Flow cytometry is a popular technique for counting and sorting individual cells. This study presents and demonstrates a new cell counting/sorting system integrated with several essential components including a micromachined flow cytometer chip device, an optical detection system and a data analysis and control system to achieve the functions of cell sample injection, optical signal detection and cell collection. By using MEMS technology, we have integrated several microfluidic components such as micro pneumatic pumps/valves onto a polymer-based chip device. Three pneumatic micropumps are used to provide the hydrodynamic driving force for both sample and sheath flows such that hydrodynamic flow focusing can be achieved, and a micro flow switch device comprising three pneumatic microvalves located downstream of the micro sample flow channel is used for cell collection. Cell samples of human lung cancer cells labelled with commercially available fluorescent dyes have been detected and collected successfully utilizing the developed device. The real-time image of dye-labelled cell samples being excited and detected can be monitored and observed through the LCD panel by a custom designed CCD/APD holder and moving stage. Finally, micro flow switch devices were used to successfully sort the cells into the desired outlet channel, and the counting results of the specific cell samples were monitored through the counting panel. The current study focuses on the setup of the overall system. The proposed flow cytometer system has several advantages such as portability, low cost and easy operation process. The size of the system is 37 cm × 16 cm × 18 cm and the weight is 3.5 kg. The error rate of counting and sorting was 1.5% and 2%, respectively. The sorting frequency of the microvalve device is calculated to be 120 cells min−1. The developed microfluidic chip device could be a promising tool for cell-based application fields such as profiling, counting and sorting.

In the post-human-genome-project era, the development of molecular diagnostic techniques has advanced the frontiers of biomedical research. Nucleic-acid-based technology (NAT) plays an especially important role in molecular diagnosis. However, most research and clinical protocols still rely on the manual analysis of individual samples by skilled technicians which is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. Recently, with advances in microfluidic designs, integrated micro total-analysis-systems have emerged to overcome the limitations of traditional detection assays. These microfluidic systems have the capability to rapidly perform experiments in parallel and with a high-throughput which allows a NAT analysis to be completed in a few hours or even a few minutes. These features have a significant beneficial influence on many aspects of traditional biological or biochemical research and this new technology is promising for improving molecular diagnosis. Thus, in the foreseeable future, microfluidic systems developed for molecular diagnosis using NAT will become an important tool in clinical diagnosis. One of the critical issues for NAT is nucleic acid amplification. In this review article, recent advances in nucleic acid amplification techniques using microfluidic systems will be reviewed. Different approaches for fast amplification of nucleic acids for molecular diagnosis will be highlighted.

Flow cytometry is a popular technique for counting and sorting of individual cells. This study presents a new chip-based flow cytometer capable of cell injection, counting and switching in an automatic format. The new microfluidic system is also capable of multi-wavelength detection of fluorescence-labeled cells by integrating multiple buried optical fibers within the chip. Instead of using large-scale syringe pumps, this study integrates micro-pumps and micro-valves to automate the entire cell injection and sorting process. By using pneumatic serpentine-shape (S-shape) micro-pumps to drive sample and sheath flows, the developed chip can generate hydrodynamic focusing to allow cells to pass detection regions in sequence. Two pairs of optical fibers are buried and aligned with the microchannels, which can transmit laser light sources with different wavelengths and can collect induced fluorescence signals. The cells labeled with different fluorescent dyes can be excited by the corresponding light source at different wavelengths. The fluorescence signals are then collected by avalanche photodiode (APD) sensors. Finally, a flow switching device composed of three pneumatic micro-valves is used for cell sorting function. Experimental data show that the developed flow cytometer can distinguish specific cells with different dye-labeling from mixed cell samples in one single process. The target cell samples can be also switched into appropriate outlet channels utilizing the proposed microvalve device. The developed microfluidic system is promising for miniature cell-based biomedical applications.

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