, occurring problems, and methods of postprocessing for raw data are described. Results present completely resolved physical structure of the channel, its spatial dimensions, draft angles and evaluation of lamination quality.

Evaluation of microfluidic channels with optical coherence tomography

KAUST Repository

Czajkowski, J.

2010-06-25

Application of time domain, ultra high resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT) in evaluation of microfluidic channels is demonstrated. Presented study was done using experimental UHR-OCT device based on a Kerr-lens mode locked Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser, a photonic crystal fibre and modified, free-space Michelson interferometer. To show potential of the technique, microfluidic chip fabricated by VTT Center for Printed Intelligence (Oulu, Finland) was measured. Ability for full volumetric reconstruction in non-contact manner enabled complete characterization of closed entity of a microfluidic channel without contamination and harm for the sample. Measurement, occurring problems, and methods of postprocessing for raw data are described. Results present completely resolved physical structure of the channel, its spatial dimensions, draft angles and evaluation of lamination quality.

Evaluation of microfluidic channels with optical coherence tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Czajkowski, J.; Prykäri, T.; Alarousu, E.; Lauri, J.; Myllylä, R.

2010-11-01

Application of time domain, ultra high resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT) in evaluation of microfluidic channels is demonstrated. Presented study was done using experimental UHR-OCT device based on a Kerr-lens mode locked Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser, a photonic crystal fibre and modified, free-space Michelson interferometer. To show potential of the technique, microfluidic chip fabricated by VTT Center for Printed Intelligence (Oulu, Finland) was measured. Ability for full volumetric reconstruction in non-contact manner enabled complete characterization of closed entity of a microfluidic channel without contamination and harm for the sample. Measurement, occurring problems, and methods of postprocessing for raw data are described. Results present completely resolved physical structure of the channel, its spatial dimensions, draft angles and evaluation of lamination quality.

Regional myocardial perfusion of cardioplegic solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eugene, J.; Lyons, K.P.; Ott, R.A.; Gelezunas, V.L.; Chang, C.W.; Kowall, M.G.; Haiduc, N.J.

1987-01-01

We compared the regional myocardial perfusion of blood cardioplegic solution (BCP) and crystalloid cardioplegic solution (CCP) in 14 mongrel dogs. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established at 28 degrees C, and a hydraulic occluder was placed around the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. In group 1 (N = 7) collateral coronary arteries were ligated; in group 2 (N = 7) collateral coronary arteries were left in situ. After the aorta was clamped, BCP and CCP were alternately perfused at 200 ml/min. The occluder was inflated to produce moderate, severe, and critical LAD stenosis, and regional perfusion was measured by xenon-133 washout with the Silicon Avalanche Radiation Detector. BCP infusion produced a consistently higher aortic pressure, but CCP flow was better than BCP flow under all conditions, particularly without coronary collaterals. Regional myocardial perfusion of CCP is superior to BCP

A microfluidic sub-critical water extraction instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Sherrit, Stewart; Noell, Aaron C.; Fisher, Anita; Lee, Mike C.; Takano, Nobuyuki; Bao, Xiaoqi; Kutzer, Thomas C.; Grunthaner, Frank

2017-11-01

This article discusses a microfluidic subcritical water extraction (SCWE) chip for autonomous extraction of amino acids from astrobiologically interesting samples. The microfluidic instrument is composed of three major components. These include a mixing chamber where the soil sample is mixed and agitated with the solvent (water), a subcritical water extraction chamber where the sample is sealed with a freeze valve at the chip inlet after a vapor bubble is injected into the inlet channels to ensure the pressure in the chip is in equilibrium with the vapor pressure and the slurry is then heated to ≤200 °C in the SCWE chamber, and a filter or settling chamber where the slurry is pumped to after extraction. The extraction yield of the microfluidic SCWE chip process ranged from 50% compared to acid hydrolysis and 80%-100% compared to a benchtop microwave SCWE for low biomass samples.

Consideration of Normal Variation of Perfusion Measurements in the Quantitative Analysis of Myocardial Perfusion SPECT: Usefulness in Assessment of Viable Myocardium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paeng, Jin Chul; Lim, Il Han; Kim, Ki Bong; Lee, Dong Soo

2008-01-01

Although automatic quantification software of myocardial perfusion SPECT provides highly objective and reproducible quantitative measurements, there is still some limitation in the direct use of quantitative measurements. In this study we derived parameters using normal variation of perfusion measurements, and tried to test the usefulness of these parameters. In order to calculate normal variation of perfusion measurements on myocardial perfusion SPECT, 55 patients (M:F=28:27) of low-likelihood for coronary artery disease were enrolled and 201 Tl rest / 99m Tc-MIBI stress SPECT studies were performed. Using 20-segment model, mean (m) and standard deviation (SD) of perfusion were calculated in each segment. As a myocardial viability assessment group, another 48 patients with known coronary artery disease, who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) were enrolled. 201 Tl rest / 99m Tc-MIBI stress / 201 Tl 24-hr delayed SPECT was performed before CABG and SPECT was followed up 3 months after CABG. From the preoperative 24-hr delayed SPECT, Q delay (perfusion measurement), Δ delay (Q delay .m) and Z delay ((Q delay .m)/SD) were defined and diagnostic performances of them for myocardial viability were evaluated using area under curve (AUC) on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Segmental perfusion measurements showed considerable normal variations among segments. In men, the lowest segmental perfusion measurement was 51.8±6.5 and the highest segmental perfusion was 87.0±5.9, and they are 58.7±8.1 and 87.3±6.0, respectively in women. In the viability assessment, Q delay showed AUC of 0.633, while those for Δ delay and Z delay were 0.735 and 0.716, respectively. The AUCs of Δ delay and Z delay were significantly higher than that of Q delay (p=0.001 and 0.018, respectively). The diagnostic performance of Δ delay , which showed highest AUC, was 85% of sensitivity and 53% of specificity at the optimal cutoff of -24.7. On automatic

Increased sinusoidal volume and solute extraction during retrograde liver perfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bass, N.M.; Manning, J.A.; Weisiger, R.A.

1989-01-01

Retrograde isolated liver perfusion has been used to probe acinar functional heterogeneity, but the hemodynamic effects of backward flow have not been characterized. In this study, extraction of a long-chain fatty acid derivative, 12-N-methyl-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-amino stearate (12-NBDS), was greater during retrograde than during anterograde perfusion of isolated rat liver. To determine whether hemodynamic differences between anterograde and retrograde perfused livers could account for this finding, the hepatic extracellular space was measured for both directions of flow by means of [ 14 C]sucrose washout during perfusion as well as by direct measurement of [ 14 C]sucrose entrapped during perfusion. A three- to fourfold enlargement of the total hepatic extracellular space was found during retrograde perfusion by both approaches. Examination of perfusion-fixed livers by light microscopy and morphometry revealed that marked distension of the sinusoids occurred during retrograde perfusion and that this accounts for the observed increase in the [ 14 C]sucrose space. These findings support the hypothesis that maximum resistance to perfusate flow in the isolated perfused rat liver is located at the presinusoidal level. In addition, increased transit time of perfusate through the liver and greater sinusoidal surface area resulting from sinusoidal distension may account for the higher extraction of 12-NBDS and possibly other compounds by retrograde perfused liver

Hepatic artery perfusion imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thrall, J.H.; Gyves, J.W.; Ziessman, H.A.; Ensminger, W.D.

1985-01-01

Organ and region-selective intra-arterial chemotherapy have been used for more than two decades to treat malignant neoplasms in the extremities, head and neck region, pelvis, liver, and other areas. Substantial evidence of improved response to regional chemotherapy now exists, but there are stringent requirements for successful application of the regional technique. First, the chemotherapeutic agent employed must have appropriate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Second, the drug must be reliably delivered to the tumor-bearing area. This typically requires an arteriographic assessment of the vascular supply of the tumor, followed by placement of a therapeutic catheter and confirmation that the ''watershed'' perfusion distribution from the catheter truly encompasses the tumor. Optimal catheter placement also minimizes perfusion of nontarget organs. Radionuclide perfusion imaging with technetium 99m-labeled particles, either microspheres or macroaggregates of albumin, has become the method of choice for making these assessments. Catheter placement itself is considered by many to represent a type of ''therapeutic'' intervention. However, once the catheter is in the hepatic artery the radionuclide perfusion technique can be used to assess adjunctive pharmacologic maneuvers designed to further exploit the regional approach to chemotherapy. This chapter presents the technetium Tc 99m macroaggregated albumin method for assessing catheter placement and the pharmacokinetic rationale for regional chemotherapy, and discusses two promising avenues for further intervention

A microfluidic device based on an evaporation-driven micropump

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nie, C.; Frijns, A.J.H.; Mandamparambil, R.; Toonder, J.M.J. den

2015-01-01

In this paper we introduce a microfluidic device ultimately to be applied as a wearable sweat sensor. We show proof-of-principle of the microfluidic functions of the device, namely fluid collection and continuous fluid flow pumping. A filter-paper based layer, that eventually will form the interface

Rhythmical Phenomena in Dermal Perfusion - Proved Assesment Strategies and new Discoveries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Huelsbusch

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The phenomena of rhythm fluctuation of arterial blood pressure were discovered already in the first continuous recordings in the 18th century. However the formation of such rhythms hasn’t been explained until now. This work presents two concepts which could aid in bringing new insights into the understanding of these rhythms. One development is a multisensor system capable to acquire multiple PPG channels, ECG and additionally breathing signals to correlate local and central driven oscillations. The second new development is Photoplethysmography Imaging which allows contactless measurements of cutaneous perfusion with spatial resolution. Together with the necessary mathematical analysis tools like the Wavelet Transform a sound basis for assessment and evaluation of rhythm fluctuations in human hemodynamics is provided. Using the presented framework new, previously unreported phenomena of distributed blood volume movements in dermal perfusion could be observed.

Optimized fabrication protocols of microfluidic devices for X-ray analysis

KAUST Repository

Catalano, Rossella; Perozziello, Gerardo; Simone, Giuseppina; Candeloro, Patrizio; Gentile, Francesco T.; Coluccio, Maria Laura; Pardeo, Francesca; Burghammer, Manfred C.; Cuda, Giovanni; Riekel, Christian; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

2014-01-01

Microfluidics combined with X-ray scattering techniques allows probing conformational changes or assembly processes of biological materials. Our aim was to develop a highly X-ray transparent microfluidic cell for detecting small variations of X-ray

A microfluidic dialysis device for complex biological mixture SERS analysis

KAUST Repository

Perozziello, Gerardo; Candeloro, Patrizio; Gentile, Francesco T.; Coluccio, Maria Laura; Tallerico, Marco; De Grazia, Antonio; Nicastri, Annalisa; Perri, Angela Mena; Parrotta, Elvira; Pardeo, Francesca; Catalano, Rossella; Cuda, Giovanni; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a microfluidic device fabricated with a simple and inexpensive process allowing rapid filtering of peptides from a complex mixture. The polymer microfluidic device can be used for sample preparation in biological

A zero-flow microfluidics for long-term cell culture and detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shengbo Sang

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A zero-flow microfluidic design is proposed in this paper, which can be used for long-term cell culture and detection, especially for a lab-on-chip integrated with a biosensor. It consists of two parts: a main microchannel; and a circle microchamber. The Finite Element Method (FEM was employed to predict the fluid transport properties for a minimum fluid flow disturbance. Some commonly used microfluidic structures were also analysed systematically to prove the designed structure. Then the designed microfluidics was fabricated. Based on the simulations and experiments, this design provides a continuous flow environment, with a relatively stable and low shear stress atmosphere, similar to a zero-flow environment. Furthermore, the nutrients maintaining cells’ normal growth can be taken into the chamber through the diffusion effect. It also proves that the microfluidics can realize long-term cell culture and detection. The application of the structure in the field of biological microelectromechenical systems (BioMEMS will provide a research foundation for microfluidic technology.

Advances in Microfluidic Platforms for Analyzing and Regulating Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Tongcheng; Shusta, Eric V.; Palecek, Sean P.

