Thermopneumatic suction integrated microfluidic blood analysis system

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208676
• Publication Date: 2019-03-07T19:00:21Z
• Authors: Chiao-Hsun Yang; Yu-Ling Hsieh; Ping-Hsien Tsou; Bor-Ran Li
• Keywords: Hematologic Tests; Time Factors; Science; Q; R; Equipment Design; 02 engineering and technology; Suction; Point-of-Care Testing; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Medicine; Humans; Thermodynamics; 0210 nano-technology; Research Article

AbstractBlood tests provide crucial diagnostic information regarding several diseases. A key factor that affects the precision and accuracy of blood tests is the interference of red blood cells; however, the conventional methods of blood separation are often complicated and time consuming. In this study, we devised a simple but high-efficiency blood separation system on a self-strained microfluidic device that separates 99.7% of the plasma in only 6 min. Parameters, such as flow rate, design of the filter trench, and the relative positions of the filter trench and channel, were optimized through microscopic monitoring. Moreover, this air-difference-driven device uses a cost-effective and easy-to-use heater strip that creates a low-pressure environment in the microchannel within minutes. With the aforementioned advantages, this blood separation device could be another platform choice for point-of-care testing.