Hybrid Microfluidic Device for High Throughput Isolation of Cells Using Aptamer Functionalized Diatom Frustules

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), secreted from primary and metastatic malignancies, hold a wealth of essential diagnostic prognostic data for multiple cancers. Significantly, the information contained within these may key to understanding cancer metastasis, both individually fundamentally. Accordingly, developing ways identify, isolate interrogate CTCs plays an role in modern research. Unfortunately, are typically present blood vanishingly low titers mixed with other components, making their isolation analysis extremely challenging. Herein, we report design, fabrication optimization microfluidic device capable automatically isolating whole blood. This is achieved two steps, via passive viscoelastic separation white (WBCs) red (RBCs), subsequent active magnetophoretic WBCs. We detail specific geometries required balance elastic inertial forces successful RBCs, use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) optimize separation. subsequently describe magnetic biosilica frustules, extracted Chaetoceros sp. diatoms, fluorescently tag facilitate isolation. Finally, our platform separate HepG2-derived blood, demonstrating exceptional CTC recovery (94.6%) purity (89.7%)