Lab on a Chip最新文献

{"title":"Analysis and methods for void-free liquid filling of blind microchambers in centrifugal microfluidics","authors":"Weiyao Ni, Yi Gao, Enming Cui, Yifei Li, Yangyang Wang, Yahua Liu, Yi Li, Mengxi Wu, Junshan Liu","doi":"10.1039/d5lc00323g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5lc00323g","url":null,"abstract":"Centrifugal microfluidics are widely used in point-of-care testing applications. Blind microchambers, the microchambers that have only one access to interact with external environment, are commonly used in centrifugal microfluidic chips. However, achieving void-free liquid filling of blind microchambers poses a significant challenge since the injection of liquid and the exhausting of air occurs simultaneously thus interference leads to incomplete liquid filling with bubble residuals. To resolve this issue, we propose a strategy for achieving void-free liquid filling of blind microchambers by designing a tapered microchannel to modify the gas-liquid two-phase flow pattern, effectively preventing bubble formation. The liquid-gas two-phase flow pattern is analysed, and the corresponding inference is verified via high-speed camera. According to theoretical and experimental findings, tapered designs are implemented to the branch channels connected to the blind microchambers. By using tapered designs, the fluid velocity increases, leading to the transitions from Taylor flow to annular flow, thereby avoiding bubble generation during liquid injection. Our work reveals the mechanism and offers a simple path to achieve void-free liquid filling of blind microchambers in centrifugal microfluidics, without the need for complex surface treatments or external forces, therefore have potential to benefit the community.","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":"598 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Continuous and automatic hexavalent chromium sensing using an ion-selective membrane deposited ion-sensitive field-effect transistor device integrating a microfluidic control system.","authors":"Tzu-Yu Liu, Huai-Yuan Hsu, Huan-Cheng Liu, Nien-Tsu Huang","doi":"10.1039/d4lc01099j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4lc01099j","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heavy metal ion testing in water is vital in various applications, including domestic water quality, agricultural, and industrial wastewater discharge monitoring. However, current water testing methods require tedious and prolonged sample processes with bulky equipment operated by well-trained technicians. To address the above problems, we propose an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) deposited with an ion-selective membrane (ISM) for real-time and continuous hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) detection. Compared to previously reported Cr(VI) modifiers requiring complicated fabrication processes, the ISM made of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material can be drop-cast on the specific area of the ISFET sensor, allowing the differential signal readout and repeat ISFET sensor usage. To improve the sensitivity and specificity of Cr(VI) detection, we systematically optimized the Cr(VI) ISM parameters and the buffer condition to stabilize the pH value of the sensing environment. To further achieve the continuous and automatic Cr(VI) sensing in the actual water sample, we integrated a microfluidic control system with the Cr(VI) ISM-ISFET device, allowing the precise mixture of the water sample and buffer into the microchannel, thereby facilitating the continuous operation of the sensing device. Our results demonstrate that the Cr(VI) concentration at 10^-6-10^-4 M in ditchwater can be successfully differentiated and meet the guideline values (GVs) of industrial discharge water. Based on the above features, this fully integrated yet portable Cr(VI) ISM-ISFET system can be applied in various Cr(VI) detection environments, such as households, factories, farms, and orchards, requiring continuous and long-term on-site water quality monitoring.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144309320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional Screening of Antibody-Secreting Cells by Co-Culture with Reporter T Cells Using PicoShells","authors":"Kazuki Nishimoto, Rajesh Ghosh, Mark van Zee, Darren Fang, Zhiyuan Mao, Miyako Noguchi, Dino Di Carlo","doi":"10.1039/d5lc00319a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5lc00319a","url":null,"abstract":"Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are a growing class of therapeutics known for their high specificity and diverse functional mechanisms, including agonism and antagonism. Although microwell array technologies and droplet microfluidics are employed to pair antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) with target cells for therapeutic mAb discovery, existing methods suffer from limited throughput or inadequate functional assessment. To address these limitations, we applied PicoShells, hollow media-permeable hydrogel microparticles, to evaluate mAb function by co-culturing assay of hybridomas with reporter cells for 24 hours. Using this workflow, we identified hybridomas secreting antibodies that modulate the expression of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) in co-encapsulated reporter cells. High-throughput fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) of PicoShells containing cells from a spiked population identified active clones, which were sorted, expanded, and validated post-selection, demonstrating 79.4% T cell activation, a 5.2-fold enrichment in functional clones over the starting spiked population. This approach integrates functional assessment with scalable processing, offering a robust solution for screening antibody libraries and accelerating therapeutic discovery.","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144296326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vascular microphysiological systems (MPS): biologically relevant and potent models","authors":"Lucas Breuil, Atsuya Kitada, Sachin Yadav, Hang Zhou, Kazuya Fujimoto, Ryuji Yokokawa","doi":"10.1039/d5lc00014a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5lc00014a","url":null,"abstract":"Extensive research focused on the vasculature, aiming to understand its structural characteristics, functions, interactions