2015-01-01

Microfluidic devices employ submillimeter length scale control of flow to achieve high-resolution spatial and temporal control over the microenvironment, providing powerful tools to elucidate mechanisms of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) regulation and to elicit desired hPSC fates. In addition, microfluidics allow control of paracrine and juxtracrine signaling, thereby enabling fabrication of microphysiological systems comprised of multiple cell types organized into organs-on-a-chip. Microfluidic cell culture systems can also be integrated with actuators and sensors, permitting construction of high-density arrays of cell-based biosensors for screening applications. This review describes recent advances in using microfluidics to understand mechanisms by which the microenvironment regulates hPSC fates and applications of microfluidics to realize the potential of hPSCs for in vitro modeling and screening applications. PMID:26313850

Inhibitory effect of common microfluidic materials on PCR outcome

KAUST Repository

Kodzius, Rimantas

2012-02-20

Microfluidic chips have a variety of applications in the biological sciences and medicine. In contrast with traditional experimental approaches, microfluidics entails lower sample and reagent consumption, allows faster reactions and enables efficient separation. Additionally microfluidics offers other advantages accruing from the fluids’ various distinct behaviors, such as energy dissipation, fluidic resistance, laminar flow, and surface tension. Biological molecules suspended in fluid and transported through microfluidics channels interact with the channel-wall material. This interaction is even stronger in high surface-area-to-volume ratio (SAVR) microfluidic channels. Adsorption and inhibition of biomolecules occur when these materials come in contact with biomolecular reaction components. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a thermal cycling procedure for amplifying target DNA. The PCR compatibility of silicon, silicon dioxide (SiO2) and other surfaces have been studied; however the results are inconclusive. Usually for protein-surface interaction measurements, bulky and expensive equipment is used, such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning or Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM, TEM), spectrophotometric protein concentration measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) or X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). \\tThe PCR reaction components include the DNA template, primers, DNA polymerase (the main component), dNTPs, a buffer, divalent ions (MgCl2), and KCl. \\tWe designed a simple, relatively quick measurement that only requires a PCR cycler; thus it mimics actual conditions in PCR cycling. In our study, we evaluated the inhibitory affect of different materials on PCR, which is one of the most frequently used enzymatic reactions in microfluidics. PCR reaction optimization through choice of surface materials is of the upmost importance, as it enables and improves enzymatic reaction in microfluidics. Our assessment of the PCR

Modular integration of electronics and microfluidic systems using flexible printed circuit boards.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Amy; Wang, Lisen; Jensen, Erik; Mathies, Richard; Boser, Bernhard

2010-02-21

Microfluidic systems offer an attractive alternative to conventional wet chemical methods with benefits including reduced sample and reagent volumes, shorter reaction times, high-throughput, automation, and low cost. However, most present microfluidic systems rely on external means to analyze reaction products. This substantially adds to the size, complexity, and cost of the overall system. Electronic detection based on sub-millimetre size integrated circuits (ICs) has been demonstrated for a wide range of targets including nucleic and amino acids, but deployment of this technology to date has been limited due to the lack of a flexible process to integrate these chips within microfluidic devices. This paper presents a modular and inexpensive process to integrate ICs with microfluidic systems based on standard printed circuit board (PCB) technology to assemble the independently designed microfluidic and electronic components. The integrated system can accommodate multiple chips of different sizes bonded to glass or PDMS microfluidic systems. Since IC chips and flex PCB manufacturing and assembly are industry standards with low cost, the integrated system is economical for both laboratory and point-of-care settings.

Simultaneous detection of landmarks and key-frame in cardiac perfusion MRI using a joint spatial-temporal context model

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xiaoguang; Xue, Hui; Jolly, Marie-Pierre; Guetter, Christoph; Kellman, Peter; Hsu, Li-Yueh; Arai, Andrew; Zuehlsdorff, Sven; Littmann, Arne; Georgescu, Bogdan; Guehring, Jens

2011-03-01

Cardiac perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven clinical significance in diagnosis of heart diseases. However, analysis of perfusion data is time-consuming, where automatic detection of anatomic landmarks and key-frames from perfusion MR sequences is helpful for anchoring structures and functional analysis of the heart, leading toward fully automated perfusion analysis. Learning-based object detection methods have demonstrated their capabilities to handle large variations of the object by exploring a local region, i.e., context. Conventional 2D approaches take into account spatial context only. Temporal signals in perfusion data present a strong cue for anchoring. We propose a joint context model to encode both spatial and temporal evidence. In addition, our spatial context is constructed not only based on the landmark of interest, but also the landmarks that are correlated in the neighboring anatomies. A discriminative model is learned through a probabilistic boosting tree. A marginal space learning strategy is applied to efficiently learn and search in a high dimensional parameter space. A fully automatic system is developed to simultaneously detect anatomic landmarks and key frames in both RV and LV from perfusion sequences. The proposed approach was evaluated on a database of 373 cardiac perfusion MRI sequences from 77 patients. Experimental results of a 4-fold cross validation show superior landmark detection accuracies of the proposed joint spatial-temporal approach to the 2D approach that is based on spatial context only. The key-frame identification results are promising.

[An automatic system controlled by microcontroller for carotid sinus perfusion].

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, X L; Wang, M Y; Fan, Z Z; He, R R

2001-08-01

To establish a new method for controlling automatically the carotid perfusion pressure. A cheap practical automatic perfusion unit based on AT89C2051 micro controller was designed. The unit, LDB-M perfusion pump and the carotid sinus of an animal constituted an automatic perfusion system. This system was able to provide ramp and stepwise updown perfusion pattern and has been used in the research of baroreflex. It can insure the precision and reproducibility of perfusion pressure curve, and improve the technical level in corresponding medical field.

A microfluidic dialysis device for complex biological mixture SERS analysis

KAUST Repository

Perozziello, Gerardo

2015-08-01

In this paper, we present a microfluidic device fabricated with a simple and inexpensive process allowing rapid filtering of peptides from a complex mixture. The polymer microfluidic device can be used for sample preparation in biological applications. The device is fabricated by micromilling and solvent assisted bonding, in which a microdialysis membrane (cut-off of 12-14 kDa) is sandwiched in between an upper and a bottom microfluidic chamber. An external frame connects the microfluidic device to external tubes, microvalves and syringe pumps. Bonding strength and interface sealing are pneumatically tested. Microfluidic protocols are also described by using the presented device to filter a sample composed of specific peptides (MW 1553.73 Da, at a concentration of 1.0 ng/μl) derived from the BRCA1 protein, a tumor-suppressor molecule which plays a pivotal role in the development of breast cancer, and albumin (MW 66.5 kDa, at a concentration of 35 μg/μl), the most represented protein in human plasma. The filtered samples coming out from the microfluidic device were subsequently deposited on a SERS (surface enhanced Raman scattering) substrate for further analysis by Raman spectroscopy. By using this approach, we were able to sort the small peptides from the bigger and highly concentrated protein albumin and to detect them by using a label-free technique at a resolution down to 1.0 ng/μl.

Microfluidics: an enabling screening technology for enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

Science.gov (United States)

Lifton, Victor A

2016-05-21

Oil production is a critical industrial process that affects the entire world population and any improvements in its efficiency while reducing its environmental impact are of utmost societal importance. The paper reviews recent applications of microfluidics and microtechnology to study processes of oil extraction and recovery. It shows that microfluidic devices can be useful tools in investigation and visualization of such processes used in the oil & gas industry as fluid propagation, flooding, fracturing, emulsification and many others. Critical macro-scale processes that define oil extraction and recovery are controlled by the micro-scale processes based on wetting, adhesion, surface tension, colloids and other concepts of microfluidics. A growing number of research efforts demonstrates that microfluidics is becoming, albeit slowly, an accepted methodology in this area. We propose several areas of development where implementation of microfluidics may bring about deeper understanding and hence better control over the processes of oil recovery based on fluid propagation, droplet generation, wettability control. Studies of processes such as hydraulic fracturing, sand particle propagation in porous networks, high throughput screening of chemicals (for example, emulsifiers and surfactants) in microfluidic devices that simulate oil reservoirs are proposed to improve our understanding of these complicated physico-chemical systems. We also discuss why methods of additive manufacturing (3D printing) should be evaluated for quick prototyping and modification of the three-dimensional structures replicating natural oil-bearing rock formations for studies accessible to a wider audience of researchers.

Hemodynamic segmentation of brain perfusion images with delay and dispersion effects using an expectation-maximization algorithm.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Feng Lu

Full Text Available Automatic identification of various perfusion compartments from dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance brain images can assist in clinical diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. The principle of segmentation methods was based on the clustering of bolus transit-time profiles to discern areas of different tissues. However, the cerebrovascular diseases may result in a delayed and dispersed local perfusion and therefore alter the hemodynamic signal profiles. Assessing the accuracy of the segmentation technique under delayed/dispersed circumstance is critical to accurately evaluate the severity of the vascular disease. In this study, we improved the segmentation method of expectation-maximization algorithm by using the results of hierarchical clustering on whitened perfusion data as initial parameters for a mixture of multivariate Gaussians model. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to evaluate the performance of proposed method under different levels of delay, dispersion, and noise of signal profiles in tissue segmentation. The proposed method was used to classify brain tissue types using perfusion data from five normal participants, a patient with unilateral stenosis of the internal carotid artery, and a patient with moyamoya disease. Our results showed that the normal, delayed or dispersed hemodynamics can be well differentiated for patients, and therefore the local arterial input function for impaired tissues can be recognized to minimize the error when estimating the cerebral blood flow. Furthermore, the tissue in the risk of infarct and the tissue with or without the complementary blood supply from the communicating arteries can be identified.

Myocardial perfusion in patients with left bundle branch block and without coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narita, Michihiro; Kurihara, Tadashi; Murano, Kenichi; Usami, Masahisa; Honda, Minoru

1992-01-01

For the evaluation of myocardial perfusion in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB), we performed exercise stress (Ex)-redistribution (RD) myocardial tomography with thallium-201 ( 201 Tl) in 23 patients with LBBB and without coronary artery disease (CAD). Myocardial images in patients with LBBB were compared with those of 9 patients with CAD who showed Ex induced transient septal defect. Bull'-eye maps ( 201 Tl distribution maps at Ex and RD and 201 Tl washout rate [WOR] map) were made from myocardial tomograms. In 23 patients with LBBB, 15 patients (65%) developed myocardial perfusion abnormality. In 10 (67%) of these 15 patients, transient perfusion defect appeared in the entire septum (diffuse type). On the other hand in 5 patients (33%), localized fixed perfusion defect developed at the boundary between septum and anterior wall (focal type). In focal type, every patient had other disease such as hypertension, aortic stenosis or sick sinus syndrome. While in patients with diffuse type, other diseases were observed in 30% (p 201 Tl WOR and 201 Tl uptake ratio of septum to lateral wall indicated that exercise induced septal defect was slighter in diffuse type than CAD. These points might be useful to differentiate whether CAD participates in the septal defect or not in patients with LBBB. (author)

Predicting the behavior of microfluidic circuits made from discrete elements

Science.gov (United States)

Bhargava, Krisna C.; Thompson, Bryant; Iqbal, Danish; Malmstadt, Noah

2015-10-01

Microfluidic devices can be used to execute a variety of continuous flow analytical and synthetic chemistry protocols with a great degree of precision. The growing availability of additive manufacturing has enabled the design of microfluidic devices with new functionality and complexity. However, these devices are prone to larger manufacturing variation than is typical of those made with micromachining or soft lithography. In this report, we demonstrate a design-for-manufacturing workflow that addresses performance variation at the microfluidic element and circuit level, in context of mass-manufacturing and additive manufacturing. Our approach relies on discrete microfluidic elements that are characterized by their terminal hydraulic resistance and associated tolerance. Network analysis is employed to construct simple analytical design rules for model microfluidic circuits. Monte Carlo analysis is employed at both the individual element and circuit level to establish expected performance metrics for several specific circuit configurations. A protocol based on osmometry is used to experimentally probe mixing behavior in circuits in order to validate these approaches. The overall workflow is applied to two application circuits with immediate use at on the bench-top: series and parallel mixing circuits that are modularly programmable, virtually predictable, highly precise, and operable by hand.

Predicting the behavior of microfluidic circuits made from discrete elements.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhargava, Krisna C; Thompson, Bryant; Iqbal, Danish; Malmstadt, Noah

2015-10-30

Microfluidic devices can be used to execute a variety of continuous flow analytical and synthetic chemistry protocols with a great degree of precision. The growing availability of additive manufacturing has enabled the design of microfluidic devices with new functionality and complexity. However, these devices are prone to larger manufacturing variation than is typical of those made with micromachining or soft lithography. In this report, we demonstrate a design-for-manufacturing workflow that addresses performance variation at the microfluidic element and circuit level, in context of mass-manufacturing and additive manufacturing. Our approach relies on discrete microfluidic elements that are characterized by their terminal hydraulic resistance and associated tolerance. Network analysis is employed to construct simple analytical design rules for model microfluidic circuits. Monte Carlo analysis is employed at both the individual element and circuit level to establish expected performance metrics for several specific circuit configurations. A protocol based on osmometry is used to experimentally probe mixing behavior in circuits in order to validate these approaches. The overall workflow is applied to two application circuits with immediate use at on the bench-top: series and parallel mixing circuits that are modularly programmable, virtually predictable, highly precise, and operable by hand.

