Abstract

“More is More”: Precision Microfluidics of Cells in Large Bodily Fluids

Mehmet Toner, Helen Andrus Benedict Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Director, BioMEMS Center, Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

The ability to process ‘real world-sized’ volumes has been a major drive in the field of microfluidics. This begs the question whether it is possible to take advantage of microfluidic precision without the limitation on throughput required for large-volume processing. The challenge is further compounded by the fact that physiological fluids are non-Newtonian, heterogeneous, and contain viscoelastic living cells. We are motivated by a broad range of applications enabled by precise manipulation of extremely large-volumes of complex fluids, especially those containing living cells or bioparticles. This presentation will provide a summary of our efforts in bringing microfluidics to large volumes and complex fluids as well as various applications such as the isolation of extremely rare circulating tumor cells from whole blood.