Lab on a Chip最新文献

{"title":"GHz acoustic streaming micro-vortex arrays for reconfigurable sub-100 nm nanoparticle patterning.","authors":"Wei Wei, Xinyuan He, Zhaoxun Wang, Menglun Zhang, David J Collins, Xuexin Duan","doi":"10.1039/d6lc00410e","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6lc00410e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Precise, parallel, and dynamically reconfigurable patterning of sub-100 nm nanoparticles plays a vital role in materials science, biochemistry, and physics. However, achieving this <i>via</i> acoustofluidics has remained elusive, due to the severe attenuation of acoustic radiation forces and the interference of uncontrolled acoustic streaming effects. To overcome this, we introduce GHz acoustic streaming micro-vortex arrays (GASMA) for the stable, arrayed assembly of sub-100 nm nanoparticles. By deliberately exciting specific lateral modes of GHz bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators, we generate a highly structured, periodic acoustic field on the device surface. When coupled into the adjacent liquid, this field gives rise to ordered micro-vortex arrays. These periodic micro-vortices rapidly transport nanoparticles to acoustic streaming potential wells (ASPWs)-the stagnation zones between adjacent vortices-where they are stably trapped. We demonstrate the precise parallel patterning of nanoparticles as small as 30 nm and validate GASMA's versatility by manipulating diverse materials, including polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles, gold nanorods, and extracellular vesicles (EVs). Critically, by simply modulating the driving frequency, we achieve dynamic, on-demand reconfiguration of these nanoparticle arrays. In summary, GASMA addresses several key limitations in manipulating sub-100 nm nanoparticles, offering a promising acoustofluidic platform for applications in tunable optoelectronics, nanofabrication, and biomedicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":"5035-5044"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148785510","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-performance inkjet-printed organic electrochemical transistors for rapid NT-proBNP detection and biopotential amplification.","authors":"Fadi Khoury, Zeina Habli, Jad Daorah, Yuchen Xu, Pierre Karam, Makram Obeid, Samir Alam, Gert Cauwenberghs, Massoud Khraiche","doi":"10.1039/d6lc00264a","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6lc00264a","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are promising platforms for bioelectronic sensing due to their intrinsic signal amplification and compatibility with biological media. However, achieving high transconductance and fast temporal response using scalable printing techniques remains challenging. Here, we report high-performance inkjet-printed PEDOT:PSS OECTs enabled by systematic geometric optimization and plasma-assisted surface engineering. By controlling channel width, thickness, and length, and by improving printing resolution through wettability tuning, short-channel devices with lengths down to 9.5 μm were achieved. The optimized architecture exhibits transconductance values up to 84 mS and response times as low as 0.31 ms, approaching the performance of photolithographically fabricated devices while retaining the scalability of additive manufacturing. Leveraging the high intrinsic gain of the optimized devices, we demonstrate label-free detection of the heart failure biomarker NT-proBNP in both phosphate-buffered saline and human plasma across clinically relevant concentrations (10-500 pg mL^-1). The platform demonstrates detectable responses down to 45 pg mL^-1 in plasma, with stable operation in complex biological media and the ability to distinguish between clinically relevant NT-proBNP concentration ranges. In addition, the rapid device dynamics enable amplification of low-amplitude biopotential signals, demonstrated through <i>in vivo</i> seizure monitoring in a rat model. These results establish inkjet-printed OECTs as scalable, high-performance transducers capable of bridging printed bioelectronics with clinically relevant biosensing and electrophysiological monitoring applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":"4861-4876"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148676169","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":"Label-free microfluidic small-volume blood processing for analysis of platelet activation and neutrophil-platelet aggregates.","authors":"Kay Khine Maw, Kerem Delikoyun, Si Ko Myo, Koh Kai Bing, Johannes Krell, Lingyan Gong, Hui Min Tay, Feng Chen, Wei Wang, Yew Guan Goh, John Tshon Yit Soong, Win Sen Kuan, Matthew Edward Cove, Siu Ling Wong, Oliver Hayden, Han Wei Hou","doi":"10.1039/d6lc00413j","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6lc00413j","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Platelets and leukocytes are central regulators of thrombo-inflammatory processes, and their activation states and interactions provide important insights into disease progression and therapeutic response. However, conventional blood processing relies on centrifugation-based workflows that are labor-intensive, require large sample volumes, and can induce artefactual platelet activation or disrupt native cell-cell interactions. These limitations reduce translational relevance, particularly for applications requiring small blood