3D-printed microfluidic chips with patterned, cell-laden hydrogel constructs.

Science.gov (United States)

Knowlton, Stephanie; Yu, Chu Hsiang; Ersoy, Fulya; Emadi, Sharareh; Khademhosseini, Ali; Tasoglu, Savas

2016-06-20

Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers potential to fabricate high-throughput and low-cost fabrication of microfluidic devices as a promising alternative to traditional techniques which enables efficient design iterations in the development stage. In this study, we demonstrate a single-step fabrication of a 3D transparent microfluidic chip using two alternative techniques: a stereolithography-based desktop 3D printer and a two-step fabrication using an industrial 3D printer based on polyjet technology. This method, compared to conventional fabrication using relatively expensive materials and labor-intensive processes, presents a low-cost, rapid prototyping technique to print functional 3D microfluidic chips. We enhance the capabilities of 3D-printed microfluidic devices by coupling 3D cell encapsulation and spatial patterning within photocrosslinkable gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA). The platform presented here serves as a 3D culture environment for long-term cell culture and growth. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the ability to print complex 3D microfluidic channels to create predictable and controllable fluid flow regimes. Here, we demonstrate the novel use of 3D-printed microfluidic chips as controllable 3D cell culture environments, advancing the applicability of 3D printing to engineering physiological systems for future applications in bioengineering.

Microfluidics' great promise for Biology - Microfluidics as a new engine for the molecular sciences

KAUST Repository

Kodzius, Rimantas

2010-06-04

History of the Life Sciences Origins of life Discoveries and instrumentation The power of genetic variation Diagnostics based on DNA/ protein variation Genomic scanning providers DNA sequencing companies Microfluidics story Commercial products available P

Microfluidic systems for stem cell-based neural tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Karimi, Mahdi; Bahrami, Sajad; Mirshekari, Hamed; Basri, Seyed Masoud Moosavi; Nik, Amirala Bakhshian; Aref, Amir R; Akbari, Mohsen; Hamblin, Michael R

2016-07-05

Neural tissue engineering aims at developing novel approaches for the treatment of diseases of the nervous system, by providing a permissive environment for the growth and differentiation of neural cells. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems provide a closer biomimetic environment, and promote better cell differentiation and improved cell function, than could be achieved by conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture systems. With the recent advances in the discovery and introduction of different types of stem cells for tissue engineering, microfluidic platforms have provided an improved microenvironment for the 3D-culture of stem cells. Microfluidic systems can provide more precise control over the spatiotemporal distribution of chemical and physical cues at the cellular level compared to traditional systems. Various microsystems have been designed and fabricated for the purpose of neural tissue engineering. Enhanced neural migration and differentiation, and monitoring of these processes, as well as understanding the behavior of stem cells and their microenvironment have been obtained through application of different microfluidic-based stem cell culture and tissue engineering techniques. As the technology advances it may be possible to construct a "brain-on-a-chip". In this review, we describe the basics of stem cells and tissue engineering as well as microfluidics-based tissue engineering approaches. We review recent testing of various microfluidic approaches for stem cell-based neural tissue engineering.

Microfluidic Liquid-Liquid Contactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mcculloch, Quinn [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-07-25

This report describes progress made on the microfluidic contactor. A model was developed to predict its failure, a surrogate chemical system was selected to demonstrate mass transfer, and an all-optical system has been invented and implemented to monitor carryover and flowrates.

Printing-based fabrication method using sacrificial paper substrates for flexible and wearable microfluidic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Daehan; Gray, Bonnie L

2017-01-01

We present a simple, fast, and inexpensive new printing-based fabrication process for flexible and wearable microfluidic channels and devices. Microfluidic devices are fabricated on textiles (fabric) for applications in clothing-based wearable microfluidic sensors and systems. The wearable and flexible microfluidic devices are comprised of water-insoluable screen-printable plastisol polymer. Sheets of paper are used as sacrificial substrates for multiple layers of polymer on the fabric’s surface. Microfluidic devices can be made within a short time using simple processes and inexpensive equipment that includes a laser cutter and a thermal laminator. The fabrication process is characterized to demonstrate control of microfluidic channel thickness and width. Film thickness smaller than 100 micrometers and lateral dimensions smaller than 150 micrometers are demonstrated. A flexible microfluidic mixer is also developed on fabric and successfully tested on both flat and curved surfaces at volumetric flow rates ranging from 5.5–46 ml min −1 . (paper)

Printing-based fabrication method using sacrificial paper substrates for flexible and wearable microfluidic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Daehan; Gray, Bonnie L.

2017-11-01

We present a simple, fast, and inexpensive new printing-based fabrication process for flexible and wearable microfluidic channels and devices. Microfluidic devices are fabricated on textiles (fabric) for applications in clothing-based wearable microfluidic sensors and systems. The wearable and flexible microfluidic devices are comprised of water-insoluable screen-printable plastisol polymer. Sheets of paper are used as sacrificial substrates for multiple layers of polymer on the fabric’s surface. Microfluidic devices can be made within a short time using simple processes and inexpensive equipment that includes a laser cutter and a thermal laminator. The fabrication process is characterized to demonstrate control of microfluidic channel thickness and width. Film thickness smaller than 100 micrometers and lateral dimensions smaller than 150 micrometers are demonstrated. A flexible microfluidic mixer is also developed on fabric and successfully tested on both flat and curved surfaces at volumetric flow rates ranging from 5.5-46 ml min-1.

A centrifugal microfluidic platform for point-of-care diagnostic applications

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Hugo, S

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic systems enable precise control over tiny volumes of fluid in a compact and low-cost form, thus providing the ideal platform on which to develop point-of-care diagnostic solutions. Centrifugal microfluidic systems, also referred...

Pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy in the evaluation of the severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soler, C. [Neonatal Unit, Dept. of Pediatrics, Casa Maternitat Hospital, Clinical Hospital and Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Univ. of Barcelona (Spain); Figueras, J. [Neonatal Unit, Dept. of Pediatrics, Casa Maternitat Hospital, Clinical Hospital and Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Univ. of Barcelona (Spain)]|[Servicio de Neonatologia, Hospital Clinico, Barcelona (Spain); Roca, I. [Nuclear Medicine Unit, Autonomous Univ. of Barcelona (Spain); Perez, J.M. [Neonatal Unit, Dept. of Pediatrics, Casa Maternitat Hospital, Clinical Hospital and Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Univ. of Barcelona (Spain); Jimenez, R. [Neonatal Unit, Dept. of Pediatrics, Casa Maternitat Hospital, Clinical Hospital and Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Univ. of Barcelona (Spain)

1997-01-01

Objective. The objectives of this study were to analyze the changes in pulmonary perfusion in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and to assess the advantages of this method in evaluating the severity of BPD. Patients and methods. The study group was made up of 10 children with BPD, matched with a control group of 12 children. The criteria for matching were birth weight, gestational age and need for ventilation for more than 3 days. Clinical and roentgenographic scoring systems were applied on the 21st day of life. At 6 months of corrected age, clinical evolutive severity was evaluated and a pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy using technetium-99 was performed in each child. The scintigraphic findings were classified in five categories ranging from normal to severely affected, depending on the degree and localization of perfusion abnormalities. Another score was obtained by assigning a value from 1 to 5 to each pulmonary lobe, depending on the concentration of the tracer. Results. The study of clinical, roentgenographic and evolutive scores always showed higher values in children with BPD, with good correlation between methods (P < 0.001). In the BPD group, abnormal lung perfusion patterns were more frequent and more severe (P < 0.05), the lobe scoring was higher (P < 0.05), and a lower count rate was found (P < 0.01). Conclusion. Pulmonary scintigraphy is a useful technique in evaluating the severity of BPD. (orig.). With 1 fig., 3 tabs.

Pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy in the evaluation of the severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soler, C.; Figueras, J.; Roca, I.; Perez, J.M.; Jimenez, R.

1997-01-01

Objective. The objectives of this study were to analyze the changes in pulmonary perfusion in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and to assess the advantages of this method in evaluating the severity of BPD. Patients and methods. The study group was made up of 10 children with BPD, matched with a control group of 12 children. The criteria for matching were birth weight, gestational age and need for ventilation for more than 3 days. Clinical and roentgenographic scoring systems were applied on the 21st day of life. At 6 months of corrected age, clinical evolutive severity was evaluated and a pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy using technetium-99 was performed in each child. The scintigraphic findings were classified in five categories ranging from normal to severely affected, depending on the degree and localization of perfusion abnormalities. Another score was obtained by assigning a value from 1 to 5 to each pulmonary lobe, depending on the concentration of the tracer. Results. The study of clinical, roentgenographic and evolutive scores always showed higher values in children with BPD, with good correlation between methods (P < 0.001). In the BPD group, abnormal lung perfusion patterns were more frequent and more severe (P < 0.05), the lobe scoring was higher (P < 0.05), and a lower count rate was found (P < 0.01). Conclusion. Pulmonary scintigraphy is a useful technique in evaluating the severity of BPD. (orig.). With 1 fig., 3 tabs

Insulin degradation products from perfused rat kidney

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duckworth, W.C.; Hamel, F.G.; Liepnieks, J.; Peavy, D.; Frank, B.; Rabkin, R.

1989-01-01

The kidney is a major site for insulin metabolism, but the enzymes involved and the products generated have not been established. To examine the products, we have perfused rat kidneys with insulin specifically iodinated on either the A14 or the B26 tyrosine. Labeled material from both the perfusate and kidney extract was examined by Sephadex G50 and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In perfusate from a filtering kidney, 22% of the insulin-sized material was not intact insulin on HPLC. With the nonfiltering kidney, 10.6% was not intact insulin. Labeled material from HPLC was sulfitolyzed and reinjected on HPLC. By use of 125 I-iodo(A14)-insulin, almost all the degradation products contained an intact A-chain. By use of 125 I-iodo(B26)-insulin, several different B-chain-cleaved products were obtained. The material extracted from the perfused kidney was different from perfusate products but similar to intracellular products from hepatocytes, suggesting that cellular metabolism by kidney and liver are similar. The major intracellular product had characteristics consistent with a cleavage between the B16 and B17 amino acids. This product and several of the perfusate products are also produced by insulin protease suggesting that this enzyme is involved in the degradation of insulin by kidney

Hysteresis in multiphase microfluidics at a T-junction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zagnoni, Michele; Anderson, Jamie; Cooper, Jonathan M

2010-06-15

Multiphase microfluidics offer a wide range of functionalities in the fields of fluid dynamics, biology, particle synthesis, and, more recently, also in logical computation. In this article, we describe the hysteresis of immiscible, multiphase flow obtained in hydrophilic, microfluidic systems at a T-junction. Stable and unstable state behaviors, in the form of segmented and parallel flow patterns of oil and water, were reliably produced, depending upon the history of the flow rates applied to the phases. The transition mechanisms between the two states were analyzed both experimentally and using numerical simulations, describing how the physical and fluid dynamic parameters influenced the hysteretic behavior of the flow. The characteristics of these multiphase systems render them suitable to be used as pressure comparators and also for the implementation of microfluidic logic operations.

Microfluidic Pumps Containing Teflon [Trademark] AF Diaphragms

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Peter; White, Victor; Grunthaner, Frank; Ikeda, Mike; Mathies, Richard A.

2009-01-01

Microfluidic pumps and valves based on pneumatically actuated diaphragms made of Teflon AF polymers are being developed for incorporation into laboratory-on-a-chip devices that must perform well over temperature ranges wider than those of prior diaphragm-based microfluidic pumps and valves. Other potential applications include implanted biomedical microfluidic devices, wherein the biocompatability of Teflon AF polymers would be highly advantageous. These pumps and valves have been demonstrated to function stably after cycling through temperatures from -125 to 120 C. These pumps and valves are intended to be successors to similar prior pumps and valves containing diaphragms made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) [commonly known as silicone rubber]. The PDMS-containing valves ae designed to function stably only within the temperature range from 5 to 80 C. Undesirably, PDMS membranes are somwehat porous and retain water. PDMS is especially unsuitable for use at temperatures below 0 C because the formation of ice crystals increases porosity and introduces microshear.

Pulmonary artery perfusion versus no perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass for open heart surgery in adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buggeskov, Katrine B; Grønlykke, Lars; Risom, Emilie C

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Available evidence has been inconclusive on whether pulmonary artery perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with decreased or increased mortality, pulmonary events, and serious adverse events (SAEs) after open heart surgery. To our knowledge, no previous systematic...... handsearched retrieved study reports and scanned citations of included studies and relevant reviews to ensure that no relevant trials were missed. We searched for ongoing trials and unpublished trials in the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) and at clinicaltrials......). We used GRADE principles to assess the quality of evidence. MAIN RESULTS: We included in this review four RCTs (210 participants) reporting relevant outcomes. Investigators randomly assigned participants to pulmonary artery perfusion with blood versus no perfusion during CPB. Only one trial included...

