Abstract
The separation of plasma from blood cells in whole blood is an essential step for many diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, the current point-of-care plasma separation approaches have not yet satisfied the need for a rapid, high-flux, and low-cost process. Here, we report a portable, low-cost, disposable membrane-based plasma separation device that enables rapid plasma extraction from whole blood. Rapid separation of plasma can be obtained with a simple three-step operation: blood injection, separation, and plasma collection. Our device benefits from the zwitterionic polyurethane-modified cellulose acetate (PCBU-CA) membrane, which can greatly inhibit the surface fouling of blood cells and membrane flux decline. The zwitterionic coating is stable on the membrane surface during blood filtration and leads to a 60% decrease in surface fibrinogen adsorption than a nonmodified membrane surface. The ultralow-blood-fouling properties of the PCBU-CA membrane enable rapid, continuous separation of plasma: within 10 min, the device can yield 0.5-0.7 mL of plasma from 10 mL of whole blood. The extracted plasma is verified as cell-free, exhibits a low hemoglobin level, and has a high protein recovery. Our PCBU-CA membrane provides a pathway for developing a high-efficiency portable plasma separation device that can reduce the time to diagnosis, allow effective patient care, and eventually reduce hospital costs.
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