Deformability-based sorting of red blood cells in deterministic lateral displacement devices

Mesoscopic simulations with two-dimensional (2D) models have been performed to elucidate the dynamics of deformable red blood cells (RBCs) in deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) devices. Several shapes of posts, including circular, diamond, square and triangular structures and RBCs with different rigidities are considered. In comparison to rigid particles, the deformable RBCs exhibit much more complex dynamics within a DLD device, which not only brings additional complications but also provides new separation mechanisms (e.g., based on cell deformability). Further simulation results reveal that the post geometry which induces more cell deformation can be applied to effectively sort RBCs based on their rigidity

Microfluidic separation of parasites and parasite-infected cells from blood for the diagnosis of leishmaniasis

Microfluidic techniques were applied to the separation of parasite and parasite-infected cells from blood to facilitate the detection of leishmaniasis, a disease representing a high burden in the developing world and for which new diagnostic tools are urgently needed. Leishmania mexicana promastigotes were successfully separated from red blood cells in a deterministic lateral displacement device. The mechanical properties of macrophages infected with L. mexicana were investigated using real-time deformability cytometry. In the early stage, we find that macrophages deform less than the control. The trend is reversed four days post infection while we see a continuous increase in cell size after parasitization