Microfluidic isotachophoresis: A review

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Smejkal, P.; Bottenus, D.; Breadmore, M. C.; Guijt, R. M.; Ivory, C. F.; Foret, František; Macka, M.

2013-01-01

Roč. 34, č. 11 (2013), s. 1493-1509 ISSN 0173-0835 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP301/11/2055 Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : chip * isotachophoresis * microfluidics * miniaturization Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 3.161, year: 2013

Disposable world-to-chip interface for digital microfluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dam, R. Michael; Shah, Gaurav; Keng, Pei-Yuin

2017-05-16

The present disclosure sets forth incorporating microfluidic chips interfaces for use with digital microfluidic processes. Methods and devices according to the present disclosure utilize compact, integrated platforms that interface with a chip upstream and downstream of the reaction, as well as between intermediate reaction steps if needed. In some embodiments these interfaces are automated, including automation of a multiple reagent process. Various reagent delivery systems and methods are also disclosed.

Coalescence kinetics of oil-in-water emulsions studied with microfluidics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krebs, T.; Schroen, C.G.P.H.; Boom, R.M.

2013-01-01

We report the results of experiments on the coalescence dynamics in flowing oil-in-water emulsions using an integrated microfluidic device. The microfluidic circuit permits direct observation of shear-induced collisions and coalescence events between emulsion droplets. Three mineral oils with a

Thermal effects in microfluidics with thermal conductivity spatially modulated

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas Toro, Agustín.

2014-05-01

A heat transfer model on a microfluidic is resolved analytically. The model describes a fluid at rest between two parallel plates where each plate is maintained at a differentially specified temperature and the thermal conductivity of the microfluidic is spatially modulated. The heat transfer model in such micro-hydrostatic configuration is analytically resolved using the technique of the Laplace transform applying the Bromwich Integral and the Residue theorem. The temperature outline in the microfluidic is presented as an infinite series of Bessel functions. It is shown that the result for the thermal conductivity spatially modulated has as a particular case the solution when the thermal conductivity is spatially constant. All computations were performed using the computer algebra software Maple. It is claimed that the analytical obtained results are important for the design of nanoscale devices with applications in biotechnology. Furthermore, it is suggested some future research lines such as the study of the heat transfer model in a microfluidic resting between coaxial cylinders with radially modulated thermal conductivity in order to achieve future developments in this area.

Hybrid Integrated Silicon Microfluidic Platform for Fluorescence Based Biodetection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Darveau

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The desideratum to develop a fully integrated Lab-on-a-chip device capable ofrapid specimen detection for high throughput in-situ biomedical diagnoses and Point-of-Care testing applications has called for the integration of some of the novel technologiessuch as the microfluidics, microphotonics, immunoproteomics and Micro ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS. In the present work, a silicon based microfluidic device hasbeen developed for carrying out fluorescence based immunoassay. By hybrid attachment ofthe microfluidic device with a Spectrometer-on-chip, the feasibility of synthesizing anintegrated Lab-on-a-chip type device for fluorescence based biosensing has beendemonstrated. Biodetection using the microfluidic device has been carried out usingantigen sheep IgG and Alexafluor-647 tagged antibody particles and the experimentalresults prove that silicon is a compatible material for the present application given thevarious advantages it offers such as cost-effectiveness, ease of bulk microfabrication,superior surface affinity to biomolecules, ease of disposability of the device etc., and is thussuitable for fabricating Lab-on-a-chip type devices.

Value of chest X-ray combined with perfusion scan versus ventilation/perfusion scan in acute pulmonary embolism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Groot, M. R.; Turkstra, F.; van Marwijk Kooy, M.; Oostdijk, A. H.; van Beek, E. J.; Büller, H. R.

2000-01-01

The main purpose of ventilation scanning, as adjunct to perfusion lung scintigraphy, in acute pulmonary embolism is to allow for the classification of segmental perfusion defects as mismatched, which is generally accepted as proof for the presence of pulmonary embolism. We examined whether this

IFSA: a microfluidic chip-platform for frit-based immunoassay protocols

Science.gov (United States)

Hlawatsch, Nadine; Bangert, Michael; Miethe, Peter; Becker, Holger; Gärtner, Claudia

2013-03-01

Point-of-care diagnostics (POC) is one of the key application fields for lab-on-a-chip devices. While in recent years much of the work has concentrated on integrating complex molecular diagnostic assays onto a microfluidic device, there is a need to also put comparatively simple immunoassay-type protocols on a microfluidic platform. In this paper, we present the development of a microfluidic cartridge using an immunofiltration approach. In this method, the sandwich immunoassay takes place in a porous frit on which the antibodies have immobilized. The device is designed to be able to handle three samples in parallel and up to four analytical targets per sample. In order to meet the critical cost targets for the diagnostic market, the microfluidic chip has been designed and manufactured using high-volume manufacturing technologies in mind. Validation experiments show comparable sensitivities in comparison with conventional immunofiltration kits.

Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy - possibilities of diagnosing CAD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsonevska, A.

1998-01-01

A reviewing the diagnostic methods used in the intricate process of evaluating CAD patients in a attempt to establish the role played by radionuclide methods in the diagnostic strategy is done. The perfusion cardiotropic radiopharmaceuticals used and the various methods of evaluating myocardial are discussed. Although 210 Tl-chloride is the most widely used myocardial perfusion agent, recently 99m Tc-MIBI is proposed as an alternative because of its advantages. Myocardial perfusion assessment is done by various techniques depending on the specific aim, each of them having its proper advantages and shortcomings. The inference is reached that regardless of the routine practical implementation of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and comprehensive studies along this line in course, there are problems still not well enough clarified awaiting solution

Recent microfluidic devices for studying gamete and embryo biomechanics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, David; Takayama, Shuichi; Smith, Gary D

2015-06-25

The technical challenges of biomechanic research such as single cell analysis at a high monetary cost, labor, and time for just a small number of measurements is a good match to the strengths of microfluidic devices. New scientific discoveries in the fertilization and embryo development process, of which biomechanics is a major subset of interest, is crucial to fuel the continual improvement of clinical practice in assisted reproduction. The following review will highlight some recent microfluidic devices tailored for gamete and embryo biomechanics where biomimicry arises as a major theme of microfluidic device design and function, and the application of fundamental biomechanic principles are used to improve outcomes of cryopreservation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Goal-directed-perfusion in neonatal aortic arch surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Cesnjevar, Robert Anton; Purbojo, Ariawan; Muench, Frank; Juengert, Joerg; Rueffer, André

2016-07-01

Reduction of mortality and morbidity in congenital cardiac surgery has always been and remains a major target for the complete team involved. As operative techniques are more and more standardized and refined, surgical risk and associated complication rates have constantly been reduced to an acceptable level but are both still present. Aortic arch surgery in neonates seems to be of particular interest, because perfusion techniques differ widely among institutions and an ideal form of a so called "total body perfusion (TBP)" is somewhat difficult to achieve. Thus concepts of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA), regional cerebral perfusion (RCP/with cardioplegic cardiac arrest or on the perfused beating heart) and TBP exist in parallel and all carry an individual risk for organ damage related to perfusion management, chosen core temperature and time on bypass. Patient safety relies more and more on adequate end organ perfusion on cardiopulmonary bypass, especially sensitive organs like the brain, heart, kidney, liver and the gut, whereby on adequate tissue protection, temperature management and oxygen delivery should be visualized and monitored.

The negative-differential-resistance (NDR) mechanism of a hydroelastic microfluidic oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, H M; Wu, J W; Wang, Z P

2017-01-01

A microfluidic oscillator is of interest because it converts a stable laminar flow to oscillatory flow, especially in view of the fact that turbulence is typically absent in miniaturized fluidic devices. One important design approach is to utilize hydroelastic effect-induced autonomous oscillations to modify the flow, so to reduce the reliance on external controllers. However, as complex fluid-structure interactions are involved, the prediction of its mechanism is rather challenging. Here, we present a simple equivalent circuit model and investigate the negative-differential-resistance (NDR) mechanism of a hydroelastic microfluidic oscillator. We show that a variety of complex flow behaviors including the onset of oscillation, formation of different oscillation patterns, collapse of the channel, etc can be well explained by this model. It provides a generic approach for construction of microfluidic NDR oscillators, following which a new design is also proposed. Relevant findings give more insights into the hydroelastic instability problems in microfluidics, and enrich the study of microfluidic flow control devices based on the electric circuit theory. (paper)

Neural Stem Cell Differentiation Using Microfluidic Device-Generated Growth Factor Gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ji Hyeon; Sim, Jiyeon; Kim, Hyun-Jung

2018-04-11

Neural stem cells (NSCs) have the ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple nervous system cell types. During embryonic development, the concentrations of soluble biological molecules have a critical role in controlling cell proliferation, migration, differentiation and apoptosis. In an effort to find optimal culture conditions for the generation of desired cell types in vitro , we used a microfluidic chip-generated growth factor gradient system. In the current study, NSCs in the microfluidic device remained healthy during the entire period of cell culture, and proliferated and differentiated in response to the concentration gradient of growth factors (epithermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor). We also showed that overexpression of ASCL1 in NSCs increased neuronal differentiation depending on the concentration gradient of growth factors generated in the microfluidic gradient chip. The microfluidic system allowed us to study concentration-dependent effects of growth factors within a single device, while a traditional system requires multiple independent cultures using fixed growth factor concentrations. Our study suggests that the microfluidic gradient-generating chip is a powerful tool for determining the optimal culture conditions.

Design Considerations for Integration of Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy in Microfluidic Platforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasha Al-Hujazy

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic platforms have received much attention in recent years. In particular, there is interest in combining spectroscopy with microfluidic platforms. This work investigates the integration of microfluidic platforms and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS systems. A semiclassical computational model is used to simulate the emission of THz radiation from a GaAs photoconductive THz emitter. This model incorporates white noise with increasing noise amplitude (corresponding to decreasing dynamic range values. White noise is selected over other noise due to its contributions in THz-TDS systems. The results from this semiclassical computational model, in combination with defined sample thicknesses, can provide the maximum measurable absorption coefficient for a microfluidic-based THz-TDS system. The maximum measurable frequencies for such systems can be extracted through the relationship between the maximum measurable absorption coefficient and the absorption coefficient for representative biofluids. The sample thickness of the microfluidic platform and the dynamic range of the THz-TDS system play a role in defining the maximum measurable frequency for microfluidic-based THz-TDS systems. The results of this work serve as a design tool for the development of such systems.

Impairment of myocardial perfusion in children with sickle cell disease; Alteration de la perfusion myocardique chez l'enfant drepanocytaire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maunoury, C. [Hopital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Service de Medecine Nucleaire, 75 - Paris (France); Acar, P. [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Hopital des Enfants, Service de Cardiologie Pediatrique, 31 - Toulouse (France); Montalembert, M. de [Hopital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Service de Pediatrie Generale, 75 - Paris (France)

2003-10-01

While brain, bone and spleen strokes are well documented in children with sickle cell disease (SCD), impairment of myocardial perfusion is an unknown complication. Non invasive techniques such as exercise testing and echocardiography have a low sensitivity to detect myocardial ischemia in patients with SCD. We have prospectively assessed myocardial perfusion with Tl-201 SPECT in 23 patients with SCD (10 female, 13 male, mean age 12 {+-} 5 years). Myocardial SPECT was performed after stress and 3 hours later after reinjection on a single head gamma camera equipped with a LEAP collimator (64 x 64 matrix size format, 30 projections over 180 deg C, 30 seconds per step). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was assessed by equilibrium radionuclide angiography at rest on the same day. Myocardial perfusion was impaired in 14/23 patients: 9 reversible defects and 5 fixed defects. The left ventricular cavity was dilated in 14/23 patients. The mean LVEF was 63 {+-} 9%. There was no relationship between myocardial perfusion and left ventricular dilation or function. The frequent impairment of myocardial perfusion in children with SCD could lead to suggest a treatment with hydroxyurea, an improvement of perfusion can be noted with hydroxyurea. (author)

Visual Estimation of Bacterial Growth Level in Microfluidic Culture Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyukwang; Kim, Seunggyu; Jeon, Jessie S

2018-02-03

Microfluidic devices are an emerging platform for a variety of experiments involving bacterial cell culture, and has advantages including cost and convenience. One inevitable step during bacterial cell culture is the measurement of cell concentration in the channel. The optical density measurement technique is generally used for bacterial growth estimation, but it is not applicable to microfluidic devices due to the small sample volumes in microfluidics. Alternately, cell counting or colony-forming unit methods may be applied, but these do not work in situ; nor do these methods show measurement results immediately. To this end, we present a new vision-based method to estimate the growth level of the bacteria in microfluidic channels. We use Fast Fourier transform (FFT) to detect the frequency level change of the microscopic image, focusing on the fact that the microscopic image becomes rough as the number of cells in the field of view increases, adding high frequencies to the spectrum of the image. Two types of microfluidic devices are used to culture bacteria in liquid and agar gel medium, and time-lapsed images are captured. The images obtained are analyzed using FFT, resulting in an increase in high-frequency noise proportional to the time passed. Furthermore, we apply the developed method in the microfluidic antibiotics susceptibility test by recognizing the regional concentration change of the bacteria that are cultured in the antibiotics gradient. Finally, a deep learning-based data regression is performed on the data obtained by the proposed vision-based method for robust reporting of data.

