An overview of the evolving role of microfluidics within clinical laboratories and diagnostic settings. It explores how microfluidic technologies, initially envisioned to replace traditional lab practices, are instead integrating into established workflows. This integration is driven by advancements in miniaturization and automation, enhancing efficiency and expanding testing capabilities. Regulatory

Blood cell separation is a critical process for many clinical and research applications. Among the various techniques employed for blood cell isolation, magnetic techniques are very attractive due to their multiple benefits, i.e. high efficiency, simplicity, low-cost, and no need for expensive equipment or trained operators. Microfluidic devices integrating magnetophoresis have demonstrated promising

Conductive hydrogels based on liquid metal microdroplets are widely used as wearable electronic devices. Droplet uniformity affects sensor sensitivity for weak signals, such as heart rate and pulse rate. Surface acoustic waves at micrometer wavelengths allow precise control of a single droplet, and have the potential to make uniformly discrete liquid metal droplets and distribute them in hydrogels

During seasonal influenza or emerging respiratory outbreaks, rapid home-based multiplex molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) for respiratory pathogens is crucial for early diagnosis and intervention, particularly in vulnerable populations. However, existing POCT systems, primarily designed for clinical settings, are often too complex, costly, and reliant on trained operators, limiting their suitability

Competitive lateral flow assays (LFAs) provide a versatile and cost-effective platform for detecting a wide range of molecular targets across fields such as healthcare, food safety, and environmental monitoring, particularly for small analytes or single epitopes that lack suitable bioreceptor pairs. However, the interpretation of competitive LFAs can be challenging due to their counterintuitive output

This paper introduces the concept of three-dimensional microfluidic single thread-based analytical devices (3D-μSTADs) for accurate point-of-care blood typing. The 3D-μSTADs were fabricated using a double-sided imprinting process, where hydrophobic PDMS materials were pressed onto a hydrophilic cotton thread and heated for curing. By harnessing the intricate structures of the cotton fibers in vertical

Interstitial fluid (ISF) is a promising biofluid for non-invasive diagnostics, but its clinical application is limited by slow extraction rates and small sample volumes. To address these challenges, we developed the high-performance sliding microneedle-lateral flow immunoassay (HP-SML) device, an improved microneedle (MN)-based platform for rapid ISF extraction and on-site biomarker detection. The

Most hearing loss often results from permanent damage to cochlear hair cells, and effective treatments remain limited. A reliable, scalable, and physiologically relevant ear model can accelerate the development of hearing-loss protection therapeutics for injury prevention and hearing restoration. The challenge remains on screening delivery systems for regenerative compounds, and no in vitro screening

Miniaturized three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems, in particular organoids and spheroids, hold great potential for studying morphogenesis, disease modeling, and drug discovery. However, sub-cellular resolution 3D imaging of these biological samples remains a challenge. Histology, the gold standard for ex vivo microscopic interrogation of tissue anatomy, may address this challenge once the associated

Non-surgical bleeding is a common complication in patients on continuous flow left ventricular assist device (CF-VAD) support. This study investigates how the transition from cyclic to constant stretch following CF-VAD implantation affects endothelial biosynthesis and release of Von Willebrand factor (VWF) and angiopoietin-2 (ANGPT-2), two molecules that play an essential role in the development of

Accurate measurement of stress marker cortisol and neurotransmitter dopamine is essential for understanding the physiological effects of chronic stress, enabling early therapeutic interventions to prevent adverse health consequences. Herein, we introduce the first fully integrated wearable device comprising a microneedle (MN) patch and distance-based paper analytical device (dPAD) for minimally invasive

Natural killer (NK) cells are critical components of the immune response against cancer, recognized for their ability to target and eliminate malignant cells. Among NK cell subsets, intraepithelial ILC1 (ieILC1)-like tissue resident NK (trNK) cells exhibit distinct functional properties and enhanced cytotoxicity compared to conventional NK (cNK) cells, positioning them as promising candidates for cancer