with surrounding tissues, and the mechanisms underlying vascular-related pathologies. However, advancing our understanding of vascular biology requires more complex and physiologically relevant models that integrate physical, chemical, and biological factors. Traditional in vitro dish models cannot replicate three-dimensional (3D) architecture, multi-cell-type interactions, and extracellular environments. In vivo animal models, while more complex, present ethical concerns, high costs, and limited relevance to human physiology. As a result, increasing attention is being directed toward in vitro models, specifically vascular microphysiological systems (MPS) based on organ-on-a-chip (OoC) technologies. This review highlights the relevance and potency of vascular MPS, which leverage microfluidic channels and 3D structures to mimic physiological environment, incorporate diverse cellular and acellular components, and support complex biological processes. Vascular MPS are already enabling deep investigation into vascular responses to physiological cues, interactions with healthy and pathological tissues, and applications in drug development and disease modeling.","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144296218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mammalian cell culture and analysis in digital microfluidic platforms","authors":"Burcu Gumuscu","doi":"10.1039/d5lc00250h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5lc00250h","url":null,"abstract":"Digital microfluidics has emerged as a promising platform for cell culture, offering precise control over droplet-based microenvironments while enabling automation and miniaturization. This review examines the integration of DMF with various cell culture substrates, including hydrogels and synthetic polymers, and evaluates their advantages and limitations for supporting cellular growth, adhesion, and viability. The influence of AC and DC actuation modes on droplet handling, as well as their effects on cell behavior, is also discussed. Furthermore, we highlight the incorporation of analytical tools and sorting techniques in DMF-based cell culture and explore its potential applications in organ-on-chip systems. While DMF presents unique opportunities for cell-based research, challenges such as material compatibility, cell viability, and system stability remain. This review provides a critical assessment of current developments and future directions for DMF in cell culture applications.","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144278618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Droplet microfluidics integrated with machine learning reveals how adipose-derived stem cells modulate endocrine response and tumor heterogeneity in ER+ breast cancer","authors":"Braulio A. Ortega Quesada, Calley Chauvin, Elizabeth C Martin, Adam Melvin","doi":"10.1039/d5lc00320b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5lc00320b","url":null,"abstract":"Approximately 70% of breast cancer (BC) diagnoses are estrogen receptor positive (ER+) with ~40% of ER+ BC patients presenting de novo resistance to endocrine therapy (ET). Recent studies identify the tumor microenvironment (TME) as having a key role in endocrine resistance in which adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) play an essential role in cancer progression. Most studies on ASC-BC crosstalk rely on two-dimensional (2D) culture systems or use conditioned media that cannot replicate the complexity of the three-dimensional (3D) environment. This study used a microfluidic droplet trapping array and thiol-acrylate (TA) hydrogel scaffold to co-culture ER+ BC cells and ASCs as individual 3D spheroids (single culture) or organoids (co-culture) in a single device. Endocrine response was interrogated in both spheroids and organoids through the evaluation of proliferation following treatment with the selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) Fulvestrant (ICI 182,780) followed by 17β-estradiol (E2). Terminal immunostaining for the proliferation marker (Ki67) was performed to evaluate how the presence of ASCs from different donor backgrounds (age and BMI) can modulate endocrine response. Results demonstrated that organoids containing two model ER+ cell lines (MCF7 and ZR-75) exhibited enhanced Ki67 expression even in the presence of ICI, suggesting a role for ASCs in cancer progression and endocrine resistance. Data clustering and classification algorithms were employed to categorize cellular behavior based on Ki67 expression and spheroid area to identify distinct clusters with high (H), intermediate (I), and low (L) Ki67 expression. Machine learning further stratified the data and revealed the direct effects of ASCs on Ki67 expression as well as how donor-specific features influenced ASC-driven changes in the TME. Notably, ASCs from an aged donor (&gt;50) with lower BMI (&lt;30) were able to enhance Ki67 expression even in the presence of endocrine therapy, while younger (&lt;40) donors substantially enhanced Ki67 expression in the absence of both ICI and E2. Together, this study demonstrates the utility/development of a biomimetic culture system that recreates heterogenic 3D ER+ tumors through the co-culture of cancer cells with ASCs. This system provided insight into cell-extrinsic factors that govern ER+ breast cancer heterogeneity and response to endocrine therapy can be gained.","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144288521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of multiphasic pore-scale interactions on gas hydrate formation and dissociation characteristics and kinetics: a microfluidic study","authors":"Yuze Wang, Jianyu Yang, Pengfei Wang, Jinlong Zhu, Yongshun John Chen","doi":"10.1039/d5lc00093a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5lc00093a","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding the multiphasic interactions governing gas hydrate formation and dissociation is critical for optimizing natural gas storage and extraction. This study investigates the characteristics and kinetics of methane hydrate formation and dissociation within porous media using a microfluidic chip platform designed to simulate natural conditions. By introducing methylene blue for enhanced phase differentiation, five distinct hydrate morphologies—block, vein, point, membrane, and shell—were identified. These morphologies were