Visual Estimation of Bacterial Growth Level in Microfluidic Culture Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyukwang Kim

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic devices are an emerging platform for a variety of experiments involving bacterial cell culture, and has advantages including cost and convenience. One inevitable step during bacterial cell culture is the measurement of cell concentration in the channel. The optical density measurement technique is generally used for bacterial growth estimation, but it is not applicable to microfluidic devices due to the small sample volumes in microfluidics. Alternately, cell counting or colony-forming unit methods may be applied, but these do not work in situ; nor do these methods show measurement results immediately. To this end, we present a new vision-based method to estimate the growth level of the bacteria in microfluidic channels. We use Fast Fourier transform (FFT to detect the frequency level change of the microscopic image, focusing on the fact that the microscopic image becomes rough as the number of cells in the field of view increases, adding high frequencies to the spectrum of the image. Two types of microfluidic devices are used to culture bacteria in liquid and agar gel medium, and time-lapsed images are captured. The images obtained are analyzed using FFT, resulting in an increase in high-frequency noise proportional to the time passed. Furthermore, we apply the developed method in the microfluidic antibiotics susceptibility test by recognizing the regional concentration change of the bacteria that are cultured in the antibiotics gradient. Finally, a deep learning-based data regression is performed on the data obtained by the proposed vision-based method for robust reporting of data.

Micro-Fluidic Device for Drug Delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Beebe, David J. (Inventor); MacDonald, Michael J. (Inventor); Eddington, David T. (Inventor); Mensing, Glennys A. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A microfluidic device is provided for delivering a drug to an individual. The microfluidic device includes a body that defines a reservoir for receiving the drug therein. A valve interconnects the reservoir to an output needle that is insertable into the skin of an individual. A pressure source urges the drug from the reservoir toward the needle. The valve is movable between a closed position preventing the flow of the drug from the reservoir to the output needle and an open position allowing for the flow of the drug from the reservoir to the output needle in response to a predetermined condition in the physiological fluids of the individual.

Effect of x-ray tube current on the accuracy of cerebral perfusion parameters obtained by CT perfusion studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murase, Kenya; Nanjo, Takafumi; Ii, Satoshi; Miyazaki, Shohei; Hirata, Masaaki; Sugawara, Yoshifumi; Kudo, Masayuki; Sasaki, Kousuke; Mochizuki, Teruhito

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of x-ray tube current on the accuracy of cerebral perfusion parameters obtained by CT perfusion studies using multi-detector row CT (MDCT). Following the standard CT perfusion study protocol, continuous (cine) scans (1 s/rotation x 60 s) consisting of four 5 mm thick contiguous slices were performed using an MDCT scanner with a tube voltage of 80 kVp and a tube current of 200 mA. We generated the simulated images with tube currents of 50 mA, 100 mA and 150 mA by adding the corresponding noise to the raw scan data of the original image acquired above using a noise simulation tool. From the original and simulated images, we generated the functional images of cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV) and mean transit time (MTT) in seven patients with cerebrovascular disease, and compared the correlation coefficients (CCs) between the perfusion parameter values obtained from the original and simulated images. The coefficients of variation (CVs) in the white matter were also compared. The CC values deteriorated with decreasing tube current. There was a significant difference between 50 mA and 100 mA for all perfusion parameters. The CV values increased with decreasing tube current. There were significant differences between 50 mA and 100 mA and between 100 mA and 150 mA for CBF. For CBV and MTT, there was also a significant difference between 150 mA and 200 mA. This study will be useful for understanding the effect of x-ray tube current on the accuracy of cerebral perfusion parameters obtained by CT perfusion studies using MDCT, and for selecting the tube current

Field effect control of electro-osmotic flow in microfluidic networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Wouden, E.J.

2006-01-01

This thesis describes the development of a Field Effect Flow Control (FEFC) system for the control of Electro Osmotic Flow (EOF) in microfluidic networks. For this several aspects of FEFC have been reviewed and a process to fabricate microfluidic channels with integrated electrodes has been

Application-specific fault-tolerant architecture synthesis for digital microfluidic biochips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alistar, Mirela; Pop, Paul; Madsen, Jan

2013-01-01

, but as discrete droplets on an array of electrodes. Microfluidic operations, such as transport, mixing, split, are performed on this array by routing the corresponding droplets on a series of electrodes. Researchers have proposed several approaches for the synthesis of digital microfluidic biochips. All previous...

Interconnection blocks: a method for providing reusable, rapid, multiple, aligned and planar microfluidic interconnections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sabourin, David; Snakenborg, Detlef; Dufva, Hans Martin

2009-01-01

In this paper a method is presented for creating 'interconnection blocks' that are re-usable and provide multiple, aligned and planar microfluidic interconnections. Interconnection blocks made from polydimethylsiloxane allow rapid testing of microfluidic chips and unobstructed microfluidic observ...

Enzyme detection by microfluidics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2013-01-01

Microfluidic-implemented methods of detecting an enzyme, in particular a DNA-modifying enzyme, are provided, as well as methods for detecting a cell, or a microorganism expressing said enzyme. The enzyme is detected by providing a nucleic acid substrate, which is specifically targeted...... by that enzyme...

Gray matter perfusion correlates with disease severity in ALS.

Science.gov (United States)

Rule, Randall R; Schuff, Norbert; Miller, Robert G; Weiner, Michael W

2010-03-09

The goal of this study is to determine if regional brain perfusion, as measured by arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI, is correlated with clinical measures of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease severity. The presence of such a relationship would indicate a possible role for ASL perfusion as a marker of disease severity and upper motor neuron involvement in ALS. Disease severity was assessed in 16 subjects with ALS (age 54 +/- 11) using the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS) and the pulmonary function measure, forced vital capacity (FVC). Upper motor neuron involvement was assessed by testing rapid tapping of the fingers and feet. Magnetic resonance perfusion images were coregistered with structural T1-weighted MRI, corrected for partial volume effects using the structural images and normalized to a study-specific atlas. Correlations between perfusion and ALS disease severity were analyzed, using statistical parametric mapping, and including age as a factor. Analyses were adjusted for multiple clusters. ALS severity, as measured by the ALSFRS and FVC, was correlated with gray matter perfusion. This correlation was predominantly observed in the hemisphere contralateral to the more affected limbs. ALSFRS scores correlated with perfusion in the contralateral frontal and parietal lobe (p frontal lobe (p frontal lobe (p Upper motor neuron involvement, as measured by rapid finger tapping, correlated bilaterally with perfusion in the middle cingulate gyrus (p < 0.001). Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) severity is correlated with brain perfusion as measured by arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion. This correlation appears to be independent of brain atrophy. ASL perfusion may be a useful tool for monitoring disease progression and assessing treatment effects in ALS.

Automated quantitative cytological analysis using portable microfluidic microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jagannadh, Veerendra Kalyan; Murthy, Rashmi Sreeramachandra; Srinivasan, Rajesh; Gorthi, Sai Siva

2016-06-01

In this article, a portable microfluidic microscopy based approach for automated cytological investigations is presented. Inexpensive optical and electronic components have been used to construct a simple microfluidic microscopy system. In contrast to the conventional slide-based methods, the presented method employs microfluidics to enable automated sample handling and image acquisition. The approach involves the use of simple in-suspension staining and automated image acquisition to enable quantitative cytological analysis of samples. The applicability of the presented approach to research in cellular biology is shown by performing an automated cell viability assessment on a given population of yeast cells. Further, the relevance of the presented approach to clinical diagnosis and prognosis has been demonstrated by performing detection and differential assessment of malaria infection in a given sample. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Selective distribution of enzymes in a microfluidic reactor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daugaard, Anders Egede; Pereira Rosinha Grundtvig, Ines; Krühne, Ulrich

Off stoichiometric thiol-ene mixtures are well suited for preparation of microfluidic devices with highly functional surfaces. Here a two stage process employing first thiol-ene chemistry (TEC) to prepare two opposite parts of a microfluidic system with a 30x30 mm reactor and subsequently a thiol......-epoxy bonding was used to prepare a fully sealed microfluidic system. The reactor was surface functionalized in-situ with allyl glycidyl ether in different patterns (half-reactor, full-reactor, checkerboard structures) on the surface to provide a controlled distribution of epoxides. The method additionally...... enables the selective immobilization on either top-side or bottom-side or both sides of the reactor. Thereafter horseradish peroxidase was immobilized on the surface and activity tests illustrated how this distribution of the enzyme on the surface could be used to optimize the activity of the enzyme...

CT perfusion study of neck lymph nodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong Jin; Liu Jun; Hua Rui; Qiao Hui; Gong Yi

2011-01-01

Objective: To study the CT perfusion features of various lymph nodes in the neck. Methods: Dynamic perfusion CT scanning was performed in 83 neck lymph nodes proved by pathology, including tuberculosis lymph nodes, lymphoma and metastatic lymph nodes. The shapes, blood flow modes, and perfusion parameters of these lymph nodes were compared among 3 groups. Statistical analysis of L/T and CT perfusion parameters was performed by one-way ANOVA and LSD test. Results: The values of MTT of tuberculosis lymph nodes, lymphoma and metastatic lymph nodes were (28.13±5.08), (31.08±5.82), and (11.24±5.31) s, respectively. The MTT of metastatic lymph nodes was statistically lower than that of tuberculosis lymph nodes and lymphoma (P -1 · 100 g -1 , respectively. The values of BV were (24.68±2.84), (25.30±3.16), and (25.15± 8.81) ml·100 g -1 respectively. The values of TTP were (40.90±8.85), (40.67±6.45), and (40.98±6.62) s, respectively. There were no significant differences in L/T, BF, BV and TTP among tuberculosis lymph nodes, lymphoma and metastatic lymph nodes (P>0.05). Conclusion: CT perfusion, especially combination functional imaging with perfusion images may be helpful in judging the nature of neck lymph nodes. (authors)

Microfluidic Reactors for the Controlled Synthesis of Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Erdem, Emine Yegan

Nanoparticles have attracted a lot of attention in the past few decades due to their unique, size-dependent properties. In order to use these nanoparticles in devices or sensors effectively, it is important to maintain uniform properties throughout the system; therefore nanoparticles need to have uniform sizes -- or monodisperse. In order to achieve monodispersity, an extreme control over the reaction conditions is required during their synthesis. These reaction conditions such as temperature, concentration of reagents, residence times, etc. affect the structure of nanoparticles dramatically; therefore when the conditions vary locally in the reaction vessel, different sized nanoparticles form, causing polydispersity. In widely-used batch wise synthesis techniques, large sized reaction vessels are used to mix and heat reagents. In these types of systems, it is very hard to avoid thermal gradients and to achieve rapid mixing times as well as to control residence times. Also it is not possible to make rapid changes in the reaction parameters during the synthesis. The other drawback of conventional methods is that it is not possible to separate the nucleation of nanoparticles from their growth; this leads to combined nucleation and growth and subsequently results in polydisperse size distributions. Microfluidics is an alternative method by which the limitations of conventional techniques can be addressed. Due to the small size, it is possible to control temperature and concentration of reagents precisely as well as to make rapid changes in mixing ratios of reagents or temperature of the reaction zones. There have been several microfluidic reactors -- (microreactors) in literature that were designed to improve the size distribution of nanoparticles. In this work, two novel microfluidic systems were developed for achieving controlled synthesis of nanoparticles. The first microreactor was made out of a chemically robust polymer, polyurethane, and it was used for low

System-level modeling and simulation of the cell culture microfluidic biochip ProCell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Minhass, Wajid Hassan; Pop, Paul; Madsen, Jan

2010-01-01

Microfluidic biochips offer a promising alternative to a conventional biochemical laboratory. There are two technologies for the microfluidic biochips: droplet-based and flow-based. In this paper we are interested in flow-based microfluidic biochips, where the liquid flows continuously through pre......-defined micro-channels using valves and pumps. We present an approach to the system-level modeling and simulation of a cell culture microfluidic biochip called ProCell, Programmable Cell Culture Chip. ProCell contains a cell culture chamber, which is envisioned to run 256 simultaneous experiments (viewed...