volumes or longitudinal sampling. Here, we present a two-stage, label-free microfluidic workflow based on Dean Flow Fractionation (DFF) for isolating and reconcentrating functionally intact platelets and leukocytes from whole blood. The platform integrates spiral inertial fractionation with a downstream serpentine channel for on-chip leukocyte reconcentration without off-chip processing. The device is fabricated in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to enhance robustness and scalability for translational use. Performance was validated using human blood samples from healthy donors and fever patients, as well as a streptozotocin-induced diabetic mouse model. The workflow achieved approximately 70-80% leukocyte recovery and 45% platelet recovery from 100 μL of whole blood within five minutes. Importantly, platelet quiescence was preserved relative to centrifugation, and platelet-leukocyte aggregates were maintained. The platform supports downstream functional analyses including flow cytometry and digital holographic microscopy. In mouse studies, small-volume sampling enabled longitudinal monitoring of platelet activation and neutrophil-platelet interactions without terminal blood collection. Together, this work establishes a practical microfluidic workflow for functional platelet and leukocyte analysis from limited blood volumes.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":"4951-4969"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148704597","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 modular platform for in-flow synthesis and characterization of upconverting nanoparticles.","authors":"Turar Tanirbergenov, Irina Koriakina, Balmiki Kumar, Suryavarshini Sundar, Ben Zheng, Jiaze Wu, Emory Chan, Han Hao, Eugenia Kumacheva","doi":"10.1039/d6lc00456c","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6lc00456c","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>High-temperature colloidal synthesis of upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) is highly sensitive to reaction temperature and time, solvent composition, and thermal history, thus making reproducible synthesis and UCNP property mapping challenging. Here, we introduce an automated fluidic platform for high-temperature stop-flow synthesis and in-line optical characterization of NaYF₄-based UCNPs. The platform includes modules for reagent supply and mixing, high-temperature synthesis, and in-line optical characterization. The platform was used for the evaluation of the effects of reaction temperature, time, and solvent composition on two key UCNP optical performance metrics: the red-to-green photoluminescence emission intensity ratio and relative quantum yield. Reproducibility tests confirmed robust reactor operation and reliable optical measurements. The UCNPs synthesized in the fluidic platform and using conventional batch synthesis exhibited similar properties, but the fluidic synthesis occurred significantly faster. The developed fluidic platform offers a modular approach to the automated UCNP synthesis and establishes a foundation for future closed-loop, machine-learning-guided optimization of high-temperature nanomaterial synthesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":"4894-4902"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148682733","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":"An injection-molded focal filter-integrated AI platform for cost-effective and highly sensitive molecular point-of-care testing.","authors":"Tao Zhang, Feibiao Pang, Yao Chen, Yinghao Du, Chengen Song, Jinzhao Song","doi":"10.1039/d6lc00214e","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6lc00214e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growing global demand for precise and accessible diagnostics underscores the need for decentralized, laboratory-grade molecular testing solutions. Current platforms are hindered by the high cost and fragility of glass optical filters with inorganic thin-film coatings, as well as operational complexity that limits deployment in community and home settings. To overcome these barriers, we developed the WeD-1 Pro, a 290 g molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) system designed for both human and veterinary diagnostics. Through systematic screening of polymer substrates and organic optical filter pigments, tailored phthalocyanine blue exhibited superior 480 nm excitation blocking and optimal 525 nm transmission when incorporated into polycarbonate (PC), making it suitable for injection-molded filter fabrication. Using this optimized formulation, a focal filter was produced <i>via</i> single-step injection molding. By integrating this newly developed focal filter, the platform achieves low-cost, high-performance fluorescence detection. The platform further incorporates an AI-powered assistant and multi-terminal connectivity, providing rapid, cost-effective, and highly sensitive diagnostics suitable for home and primary care use. In a proof-of-concept demonstration of at-home self-testing, when combined with a one-tube/one-step LAMP-CRISPR panel (LOD: 100 copies per reaction) targeting nine common respiratory pathogens, the system achieved 100% concordance with commercial qPCR assays for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza using self-collected at-home swab samples. For veterinary applications, the WeD-1 Pro was deployed in 40 small veterinary clinics across China's Greater Bay Area between December 2024 and September 2025, where it enabled 1000 on-site 7-plex feline respiratory pathogen tests under routine clinical conditions. Overall, 87% of samples were positive for at least one pathogen. A representative subset of 60 clinical samples was further validated against reference PCR, demonstrating 98% concordance. By integrating advanced diagnostic performance with affordability and accessibility, the WeD-1 Pro offers a transformative solution for primary care, home-based healthcare, and future large-scale epidemiological surveillance.