Arterial thrombosis is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes, representing a significant global health challenge. Microfluidic research studies have identified high shear stress, a thrombotic surface, and the presence of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and platelets as key conditions necessary for formation of arterial thrombi, termed shear-induced platelet aggregation (SIPA). However, current point-of-care

Target particle encapsulation is crucial in droplet microfluidics for high-throughput applications like single-cell sequencing and drug screening. However, it faces limitations, with encapsulation rates of only 10% to 30% due to suspension density and the inherent functionality of the chip being restricted by the Poisson distribution. This leads to reagent waste and reduced effectiveness in applications

Mechanical stimuli are an integral part of the natural cellular microenvironment, influencing cell growth, differentiation, and survival, particularly in mechanically challenging environments like tumors. These stimuli are also crucial in the T-cell microenvironment, where they play a role in antigen recognition and pathogen detection. To study T-cell mechanobiology effectively, in vitro methods must

Cell-sized liposomes are microcapsules composed of a lipid bilayer, with potential applications in membrane science and synthetic biology. In this study, we present a novel method that employs high-speed laser-induced microjets to penetrate a lipid-carrying oil phase, thereby generating cell-sized liposomes. By simply triggering the microjets, we can reliably and repeatedly generate cell-sized liposomes

HiPSC-derived organoids have attracted significant attention in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. However, obtaining functional organoids in sufficient quantities, consistent sizes, and reproducible formats remains a significant challenge. Here, we present an innovative microfluidic platform for the high-throughput production of HAMA core-shell microspheres (HCSM) for the encapsulation

Molecular networks of organelle membranes are involved in many cell processes. However, the nature of plasma membrane as a barrier to various analytical tools, including antibodies, makes it challenging to examine intact organelle membranes without affecting their structure and functions via membrane permeabilization. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to develop a microfluidic method to unroof cells

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell immunotherapy, effective in blood cancers, shows limited success in solid tumors, such as prostate, pancreatic, and brain cancers due, in part, to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Immunosuppression affects various cell types, including tumor cells, macrophages, and endothelial cells. Conventional murine-based models offer limited concordance

We demonstrate that a set of microfabricated electrodes can be coupled to a commercial optical tweezers device, implementing a hybrid electro-optical platform with multiple functionalities for the manipulation of micro-/nanoparticles in suspension. We show that the hybrid scheme allows enhanced manipulation capabilities, including hybrid dynamics, controlled accumulation in the dielectrophoretic trap

Despite its relevance in several research fields, the regulation of dissolved gas concentration in microfluidic chips remains overlooked. Precise control of dissolved oxygen levels is of importance for life science applications, especially for faithfully replicating in vivo tissue conditions in organ-on-chips. The current methods to control oxygen on-chip rely on the use of chemical scavengers, on

Ketone bodies are key products of fat metabolism, primarily consisting of acetoacetate (AcAc), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and acetone (acetone). Monitoring the concentration of ketone bodies in sweat can reflect the metabolic status of the body; it is also particularly significant in areas such as diabetes management, exercise monitoring, and the evaluation of the ketogenic diet. This paper presents

Micromodels are widely used to simulate subsurface reservoir environments for investigating multiphase flow and interactions within porous media. However, existing models often fail to accurately replicate the geochemical characteristics of reservoir minerals due to material limitations. This study presents a method for fabricating calcite-functionalized micromodels, wherein calcite crystals are grown

The integration of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and microfluidic technology provides an excellent detection method for detecting nanoscale micro-samples and analysing intermediates during in situ reaction processes. However, the non-cylindrical symmetric structure of microfluidic chips and micro-coils, along with magnetic susceptibility mismatches, results in a complex distorted magnetic field

A fluorosurfactant is synthesized by the copolymerization of fluoroacrylate and boronic acid acrylamide monomers to stabilize fluorinated oil droplets. The copolymer surfactant couples with diols or polyols in adjacent aqueous phase to form an ultrathin elastic interfacial film to rigidify the interface, thereby preventing drop recoalescence and enabling new applications.