Facile fabrication of microfluidic surface-enhanced Raman scattering devices via lift-up lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yuanzi; Jiang, Ye; Zheng, Xiaoshan; Jia, Shasha; Zhu, Zhi; Ren, Bin; Ma, Hongwei

2018-04-01

We describe a facile and low-cost approach for a flexibly integrated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate in microfluidic chips. Briefly, a SERS substrate was fabricated by the electrostatic assembling of gold nanoparticles, and shaped into designed patterns by subsequent lift-up soft lithography. The SERS micro-pattern could be further integrated within microfluidic channels conveniently. The resulting microfluidic SERS chip allowed ultrasensitive in situ SERS monitoring from the transparent glass window. With its advantages in simplicity, functionality and cost-effectiveness, this method could be readily expanded into optical microfluidic fabrication for biochemical applications.

Perfusion MRI in CNS disease: current concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Essig, M.; Giesel, F.; Le-Huu, M.; Stieltjes, B.; Tengg, H. von; Weber, M.-A.

2004-01-01

Today there are several indications for cerebral perfusion MRI. The major indications routinely used in increasing numbers of imaging centers include cerebrovascular disease, tumor imaging and recently psychiatric disorders. Perfusion MRI is based on the injection of a gadolinium chelate and the rapid acquisition of images as the bolus of contrast agent passes through the blood vessels in the brain. The contrast agent causes a signal change; this signal change over time can be analysed to measure cerebral hemodynamics. The quality of brain perfusion studies is very dependent on the contrast agent used: a robust and strong signal decrease with a compact bolus is needed. MultiHance (gadobenate dimeglumine, Gd-BOPTA) is the first of a new class of paramagnetic MR contrast agents with a weak affinity for serum proteins. Due to the interaction of Gd-BOPTA with serum albumin, MultiHance presents with significantly higher T1- and T2-relaxivities enabling a sharper bolus profile. This article reviews the indications of perfusion MRI and the performance of MultiHance in MR perfusion of different diseases. Previous studies using perfusion MRI for a variety of purposes required the use of double dose of contrast agent to achieve a sufficiently large signal drop to enable the acquisition of a clear input function and the calculation of perfusion rCBV and rCBF maps of adequate quality. Recent studies with Multi-Hance suggest that only a single dose of this agent is needed to cause a signal drop of about 30% which is sufficient to allow the calculation of high quality rCBV and rCBF maps. (orig.)

A model system for perfusion quantification using FAIR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Irene Klærke; Sidaros, Karam; Gesmar, Henrik

2000-01-01

Flow-sensitive experiments (FAIR) have been performed on a tube-flow phantom in order to validate quantitative perfusion measurements on humans. A straight-forward correspondence between perfusion and bulk-flow is found. It is shown that the flow phantom model only holds when the slice profiles...... of the involved RF pulses are taken into account. A small flow-independent off-set may be present in the data. The off-set is explained by the model. Based on the correspondence between the phantom and the in vivo models, it is shown that the lowest flow values that could be measured in the phantom correspond...... to perfusion values lower than the cortical perfusion in the brain. Thus, the experimental accuracy and the computational methods for quantitative perfusion measurements in vivo can be validated by a tube-flow phantom....

A model system for perfusion quantification using FAIR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, I.K.; Sidaros, Karam; Gesmar, H

2000-01-01

Flow-sensitive experiments (FAIR) have been performed on a tube-flow phantom in order to validate quantitative perfusion measurements on humans. A straight-forward correspondence between perfusion and bulk-flow is found. It is shown that the flow phantom model only holds when the slice profiles...... of the involved RF pulses are taken into account. A small flow-independent off-set may be present in the data. The off-set is explained by the model. Based on the correspondence between the phantom and the in vivo models, it is shown that the lowest flow values that could be measured in the phantom correspond...... to perfusion values lower than the cortical perfusion in the brain. Thus, the experimental accuracy and the computational methods for quantitative perfusion measurements in vivo can be validated by a tube-flow phantom...

Integrated Microfluidic Gas Sensors for Water Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, L.; Sniadecki, N.; DeVoe, D. L.; Beamesderfer, M.; Semancik, S.; DeVoe, D. L.

2003-01-01

A silicon-based microhotplate tin oxide (SnO2) gas sensor integrated into a polymer-based microfluidic system for monitoring of contaminants in water systems is presented. This device is designed to sample a water source, control the sample vapor pressure within a microchannel using integrated resistive heaters, and direct the vapor past the integrated gas sensor for analysis. The sensor platform takes advantage of novel technology allowing direct integration of discrete silicon chips into a larger polymer microfluidic substrate, including seamless fluidic and electrical interconnects between the substrate and silicon chip.

Evaluation of both perfusion and atrophy in multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type using brain SPECT alone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Hiroshi; Imabayashi, Etsuko; Kuji, Ichiei; Seto, Akira; Ito, Kimiteru; Kikuta, Daisuke; Yamada, Minoru; Shimano, Yasumasa; Sato, Noriko

2010-01-01

Partial volume effects in atrophied areas should be taken into account when interpreting brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images of neurodegenerative diseases. To evaluate both perfusion and atrophy using brain SPECT alone, we developed a new technique applying tensor-based morphometry (TBM) to SPECT. After linear spatial normalization of brain perfusion SPECT using 99m Tc-ethyl cysteinate dimer ( 99m Tc-ECD) to a Talairach space, high-dimension-warping was done using an original 99m Tc-ECD template. Contraction map images calculated from Jacobian determinants and spatially normalized SPECT images using this high-dimension-warping were compared using statistical parametric mapping (SPM2) between two groups of 16 multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type (MSA-C) patients and 73 age-matched normal controls. This comparison was also performed in conventionally warped SPECT images. SPM2 demonstrated statistically significant contraction indicating local atrophy and decreased perfusion in the whole cerebellum and pons of MSA-C patients as compared to normal controls. Higher significance for decreased perfusion in these areas was obtained in high-dimension-warping than in conventional warping, possibly due to sufficient spatial normalization to a 99m Tc-ECD template in high-dimensional warping of severely atrophied cerebellum and pons. In the present high-dimension-warping, modification of tracer activity remained within 3% of the original tracer distribution. The present new technique applying TBM to brain SPECT provides information on both perfusion and atrophy at the same time thereby enhancing the role of brain perfusion SPECT

Evaluation of both perfusion and atrophy in multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type using brain SPECT alone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matsuda Hiroshi

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Partial volume effects in atrophied areas should be taken into account when interpreting brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT images of neurodegenerative diseases. To evaluate both perfusion and atrophy using brain SPECT alone, we developed a new technique applying tensor-based morphometry (TBM to SPECT. Methods After linear spatial normalization of brain perfusion SPECT using 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (99mTc-ECD to a Talairach space, high-dimension-warping was done using an original 99mTc-ECD template. Contraction map images calculated from Jacobian determinants and spatially normalized SPECT images using this high-dimension-warping were compared using statistical parametric mapping (SPM2 between two groups of 16 multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type (MSA-C patients and 73 age-matched normal controls. This comparison was also performed in conventionally warped SPECT images. Results SPM2 demonstrated statistically significant contraction indicating local atrophy and decreased perfusion in the whole cerebellum and pons of MSA-C patients as compared to normal controls. Higher significance for decreased perfusion in these areas was obtained in high-dimension-warping than in conventional warping, possibly due to sufficient spatial normalization to a 99mTc-ECD template in high-dimensional warping of severely atrophied cerebellum and pons. In the present high-dimension-warping, modification of tracer activity remained within 3% of the original tracer distribution. Conclusions The present new technique applying TBM to brain SPECT provides information on both perfusion and atrophy at the same time thereby enhancing the role of brain perfusion SPECT

Droplet-based microfluidic method for synthesis of microparticles

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mbanjwa, MB

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Droplet-based microfluidics has, in recent years, received increased attention as an important tool for performing numerous methods in modern day chemistry and biology such as the synthesis of hydrogel microparticles. Hydrogels have been used in many..., in recent years, received increased attention as an important tool for performing numerous methods in modern day chemistry and biology, such as synthesis of hydrogel microparticles. CONCLUSION AND OUTLOOK The droplet-based microfluidic method offers...

Influence of ocular perfusion pressure fluctuation on glaucoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Zi Ren

2015-12-01

Full Text Available AIM:To investigate the influence of ocular perfusion pressure fluctuation on glaucoma. METHODS:Forty patients with primary open angle glaucoma from January 2013 to June 2015 in our hospital were used as observation group and 40 families were used as control group. Circadian fluctuation of intraocular pressure, blood pressure and ocular perfusion pressure in 24h were determined to obtain systolic ocular perfusion pressure(SOPP, diastolic ocular perfusion pressure(DOPPand mean ocular perfusion pressure(MOPP. Pearson linear correlation was used to analyze the correlation of circadian MOPP fluctuation with cup-disc ratio, mean defect(MDand the picture standard deviation(PSD. RESULTS:The fluctuation of MOPP, SOPP and DOPP of observation group were significantly higher than those of control group(Pr=-0.389, 95%CI:-0.612～-0.082; P=0.011, was positively correlated with PSD(r=0.512, 95%CI:0.139 ～0.782; P=0.008; no correlation was found between it and the vertical cup-disc ratio(r=0.115, 95%CI:0.056～0.369; P=0.355. CONCLUSION:Ocular perfusion pressure fluctuations in patients with primary open angle glaucoma may reflect the severity of the disease and may make the situation aggravating. Therefore through perfusion pressure monitor in 24h may help us understand the ocular blood flow and the development of primary open-angle glaucoma.

Isolation of cancer cells by "in situ" microfluidic biofunctionalization protocols

KAUST Repository

De Vitis, Stefania; Matarise, Giuseppina; Pardeo, Francesca; Catalano, Rossella; Malara, Natalia Maria; Trunzo, Valentina; Tallerico, Rossana; Gentile, Francesco T.; Candeloro, Patrizio; Coluccio, Maria Laura; Massaro, Alessandro S.; Viglietto, Giuseppe; Carbone, Ennio; Kutter, Jö rg Peter; Perozziello, Gerardo; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

2014-01-01

The aim of this work is the development of a microfluidic immunosensor for the immobilization of cancer cells and their separation from healthy cells by using "in situ" microfluidic biofunctionalization protocols. These protocols allow to link antibodies on microfluidic device surfaces and can be used to study the interaction between cell membrane and biomolecules. Moreover they allow to perform analysis with high processing speed, small quantity of reagents and samples, short reaction times and low production costs. In this work the developed protocols were used in microfluidic devices for the isolation of cancer cells in heterogeneous blood samples by exploiting the binding of specific antibody to an adhesion protein (EpCAM), overexpressed on the tumor cell membranes. The presented biofunctionalization protocols can be performed right before running the experiment: this allows to have a flexible platform where biomolecules of interest can be linked on the device surface according to the user's needs. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of hexagonal gold nanoparticles using a microfluidic reaction system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng, Chen-Hsun; Lee, Gwo-Bin; Huang, Chih-Chia; Yeh, Chen-Sheng; Lei, Huan-Yao

2008-01-01

A new microfluidic reaction system capable of mixing, transporting and reacting is developed for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. It allows for a rapid and a cost-effective approach to accelerate the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The microfluidic reaction chip is made from micro-electro-mechanical-system technologies which integrate a micro-mixer, micro-pumps, a micro-valve, micro-heaters and a micro temperature sensor on a single chip. Successful synthesis of dispersed gold nanoparticles has been demonstrated within a shorter period of time, as compared to traditional methods. It is experimentally found that precise control of the mixing/heating time for gold salts and reducing agents plays an essential role in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The growth process of hexagonal gold nanoparticles by a thermal aqueous approach is also systematically studied by using the same microfluidic reaction system. The development of the microfluidic reaction system could be promising for the synthesis of functional nanoparticles for future biomedical applications

Skin Diseases Modeling using Combined Tissue Engineering and Microfluidic Technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, Mohammad Hossein; Heidary Araghi, Behnaz; Beydaghi, Vahid; Geraili, Armin; Moradi, Farshid; Jafari, Parya; Janmaleki, Mohsen; Valente, Karolina Papera; Akbari, Mohsen; Sanati-Nezhad, Amir