strongly influenced by multiphasic interactions involving water, gas, and solid phases. Block and vein hydrates predominantly formed in water-saturated pores, while point and membrane hydrates appeared as coatings associated with gas migration. Shell hydrates emerged post-gas relocation, filling pore spaces. During dissociation, free gas presence significantly accelerated the dissociation process, achieving rates approximately 12 times faster than in water-only systems. Gas migration played a pivotal role in hydrate fragmentation and dissociation kinetics. These findings deepen our understanding of gas hydrate behavior under multiphasic conditions, offering valuable insights for enhancing natural gas storage and extraction.","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":"151 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144278460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Microfluidic Platform for studying Supercritical fluid crystallization and its Applications","authors":"Fatma Ercicek, Arnaud Erriguible, Olivier N'Guyen, Pascale Subra-Paternault, Christelle Harscoat-Schiavo, Samuel Marre","doi":"10.1039/d4lc01032a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4lc01032a","url":null,"abstract":"We demonstrate in here the development and use of an on-chip crystallization microfluidic device combined with in situ analytical techniques for supercritical antisolvent crystallization. The setup facilitated real-time observation of crystallization events under pressure, giving critical insights to the time-dependent dynamics of the crystallization process. By integrating Raman spectroscopy for continuous monitoring, the system enabled precise control of local species concentrations during diffusion-driven crystallization. The microfluidic platform demonstrated effectiveness in rapid crystal screening and the identification of new co-crystals.","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144268524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High Frequency Capillary Wave Enabled Ultra-small Droplets for Inhaled Drug Delivery","authors":"Haitao Zhang, Zirui Zhao, Yangchao Zhou, Zaoxian Mei, Xuexin Duan","doi":"10.1039/d5lc00390c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5lc00390c","url":null,"abstract":"Benefiting from localization, targeting and rapid response, inhaled drug delivery has become an indispensable method for lung diseases treating. However, the efficacy of drug delivery is often compromised by the physical characteristics of the aerosol produced by current nebulization methods: large droplet size distributions, which is deposited in the upper airways. In this study, an appropriate size distributions, portable, low energy and low-cost approach is introduced to nebulize drug using capillary wave breakup induced by gigahertz (GHz) acoustic waves. A delicately designed miniaturized nebulizer is developed by integrating the GHz bulk acoustic resonator with semi-opened microchannel to nebulize droplets of optimal size for pulmonary inhalation, with size distributions that 96% are smaller than 5 μm at low power, that surpass existing methods. In addition, this technique facilitates the nebulization of liquids with viscosities up to 5000 cP. Low-flux lung models achieve 88% drug delivery efficiency. Murine in vivo tests demonstrate the efficacy of proposed nebulizer in lung-targeted delivery via autonomous inhalation, attributed to optimized droplet size and flux. The tunable sizes, broad range of nebulization viscosities, suitable fluxes, pumpless operation and low cost highlight the potential for autonomous lung drug delivery and combination therapy targeting both small airways and alveoli.","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144260523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fast capillary flow on µPADs with hollow channels packaged by thermal contraction tube","authors":"Xinyi Chen, Haonan Li, Xionghui Li, Muyang Zhang, Qinghao He, Jie Zhou, Jiahua Zhong, Hao Chen, Yixi Shi, Huilin Chen, Huiru Zhang, Lok Ting CHU, Weijin Guo","doi":"10.1039/d5lc00086f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5lc00086f","url":null,"abstract":"Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs), as an excellent platform for point-of-care diagnostics, is becoming more and more popular. Flow rate control of liquid samples on µPADs is highly intriguing for improving the detection performance of these devices. In this work, we develop a novel package method for µPADs using thermal contraction tube, which can be easily used to create hollow channels on µPADs and generate fast capillary flow of liquid samples. Using this package method, we create hollow channels above a single layer of cellulose paper strip and between two layers of cellulose paper strips respectively. We investigate the influence of the height of the hollow channels on the capillary flow rate, and find that the average flow rate increases with the height of hollow channels with height up to 0.8 mm. For the µPADs with hollow channels above a single layer of paper strip, the maximum increase can reach 865% while the maximum increase is 1328% for µPADs with hollow channels between two layers of paper strips when the height of hollow channel is 0.8 mm. As a proof of concept, we use µPADs with hollow channels above a single layer of paper strip for glucose detection in blood plasma, showing much higher efficiency compared to naked paper strip. In addition, we can achieve a fluidic switch function on these µPADs with hollow channels by simply pressing and releasing the thermal contraction tubes, with the possibility to speed up or slow down. Furthermore, we use µPADs with 0.8 mm hollow channels between two layers of paper strips for fast measurement of viscosity of liquid samples. We successfully measure viscosity of liquid samples including water, mixture of glycerol and water, mixture of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and water, mixture of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (SCMC) and water, as well as blood plasma and whole blood, with viscosity having a range of three orders. With advantages including easy handling and low cost, we believe µPADs packaged by this method can find more applications in point-of-care diagnostics.","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144260324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}