Optofluidic device with multiple coupled geometries for cancer cells detection by saliva analysis

Identifier:  TFM:747

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFM747

Authors:  Coral Perez, Jesus David

Abstract:
The saliva is a secretion which can present Cancer Tumor Cells (CTCs) of cancer patients. Its analysis is a developing field which may be essential for early detection of cancer and monitoring of treatment. Here, we use different connected geometries for mixing, sorting, concentrating and confining fluids and particles inside fluids. The first two geometries are a mixer-separator assembly, with a Fermat spiral design, followed by a continuous flow concentrator and a serpentine design to align the particles of interest (CTCs). Device performance was optimized using COMSOL Multiphysics software, to works with high pressures inlets (350 mbar for water or serum and 294 mbar for saliva sample) as optimum pressure inlets. The numerical models were corroborated through experimentation using two types of polystyrene (PS) particles of 5_m and 20_m. The optofluidic device identifies and addresses the next challenges using optical detections: mixing tests including two fluids with similar density, proper particle sorting by size using Dean Flow Fractionation (DFF), and single-step retrieval of labelled large particles.