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":"5007-5021"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148785650","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":"Resolving femtogram-scale cellular nanomagnetism <i>via</i> high-gradient magnetophoresis of spheroids in microfluidic chips.","authors":"Guilhem Curé, Noam Demri, Christine Péchoux, Aurore Van de Walle, Claire Wilhelm","doi":"10.1039/d6lc00469e","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6lc00469e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Quantifying trace amounts of magnetic iron in living cells remains a major challenge in cellular biology and nanomedicine. Existing approaches such as magnetometry or elemental analysis either require large cell populations or cannot discriminate endogenous iron from magnetic phases, preventing measurements at the femtogram-per-cell scale. Here, we introduce a high-gradient magnetophoresis approach combined with multicellular spheroids to achieve femtogram-level sensitivity in intact 3D cellular assemblies. By exploiting the scaling of magnetic force with spheroid volume and hydrodynamic drag with spheroid diameter, magnetophoretic motion is physically amplified, enabling quantification of magnetic moments corresponding to as little as ∼0.4 femtograms of iron per cell. The method further enables detection of rare magnetically labeled cells within heterogeneous spheroids, with a response that scales linearly with nanoparticle dose and the fraction of labeled cells. Remarkably, cells incubated with soluble, non-magnetic iron salts also exhibit measurable magnetophoretic displacement, despite the absence of detectable signals by VSM, suggesting the emergence of biosynthesized magnetic nanostructures. Altogether, this work establishes spheroid-based high-gradient magnetophoresis as a structurally-preserving platform capable of resolving femtogram-scale cellular magnetism, providing a powerful tool to investigate iron metabolism, cellular heterogeneity, and endogenous biomagnetic phenomena in complex biological systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":"5045-5059"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148785500","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":"FUS-pen: focused ultrasound-mediated micro-sculpting of label-free cells to create functional co-culture microenvironments.","authors":"Yu Liu, Ziyu Huang, Runxing Lin, Yuxin Wang, Shizheng Zhou, Zhichao Ma, Yinning Zhou","doi":"10.1039/d6lc00543h","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6lc00543h","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Precise spatial organization of cells and microparticles is essential for engineering physiologically relevant tissues and <i>in vitro</i> disease models, yet current bioink-based bioprinting approaches still face limitations regarding cell density dilution and crosslinking-induced cellular stress. Here we introduce the FUS-pen system, a template-free, focused ultrasound platform that enables non-contact, flexible and cross-scale manipulation of microparticles and cells with demonstrated biocompatibility. Mechanistic investigations reveal a cooperative interaction where acoustic streaming drives long-range transport and localized acoustic radiation forces achieve near-focus confinement of microparticles, while boundary reflections establish standing-wave-like fields that yield distinct, frequency-dependent swarm dimensions. By optimizing GelMA hydrogel substrates for reliable cell pattern retention and integrating poly-D-lysine (PDL) modification to facilitate electrostatically driven cell interface interactions, we achieved a quantified sub-millimeter feature resolution (∼293 μm line width), consistent geometric spot reproducibility and high cell viability (>94%). As a proof of concept, a compartmentalized tumor-endothelial co-culture layout was successfully established using breast cancer (MCF-7) cells and endothelial (EA.hy926) cells, where endothelial cells exhibited active proliferation and morphological remodeling into capillary-like networks, demonstrating the platform's utility for constructing complex multicellular models. Together, these results establish the FUS-pen as an agile tool for constructing organized <i>in vitro</i> microenvironments with broad implications for disease modeling and drug screening.