2016-10-01

In recent years, both tissue engineering and microfluidics have significantly contributed in engineering of in vitro skin substitutes to test the penetration of chemicals or to replace damaged skins. Organ-on-chip platforms have been recently inspired by the integration of microfluidics and biomaterials in order to develop physiologically relevant disease models. However, the application of organ-on-chip on the development of skin disease models is still limited and needs to be further developed. The impact of tissue engineering, biomaterials and microfluidic platforms on the development of skin grafts and biomimetic in vitro skin models is reviewed. The integration of tissue engineering and microfluidics for the development of biomimetic skin-on-chip platforms is further discussed, not only to improve the performance of present skin models, but also for the development of novel skin disease platforms for drug screening processes. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Isolation of cancer cells by "in situ" microfluidic biofunctionalization protocols

KAUST Repository

De Vitis, Stefania

2014-07-01

The aim of this work is the development of a microfluidic immunosensor for the immobilization of cancer cells and their separation from healthy cells by using "in situ" microfluidic biofunctionalization protocols. These protocols allow to link antibodies on microfluidic device surfaces and can be used to study the interaction between cell membrane and biomolecules. Moreover they allow to perform analysis with high processing speed, small quantity of reagents and samples, short reaction times and low production costs. In this work the developed protocols were used in microfluidic devices for the isolation of cancer cells in heterogeneous blood samples by exploiting the binding of specific antibody to an adhesion protein (EpCAM), overexpressed on the tumor cell membranes. The presented biofunctionalization protocols can be performed right before running the experiment: this allows to have a flexible platform where biomolecules of interest can be linked on the device surface according to the user\\'s needs. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabricating a multi-level barrier-integrated microfluidic device using grey-scale photolithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Yoonkwang; Kim, Minseok; Kim, Taesung

2013-01-01

Most polymer-replica-based microfluidic devices are mainly fabricated by using standard soft-lithography technology so that multi-level masters (MLMs) require multiple spin-coatings, mask alignments, exposures, developments, and bakings. In this paper, we describe a simple method for fabricating MLMs for planar microfluidic channels with multi-level barriers (MLBs). A single photomask is necessary for standard photolithography technology to create a polydimethylsiloxane grey-scale photomask (PGSP), which adjusts the total amount of UV absorption in a negative-tone photoresist via a wide range of dye concentrations. Since the PGSP in turn adjusts the degree of cross-linking of the photoresist, this method enables the fabrication of MLMs for an MLB-integrated microfluidic device. Since the PGSP-based soft-lithography technology provides a simple but powerful fabrication method for MLBs in a microfluidic device, we believe that the fabrication method can be widely used for micro total analysis systems that benefit from MLBs. We demonstrate an MLB-integrated microfluidic device that can separate microparticles. (paper)

Meta-Analysis of Stress Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-06

Coronary Disease; Echocardiography; Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial; Hemodynamics; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Myocardial Perfusion Imaging; Perfusion; Predictive Value of Tests; Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography; Positron Emission Tomography; Multidetector Computed Tomography; Echocardiography, Stress; Coronary Angiography

Microfluidics for medical applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Berg, Albert; van den Berg, A.; Segerink, L.I.; Segerink, Loes Irene; Unknown, [Unknown

2015-01-01

Lab-on-a-chip devices for point of care diagnostics have been present in clinics for several years now. Alongside their continual development, research is underway to bring the organs and tissue on-a-chip to the patient, amongst other medical applications of microfluidics. This book provides the

Numerical Optimization in Microfluidics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kristian Ejlebjærg

2017-01-01

Numerical modelling can illuminate the working mechanism and limitations of microfluidic devices. Such insights are useful in their own right, but one can take advantage of numerical modelling in a systematic way using numerical optimization. In this chapter we will discuss when and how numerical...... optimization is best used....

Perfusion single photon emission computed tomography of myocardium with 99mTc-tetra-phosmine (Myoview)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khusainova, Sh.K.; Zholdybaj, Zh.; Potapov, A.V.; Karaev, O.S.; Akhmetova, G.R.

2003-01-01

The aim of the work is study of diagnostic valuation of myocardium scintigraphy with help of the 99m Tc-tetrophosmin, Myoview in determination of latent coronary blood-circulation destabilization in liquidators of the Chernobyl accident (LChA) and persons living in the Semipalatinsk test site (STS) region. The perfusion myocardium scintigraphy was made to 71 patients (5 women and 66 men) from those - 33 LChA and 37 - residents of STS region. The examination was carried out in 'ADAC Genesys Epic' apparatus (USA). Mean age of the patients was 46.3±2.3 years old. In the result of examination the left ventricle myocardium perfusion reduction on 30 % and more was revealed. The distribution of radiopharmaceutical by the myocardium parts were relatively proportional both with pharmacologic load (ATF, dipiridamol) and the rest in 48 (67.7 %) patients. So, the 99m Tc-tetrophosmin, Myoview pharmaceutical allows with high rate estimate the myocardium perfusion and get a high qualitative images, that permits to identify localization, character and distribution of myocardium perfusion reduction in the revealed areas. In the result of myocardine scintigraphy with the pharmacologic load trial conducting the both the latent coronary blood-circulation destabilization forms and the incoming ones were differentiated

Microfluidics and photonics for Bio-System-on-a-Chip: a review of advancements in technology towards a microfluidic flow cytometry chip.

Science.gov (United States)

Godin, Jessica; Chen, Chun-Hao; Cho, Sung Hwan; Qiao, Wen; Tsai, Frank; Lo, Yu-Hwa

2008-10-01

Microfluidics and photonics come together to form a field commonly referred to as 'optofluidics'. Flow cytometry provides the field with a technology base from which both microfluidic and photonic components be developed and integrated into a useful device. This article reviews some of the more recent developments to familiarize a reader with the current state of the technologies and also highlights the requirements of the device and how researchers are working to meet these needs.

Dynamic CT myocardial perfusion imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caruso, Damiano; Eid, Marwen; Schoepf, U. Joseph; Jin, Kwang Nam; Varga-Szemes, Akos; Tesche, Christian; Mangold, Stefanie

2016-01-01

Highlights: • CT myocardial perfusion provides functional assessment of the myocardium. • CCTA is limited in determining the hemodynamic significance of coronary stenosis. • CT-MPI can accurately detect hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis. - Abstract: Non-invasive cardiac imaging has rapidly evolved during the last decade due to advancements in CT based technologies. Coronary CT angiography has been shown to reliably assess coronary anatomy and detect high risk coronary artery disease. However, this technique is limited to anatomical assessment, thus non-invasive techniques for functional assessment of the heart are necessary. CT myocardial perfusion is a new CT based technique that provides functional assessment of the myocardium and allows for a comprehensive assessment of coronary artery disease with a single modality when combined with CTA. This review aims to discuss dynamic CT myocardial perfusion as a new technique in the assessment of CAD.

Dynamic CT myocardial perfusion imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caruso, Damiano [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Latina (Italy); Eid, Marwen [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Schoepf, U. Joseph, E-mail: schoepf@musc.edu [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Jin, Kwang Nam [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Department of Radiology, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Varga-Szemes, Akos [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Tesche, Christian [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Department of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Heart Center Munich-Bogenhausen, Munich (Germany); Mangold, Stefanie [Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen (Germany); and others

2016-10-15

Highlights: • CT myocardial perfusion provides functional assessment of the myocardium. • CCTA is limited in determining the hemodynamic significance of coronary stenosis. • CT-MPI can accurately detect hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis. - Abstract: Non-invasive cardiac imaging has rapidly evolved during the last decade due to advancements in CT based technologies. Coronary CT angiography has been shown to reliably assess coronary anatomy and detect high risk coronary artery disease. However, this technique is limited to anatomical assessment, thus non-invasive techniques for functional assessment of the heart are necessary. CT myocardial perfusion is a new CT based technique that provides functional assessment of the myocardium and allows for a comprehensive assessment of coronary artery disease with a single modality when combined with CTA. This review aims to discuss dynamic CT myocardial perfusion as a new technique in the assessment of CAD.

Lung perfusion scintigraphy by SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirayama, Takanobu

1990-01-01

The initial study reports the characteristic performance using lung segmental phantom filled in Tc-99m pertechnetate. To evaluate the segmental defect in lung perfusion scintigraphy, we applied Bull's-eye analysis in addition to planar image set. Bull's-eye analysis especially facilitated the interpretation in both middle and lower lobes. Subsequently, to evolute the clinical application of Bull's-eye analysis, pulmonary scintigraphy was performed on 10 normal subjects and 60 patients with several pulmonary diseases. Of interest, Bull's-eye analysis, however, encouraged the interpretation in both lower lobes. To calculate the extention and severity of perfusion defect, the present study describes Bull's-eye analysis. Quantitative scoring showed higher in patients with lung cancer than those with pulmonary tuberculosis. The present study focus that Bull's-eye analysis can be useful for evaluating perfusion in patients with a couple of pulmonary diseases. (author)

Development of a Microfluidic Platform to Analyze Evolution of Programmed Bacterial Death

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-20

droplet-based microfluidic technology to generate population ‘bottleneck’. This platform will serve as a critical foundation for our long-term goal to...Final Report: Development of a Microfluidic Platform to Analyze Evolution of Programmed Bacterial Death The views, opinions and/or findings contained...Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 Microfluidics , systems biology REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM

Effects of Constant Flow vs. Constant Pressure Perfusion on Fluid Filtration in Severe Hypothermic Isolated Blood-Perfused Rat Lungs.

Science.gov (United States)

Halsøy, Kathrine; Kondratiev, Timofey; Tveita, Torkjel; Bjertnaes, Lars J

2016-01-01

Victims of severe accidental hypothermia are prone to fluid extravasation but rarely develop lung edema. We hypothesize that combined hypothermia-induced increase in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and a concomitant fall in cardiac output protect the lungs against edema development. Our aim was to explore in hypothermic-isolated blood-perfused rat lungs whether perfusion at constant pressure influences fluid filtration differently from perfusion at constant flow. Isolated blood-perfused rat lungs were hanging freely in a weight transducer for measuring weight changes (ΔW). Fluid filtration coefficient (Kfc), was determined by transiently elevating left atrial pressure (Pla) by 5.8 mmHg two times each during normothermia (37°C) and during hypothermia (15°C). The lung preparations were randomized to two groups. One group was perfused with constant flow (Constant flow group) and the other group with constant pulmonary artery pressure (Constant PPA group). Microvascular pressure (Pmv) was determined before and during elevation of Pla (ΔPmv) by means of the double occlusion technique. Kfc was calculated with the formula Kfc = ΔW/ΔPmv/min. All Kfc values were normalized to predicted lung weight (P LW ), which was based on body weight (BW) according to the formula: P LW  = 0.0053 BW - 0.48 and presented as Kfc PLW in mg/min/mmHg/g. At cessation, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid/perfusate protein concentration (B/P) ratio was determined photometrically. Data were analyzed with parametric or non-parametric tests as appropriate. p  Kfc PLW and B/P ratio increased significantly by more than 10-fold during hypothermia concerted by visible signs of edema in the trachea. Hemoglobin and hematocrit increased within the Constant flow group and between the groups at cessation of the experiments. In hypothermic rat lungs perfused at constant flow, fluid filtration coefficient per gram P LW and B/P ratio increased more than 10-fold concerted by increased

Reversible ventilation and perfusion abnormalities in unilateral obstructed lung

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, H.E.; Jones, R.L.; King, E.G.; Sproule, B.J.; Fortune, R.L.

1982-01-01

An intraluminal carcinoid tumor obstructing the left mainstem bronchus produced hypoxemia through alteration in ventilation/perfusion matching. Studies of regional lung function using 133-xenon (/sup 133/Xe) and a multiprobe computerized instrumentation system documented a reduction of perfusion to 22 percent and ventilation to 6 percent of the total. There was negligible washout of intravenously injected /sup 133/Xe from the left lung consistent with air trapping. Four days after left mainstem bronchial sleeve resection, perfusion, ventilation and washout of injected xenon had significantly improved and by four months postresection, all measurements were virtually normal, although complete restoration of perfusion in relation to ventilation was delayed. Regional lung function studied with a multiprobe system in this patient provided a clinical model for the study of ventilation and perfusion inter-relationships in large airway obstruction and demonstrated that a prolonged time may be required for return of perfusion to normal

Transforming nanomedicine manufacturing toward Quality by Design and microfluidics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Colombo, Stefano; Beck-Broichsitter, Moritz; Bøtker, Johan Peter

2018-01-01

-oriented manufacturing of pharmaceuticals has undergone an unprecedented change toward process and product development interaction. In this context, Quality by Design (QbD) aims to integrate product and process development resulting in an increased number of product applications to regulatory agencies and stronger...... proprietary defense strategies of process-based products. Although QbD can be applied to essentially any production approach, microfluidic production offers particular opportunities for QbD-based manufacturing of nanopharmaceuticals. Microfluidics provides unique design flexibility, process control...... and parameter predictability, and also offers ample opportunities for modular production setups, allowing process feedback for continuously operating production and process control. The present review aims at outlining emerging opportunities in the synergistic implementation of QbD strategies and microfluidic...

