Microfluidic plasma extraction from blood using wash-free pneumatic system

• Main Author: Lin, Yun Jia
• Other Authors: Hou Han Wei
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/167999
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Point-of-care (POC) plasma extraction is significant in the healthcare field as it can overcome challenges associated with manual centrifuges, including sample transportation time causing cell degradation and activation, especially in platelets, which may affect the accuracy and reliability of the result. Manual centrifuges are also not suitable for POC plasma extraction due to inconsistent process flow and the need for skilled operators. POC plasma extraction involves the immediate separation of plasma from whole blood at the point of care, allowing for more consistent and accurate blood test results. This process ensures that the plasma is extracted quickly and efficiently, reducing the risk of hemolysis, which can occur when blood cells break down and release their contents into the plasma. This can interfere the accuracy of blood test results, particularly for tests that measure the concentration of enzymes or proteins that are released from damaged blood cells. The process of developing an automated point-of-care plasma extraction system involved the utilization of a pneumatic pump and an inertial microfluidic device known as ExoArc. ExoArc uses spiral inertial microfluidics to sort particles of varying sizes in the blood utilising differential Dean-induced lateral migration. This pneumatic system outperforms syringe pumps in terms of automation and disposability of the chip. To prevent contamination and enable disposability, the system requires an air gap in the tubing to separate the clean water and blood sample. The flow stability of the system was evaluated and found to be satisfactory, with a standard deviation of 0.23, 18.80, and 0.02 for flow rate of outlet 1, outlet 2, and the separation efficiency of 50 nm beads (to mimic plasma), respectively. Hemacytometer results showed no cells in outlet 1 and PPP, indicating good cell depletion during the plasma extraction process using the pneumatic system. The development of an automated wash-free pneumatic system for plasma extraction is beneficial for POC as it enables healthcare providers to obtain high quality plasma samples for diagnostic testing, improving the accuracy of blood test results and reducing the need for repeated tests. This can lead to better patient outcomes, faster diagnosis, and more efficient use of healthcare resources.