Microchip-based flow cytometry for effective detection and count

Abstract

High-throughput detection and identification of foodborne pathogens are in increasing demand for rapid bacteria detections in food safety and quality monitoring. As an effective method, microchip-based flow cytometry (microcytometery) has a potential to be less expensive and high throughout, and requires less bulky instrumentation than conventional methods. In this work, a low-cost and robust microcytometer with a simple optical setup was developed for demonstrating the high-throughput identification of foodborne bacterial pathogens that integrate sample flow focusing and detection into one testing procedure. High performance identification capability was achieved through simultaneously detecting the fluorescence and scatter light emitted from micro-fabricated channel, after designing and optimizing the laser shaping optical system and the micro-channel structure to improve the excitation light intensity as well as the detection sensitivity. In our configuration, the simple testing configuration with the collection angle of 42° in the orthogonal plane to micro chip presents the best SNR for both signals through simulation and systematic measurements. As a result, the maximum throughput of 83particles/s for the fluorescence-labelled bead with diameter of 1.013μm was obtained as well as the high detection efficiency (above 99%) and the correlation percentage (above 99.5%). Apart from the high detection sensitivity and identification power, this microcytometer also has the advantages of simple optical structure, compactness and ease in building.