Method and microfluidic device for preparing a sample for an analysis of biological cells, in particular circulating tumour cells
The microfluidic device efficiently processes blood samples by dividing them into two parts for CTC detection and further analysis, addressing the challenge of detecting small numbers of CTCs amidst vast blood cells, enabling early metastasis detection and effective therapeutic management.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/EP2024/071988
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-09-14
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-02
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-20
AI Technical Summary
The challenge lies in efficiently detecting and quantifying the small number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) amidst millions of red and white blood cells, particularly in early stages of metastasis, where the CTC count is in the billions.
A microfluidic device with an input chamber, analysis chamber, and parking chamber is used to process a blood sample. The sample is divided into two parts, with the first part going to the analysis chamber for cell counting and the second part going to the parking chamber for potential further analysis. The analysis chamber features a sedimentary array for cell sedimentation and detection, while the parking chamber allows for additional processing, such as lysis of erythrocytes and leukocyte immobilization.
This method enables efficient detection and counting of CTCs with high precision, allowing for early metastasis detection and therapeutic management. The division of the sample into two parts facilitates further analysis of the second part without consuming the first part, which is used for initial cell counting.