A Trachea‐Inspired Bifurcated Microfilter Capturing Viable Circulating Tumor Cells via Altered Biophysical Properties as Measured by Atomic Force Microscopy

• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201202317
• Publication Date: 2013-02-07T18:39:31Z
• Authors: Minseok S. Kim; Jinhoon Kim; Wonho Lee; Sang‐Joon Cho; Jin‐Mi Oh; June‐Young Lee; Sanghyun Baek; Yeon Jeong Kim; Tae Seok Sim; Hun Joo Lee; Goo‐Eun Jung; Seung‐Il Kim; Jong‐Myeon Park; Jin Ho Oh; Ogan Gurel; Soo Suk Lee; Jeong‐Gun Lee
• Keywords: Circulating tumor cell; Microbead (research)

Abstract Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), though exceedingly rare in the blood, are nonetheless becoming increasingly important cancer diagnostics. Despite this keen interest and growing number of potential clinical applications, there has been limited success developing a CTC isolation platform that simultaneously optimizes recovery rates, purity, cell compatibility. Herein, novel tracheal carina‐inspired bifurcated (TRAB) microfilter system is reported, which uses an optimal filter gap size satisfying both 100% theoretical rate as determined by biomechanical analysis fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulations. Biomechanical properties also used to clearly discriminate between leukocytes, whereby selectively bound melamine microbeads, increase stiffness these cells. Nanoindentation experiments conducted measure leukocytes compared microbead‐conjugated cells, with parameters then being FSI analyses optimize size. The simulation results show given flow 100 μL min −1 , 8 μm purity. MCF‐7 breast solid microbeads spiked into 3 mL whole blood and, using along optimized dimensions, mixture passes through TRAB filter, achieves 93% purity 59%. Regarding compatibility, it verified procedure does not adversely affect viability, thus confirming re‐collected can be cultured for up days. This work demonstrates technology high rates while providing framework functional studies, potentially enabling even more sensitive specific