Abstract
A major challenge in cancer treatment is the quantification of biomarkers associated with a specific cancer type. Important biomarkers are the circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detached from the main cancer and circulating in the blood. CTCs are very rare and their identification is still an issue. Although CTCs quantification can be estimated by using fluorescent markers, all the fluorescence techniques are strongly limited by the number of emissions (therefore markers) that can be discriminated with one exciting line, by their bleaching characteristics, and by the intrinsic autofluorescence of biological samples. An emerging technique that can overcome these limitations is Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). Signals of vibrational origin with intensity similar to those of fluorescence, but narrower bandwidths, can be easily discriminated even by exciting with a single laser line. We recently showed the benefit of this method with cells fixed on a surface. However, this approach is too demanding to be applied in clinical routine. To effectively increase the throughput of the SERS analysis, microfluidics represents a promising tool. We report two different hydrodynamic strategies, based on device geometry and liquids viscosity, to successfully combine a microfluidic design with SERS.
Highlights
One of the most common techniques to characterize cells is cytofluorometry, which, in a continuous flow, allows detecting cells labeled with specific fluorescent probes
It is possible to notice that the trend is almost linear in the investigated region and in particular, for values below 0.5, D is smaller than 20 μm, which corresponds to twice the beads size
By using a proper microfluidic approach, we showed the capability of achieving continuous Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) analysis by using a flow-focusing device
Summary
One of the most common techniques to characterize cells is cytofluorometry, which, in a continuous flow, allows detecting cells labeled with specific fluorescent probes. Despite its rapidity, this technique is still limited to few detection channels because of the characteristic large bandwidths of fluorescence emissions and the use of different exciting lines for different fluorescent probes In this scenario, Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) [1] is a promising alternative because it shows intense signals, similar to those of fluorescence, and very sharp bands, being of vibrational origin. Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) [1] is a promising alternative because it shows intense signals, similar to those of fluorescence, and very sharp bands, being of vibrational origin This characteristic allows an easy multiplexing approach with many detected signals excited with only one laser line [1]. Cells were fixed on a surface and analyzed one by one under a micro-Raman microscope, limiting the time analysis and, the throughput of the system
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