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":"4935-4950"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148704589","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":"Sperm recovery from testicular biopsies containing tissue fragments and other somatic cells, using an inertial spiral microfluidic chip.","authors":"Mohammadreza Maleki, Peiman Mosaddegh, Mohammad Hossein Nasr Esfahani, Golfam Sadeghian, Ahmadreza Pishevar, Reza Nosrati","doi":"10.1039/d6lc00395h","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6lc00395h","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Severe male-factor infertility, particularly non-obstructive azoospermia, often requires recovery of rare sperm from testicular biopsy samples that contain large tissue fragments and dense background cells. Conventional microscopic identification is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human error, while existing microfluidic approaches are susceptible to channel blockage by tissue debris. Here, we present a two-stage passive microfluidic platform for rapid, label-free sperm isolation from biopsy-derived cell suspensions. The system combines a 40 μm pre-filtration stage to remove large tissue fragments with an inertial spiral microfluidic separator optimized through finite element simulations while operating at Reynolds numbers of 10-15. The device exploits the balance between inertial lift and Dean drag forces to achieve size-based cell focusing and separation without external fields. Experimental tests using both handmade cell suspensions and clinical fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples demonstrated good sperm recovery efficiencies exceeding 90%, while effectively removing more than 90% of red blood cells, other somatic cells, and all large tissue fragments at the optimal flow rate. The separation process preserved sperm motility, morphology, and DNA integrity, even after repeated processing. Notably, sperm with higher motility, more normal morphology, and lower DNA fragmentation index were preferentially separated, indicating that the system not only enables efficient cell separation but also inherently enables the selection of higher-quality sperm. Application to FNA samples reduced sperm retrieval time from several hours to less than 13 minutes and consistently enriched morphologically normal sperm at the target outlet. This two-stage passive microfluidic separator offers a robust and clinically relevant solution for the selection of sperm from complex biopsy samples and represents a significant step toward automated sperm preparation for assisted reproductive technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":"4877-4893"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148682723","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 microscale 3D printing glomerular spheroid-on-a-chip for modeling the pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy.","authors":"Feiyun Cui, Tong Liu, Xinzhuo Gao, Yuhan Wang, Yuxin Li, Guangfu Zhang, Haixu Yao, Yincong Ma, Hongxia Li, Qin Zhou","doi":"10.1039/d6lc00380j","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6lc00380j","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is driven by progressive dysfunction of the glomerular filtration barrier (GFB), yet current <i>in vitro</i> models inadequately capture its multicellular architecture and dynamic microenvironment. Herein, we present a glomerular spheroid-on-a-chip that integrates organoid-like cellular organization with microfluidic perfusion to mimic the pathophysiology of DN. The strategic integration of human mesangial cells (HMCs), a critical component often neglected in existing platforms, into triculture spheroids alongside conditionally immortalized human podocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) significantly augments the structural integrity and functional recapitulation of the engineered GFB. A streamlined, cost-effective micro-3D printing strategy generates bowl-shaped PDMS microdevices that anchor spheroids for controlled lateral expansion under dynamic perfusion, establishing a biomimetic GFB with distinct vascular and urinary compartments. Under diabetic conditions, the platform faithfully recapitulates key pathological features of DN, including HMC expansion, podocyte injury and increased barrier permeability, while directly revealing the critical contribution of HMCs to filtration barrier dysfunction. Moreover, the system supports small-molecule therapeutic evaluation, underscoring its potential for mechanistic studies and preclinical drug screening. This work establishes a versatile and manufacturable platform that bridges static glomerulus spheroid cultures and dynamic, disease-relevant modeling of DN.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":"4984-4996"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148710632","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":"Integration of multi-stacked biodegradable PLGA membranes into microfluidic organ-on-a-chip devices for tunable barrier co-culture.","authors":"Minju Kim, Kanghoon Choi, Kibin Park, Laith Al-Rabadi, Jiyoung Chang, Jungkyu Kim","doi":"10.1039/d6lc00296j","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6lc00296j","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We integrate multi-stacked, thermally fused near-field electrospun PLGA membranes into a microfluidic organ-on-a-chip device. Layer number controls pore diameter (12-33 μm), porosity, circularity and permeability. The biodegradable, optically transparent membranes support endothelial-stromal co-culture with confirmed barrier integrity (TEER, ZO-1) and spatially resolved tissue compartmentalization.</p>","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":" ","pages":"4830-4840"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148785480","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}