Polymer-based microfluidic devices for rare cell detection by ultrasounds

A low-cost technological approach based on the strategic application of ultrasonic waves on polymeric chips has been developed to detect and extract circulating tumor cells from peripheral blood samples flowing through the microfluidic device, which are delivered viable for later biomolecular analyses. This free-label technique can be used as an early detection system to identify metastasis in the initial stages, assuming a very low number of rare cells present in the blood sample, less than 5 cells/7.5mL. We have demonstrated the feasibility of separation of the tumor cells utilizing hydrodynamic forces induced by ultrasounds in polymeric chips delivering viable single cells and multicellular clusters which differentially experience a drift motion as they flow through a microchannel in a sample containing white blood cells.