Synthesis of Digital Microfluidic Biochips with Reconfigurable Operation Execution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maftei, Elena

several real-life case studies and synthetic benchmarks. The experiments show that by considering the dynamically reconfigurable nature of microfluidic operations, significant improvements can be obtained, decreasing the biochemical application completion times, reducing thus the biochip area...... of electrodes. The main objective of this thesis is to develop top-down synthesis techniques for digital microfluidic biochips. So far, researchers have assumed that operations are executing on virtual modules of rectangular shape, formed by grouping adjacent electrodes, and which have a fixed placement...... on the microfluidic array. However, operations can actually execute by routing the droplets on any sequence of electrodes on the biochip. Thus, we have proposed a routing-based model of operation execution, and we have developed several associated synthesis approaches, which progressively relax the assumption...

Methods of making microfluidic devices

KAUST Repository

Buttner, Ulrich; Mashraei, Yousof; Agambayev, Sumeyra; Salama, Khaled N.

2017-01-01

Microfluidics has advanced in terms of designs and structures, however, fabrication methods are either time consuming or expensive to produce, in terms of the facilities and equipment needed. A fast and economically viable method is provided

Characteristics of Brain Perfusion in Patients of Parkinson's Disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Young Jin; Park, Min Jung; Kim, Jae Woo; Kang, Young Kang [Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2008-02-15

It was well known that cerebral blood perfusion is normal or diffusely decreased in the majority of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Actually we interpreted brain perfusion SPECT images of PD patients in the clinical situation, we observed various cerebral perfusion patterns in patients with PD. So we performed brain perfusion SPECT to know the brain perfusion patterns of PD patients and the difference of perfusion patterns according to the sex and the age. Also we classified PD patients into small groups based on the brain perfusion pattern. Two hundred nineteen patients (M: 70, F: 149, mean age: 62.9{+-}6.9 y/o) who were diagnosed as PD without dementia clinically and 55 patients (M: 15, F: 40, mean age: 61.4{+-}9.2 y/o) as normal controls who had no past illness history were performed {sup 99m}Tc-HMPAO brain perfusion SPECT and neuropsychological test. At first, we compared all patients with PD and normal controls. Brain perfusion in left inferior frontal gyrus, left insula, left transverse temporal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, left superior parietal lobule, right precuneus, right caudate tail were lower in patients with PD than normal controls. Secondly, we compared male and female patients with PD and normal controls, respectively. Brain perfusion SPECT showed more decreased cerebral perfusion in left hemisphere than right side in both male and female patients compared to normal controls. And there was larger hypoperfusion area in female patients compared with male. Thirdly, we classified patients with PD and normal controls into 4 groups according to the age and compared brain perfusion respectively. In patient below fifties, brain perfusion in both occipitoparietal and left temporal lobe were lower in PD group. As the patients with PD grew older, hypoperfusion area were shown in both frontal, temporal and limbic lobes. Fourthly, We were able to divide patients into small groups based on cerebral perfusion pattern. There was normal

CT Perfusion Characteristics Identify Metastatic Sites in Liver

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Tissue perfusion plays a critical role in oncology because growth and migration of cancerous cells require proliferation of new blood vessels through the process of tumor angiogenesis. Computed tomography (CT perfusion is an emerging functional imaging modality that measures tissue perfusion through dynamic CT scanning following intravenous administration of contrast medium. This noninvasive technique provides a quantitative basis for assessing tumor angiogenesis. CT perfusion has been utilized on a variety of organs including lung, prostate, liver, and brain, with promising results in cancer diagnosis, disease prognostication, prediction, and treatment monitoring. In this paper, we focus on assessing the extent to which CT perfusion characteristics can be used to discriminate liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumors from normal liver tissues. The neuroendocrine liver metastases were analyzed by distributed parameter modeling to yield tissue blood flow (BF, blood volume (BV, mean transit time (MTT, permeability (PS, and hepatic arterial fraction (HAF, for tumor and normal liver. The result reveals the potential of CT perfusion as a tool for constructing biomarkers from features of the hepatic vasculature for guiding cancer detection, prognostication, and treatment selection.

Spintronic microfluidic platform for biomedical and environmental applications

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, F. A.; Martins, V. C.; Fonseca, L. P.; Germano, J.; Sousa, L. A.; Piedade, M. S.; Freitas, P. P.

2010-09-01

Faster, more sensitive and easy to operate biosensing devices still are a need at important areas such as biomedical diagnostics, food control and environmental monitoring. Recently, spintronic-devices have emerged as a promising alternative to the existent technologies [1-3]. A number of advantages, namely high sensitivity, easy integration, miniaturization, scalability, robustness and low cost make these devices potentially capable of responding to the existent technological need. In parallel, the field of microfluidics has shown great advances [4]. Microfluidic systems allow the analysis of small sample volumes (from micro- down to pico-liters), often by automate sample processing with the ability to integrate several steps into a single device (analyte amplification, concentration, separation and/or labeling), all in a reduced assay time (minutes to hours) and affordable cost. The merging of these two technologies, magnetoresistive biochips and microfluidics, will enable the development of highly competitive devices. This work reports the integration of a magnetoresistive biochip with a microfluidic system inside a portable and autonomous electronic platform aiming for a fully integrated device. A microfluidic structure fabricated in polydimethylsiloxane with dimensions of W: 0.5mm, H: 0.1mm, L: 10mm, associated to a mechanical system to align and seal the channel by pressure is presented (Fig. 1) [5]. The goal is to perform sample loading and transportation over the chip and simultaneously control the stringency and uniformity of the wash-out process. The biochip output is acquired by an electronic microsystem incorporating the circuitry to control, address and read-out the 30 spin-valve sensors sequentially (Fig. 1) [2]. This platform is being applied to the detection of water-borne microbial pathogens (e.g. Salmonella and Escherichia coli) and genetic diseases diagnosis (e.g. cystic fibrosis) through DNA hybridization assays. Open chamber measurements were

Simple Check Valves for Microfluidic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Peter A.; Greer, Harold F.; Smith, J. Anthony

2010-01-01

A simple design concept for check valves has been adopted for microfluidic devices that consist mostly of (1) deformable fluorocarbon polymer membranes sandwiched between (2) borosilicate float glass wafers into which channels, valve seats, and holes have been etched. The first microfluidic devices in which these check valves are intended to be used are micro-capillary electrophoresis (microCE) devices undergoing development for use on Mars in detecting compounds indicative of life. In this application, it will be necessary to store some liquid samples in reservoirs in the devices for subsequent laboratory analysis, and check valves are needed to prevent cross-contamination of the samples. The simple check-valve design concept is also applicable to other microfluidic devices and to fluidic devices in general. These check valves are simplified microscopic versions of conventional rubber- flap check valves that are parts of numerous industrial and consumer products. These check valves are fabricated, not as separate components, but as integral parts of microfluidic devices. A check valve according to this concept consists of suitably shaped portions of a deformable membrane and the two glass wafers between which the membrane is sandwiched (see figure). The valve flap is formed by making an approximately semicircular cut in the membrane. The flap is centered over a hole in the lower glass wafer, through which hole the liquid in question is intended to flow upward into a wider hole, channel, or reservoir in the upper glass wafer. The radius of the cut exceeds the radius of the hole by an amount large enough to prevent settling of the flap into the hole. As in a conventional rubber-flap check valve, back pressure in the liquid pushes the flap against the valve seat (in this case, the valve seat is the adjacent surface of the lower glass wafer), thereby forming a seal that prevents backflow.

Selective Heart, Brain and Body Perfusion in Open Aortic Arch Replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Maier, Sven; Kari, Fabian; Rylski, Bartosz; Siepe, Matthias; Benk, Christoph; Beyersdorf, Friedhelm

2016-09-01

Open aortic arch replacement is a complex and challenging procedure, especially in post dissection aneurysms and in redo procedures after previous surgery of the ascending aorta or aortic root. We report our experience with the simultaneous selective perfusion of heart, brain, and remaining body to ensure optimal perfusion and to minimize perfusion-related risks during these procedures. We used a specially configured heart-lung machine with a centrifugal pump as arterial pump and an additional roller pump for the selective cerebral perfusion. Initial arterial cannulation is achieved via femoral artery or right axillary artery. After lower body circulatory arrest and selective antegrade cerebral perfusion for the distal arch anastomosis, we started selective lower body perfusion simultaneously to the selective antegrade cerebral perfusion and heart perfusion. Eighteen patients were successfully treated with this perfusion strategy from October 2012 to November 2015. No complications related to the heart-lung machine and the cannulation occurred during the procedures. Mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 239 ± 33 minutes, the simultaneous selective perfusion of brain, heart, and remaining body lasted 55 ± 23 minutes. One patient suffered temporary neurological deficit that resolved completely during intensive care unit stay. No patient experienced a permanent neurological deficit or end-organ dysfunction. These high-risk procedures require a concept with a special setup of the heart-lung machine. Our perfusion strategy for aortic arch replacement ensures a selective perfusion of heart, brain, and lower body during this complex procedure and we observed excellent outcomes in this small series. This perfusion strategy is also applicable for redo procedures.

Fabrication of circular microfluidic network in enzymatically-crosslinked gelatin hydrogel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Jiankang, E-mail: jiankanghe@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Chen, Ruomeng; Lu, Yongjie; Zhan, Li; Liu, Yaxiong; Li, Dichen; Jin, Zhongmin

2016-02-01

It is a huge challenge to engineer vascular networks in vital organ tissue engineering. Although the incorporation of artificial microfluidic network into thick tissue-engineered constructs has shown great promise, most of the existing microfluidic strategies are limited to generate rectangle cross-sectional channels rather than circular vessels in soft hydrogels. Here we present a facile approach to fabricate branched microfluidic network with circular cross-sections in gelatin hydrogels by combining micromolding and enzymatically-crosslinking mechanism. Partially crosslinked hydrogel slides with predefined semi-circular channels were molded, assembled and in situ fully crosslinked to form a seamless and circular microfluidic network. The bonding strength of the resultant gelatin hydrogels was investigated. The morphology and the dimension of the resultant circular channels were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro-computerized tomography (μCT). Computational fluid dynamic simulation shows that the fabrication error had little effect on the distribution of flow field but affected the maximum velocity in comparison with designed models. The microfluidic gelatin hydrogel facilitates the attachment and spreading of human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) to form a uniform endothelialized layer around the circular channel surface, which successfully exhibited barrier functions. The presented method might provide a simple way to fabricate circular microfluidic networks in biologically-relevant hydrogels to advance various applications of in vitro tissue models, organ-on-a-chip systems and tissue engineering. - Highlights: • A facile method was proposed to build a circular fluidic network in gelatin hydrogel. • The fluidic network is mechanically robust and supports physiological flow. • HUVECs formed endothelialized layer around the channel to express barrier function.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound and transient arterial occlusion for quantification of arterial perfusion reserve in peripheral arterial disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amarteifio, E.; Wormsbecher, S.; Krix, M.; Demirel, S.; Braun, S.; Delorme, S.; Böckler, D.; Kauczor, H.-U.; Weber, M.-A.

2012-01-01

Objective: To quantify muscular micro-perfusion and arterial perfusion reserve in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and transient arterial occlusion. Materials and methods: This study had local institutional review board approval and written informed consent was obtained from all subjects. We examined the dominant lower leg of 40 PAD Fontaine stage IIb patients (mean age, 65 years) and 40 healthy volunteers (mean age, 54 years) with CEUS (7 MHz; MI, 0.28) during continuous intravenous infusion of 4.8 mL microbubbles. Transient arterial occlusion at mid-thigh level simulated physical exercise. With time–CEUS–intensity curves obtained from regions of interest within calf muscles, we derived the maximum CEUS signal after occlusion (max) and its time (t max ), slope to maximum (m), vascular response after occlusion (AUC post ), and analysed accuracy, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and correlations with ankle-brachial index (ABI) and walking distance. Results: All parameters differed in PAD and volunteers (p max was delayed (31.2 ± 13.6 vs. 16.7 ± 8.5 s, p post as optimal parameter combination for diagnosing PAD and therefore impaired arterial perfusion reserve. Conclusions: Dynamic CEUS with transient arterial occlusion quantifies muscular micro-perfusion and arterial perfusion reserve. The technique is accurate to diagnose PAD.