Lab on a Chip最新文献

High-temperature colloidal synthesis of upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) is highly sensitive to reaction temperature and time, solvent composition, and thermal history, thus making reproducible synthesis and UCNP property mapping challenging. Here, we introduce an automated fluidic platform for high-temperature stop-flow synthesis and in-line optical characterization of NaYF₄-based UCNPs. The platform includes modules for reagent supply and mixing, high-temperature synthesis, and in-line optical characterization. The platform was used for the evaluation of the effects of reaction temperature, time, and solvent composition on two key UCNP optical performance metrics: the red-to-green photoluminescence emission intensity ratio and relative quantum yield. Reproducibility tests confirmed robust reactor operation and reliable optical measurements. The UCNPs synthesized in the fluidic platform and using conventional batch synthesis exhibited similar properties, but the fluidic synthesis occurred significantly faster. The developed fluidic platform offers a modular approach to the automated UCNP synthesis and establishes a foundation for future closed-loop, machine-learning-guided optimization of high-temperature nanomaterial synthesis.

The growing global demand for precise and accessible diagnostics underscores the need for decentralized, laboratory-grade molecular testing solutions. Current platforms are hindered by the high cost and fragility of glass optical filters with inorganic thin-film coatings, as well as operational complexity that limits deployment in community and home settings. To overcome these barriers, we developed the WeD-1 Pro, a 290 g molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) system designed for both human and veterinary diagnostics. Through systematic screening of polymer substrates and organic optical filter pigments, tailored phthalocyanine blue exhibited superior 480 nm excitation blocking and optimal 525 nm transmission when incorporated into polycarbonate (PC), making it suitable for injection-molded filter fabrication. Using this optimized formulation, a focal filter was produced via single-step injection molding. By integrating this newly developed focal filter, the platform achieves low-cost, high-performance fluorescence detection. The platform further incorporates an AI-powered assistant and multi-terminal connectivity, providing rapid, cost-effective, and highly sensitive diagnostics suitable for home and primary care use. In a proof-of-concept demonstration of at-home self-testing, when combined with a one-tube/one-step LAMP-CRISPR panel (LOD: 100 copies per reaction) targeting nine common respiratory pathogens, the system achieved 100% concordance with commercial qPCR assays for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza using self-collected at-home swab samples. For veterinary applications, the WeD-1 Pro was deployed in 40 small veterinary clinics across China's Greater Bay Area between December 2024 and September 2025, where it enabled 1000 on-site 7-plex feline respiratory pathogen tests under routine clinical conditions. Overall, 87% of samples were positive for at least one pathogen. A representative subset of 60 clinical samples was further validated against reference PCR, demonstrating 98% concordance. By integrating advanced diagnostic performance with affordability and accessibility, the WeD-1 Pro offers a transformative solution for primary care, home-based healthcare, and future large-scale epidemiological surveillance.

Precise spatial organization of cells and microparticles is essential for engineering physiologically relevant tissues and in vitro disease models, yet current bioink-based bioprinting approaches still face limitations regarding cell density dilution and crosslinking-induced cellular stress. Here we introduce the FUS-pen system, a template-free, focused ultrasound platform that enables non-contact, flexible and cross-scale manipulation of microparticles and cells with demonstrated biocompatibility. Mechanistic investigations reveal a cooperative interaction where acoustic streaming drives long-range transport and localized acoustic radiation forces achieve near-focus confinement of microparticles, while boundary reflections establish standing-wave-like fields that yield distinct, frequency-dependent swarm dimensions. By optimizing GelMA hydrogel substrates for reliable cell pattern retention and integrating poly-D-lysine (PDL) modification to facilitate electrostatically driven cell interface interactions, we achieved a quantified sub-millimeter feature resolution (∼293 μm line width), consistent geometric spot reproducibility and high cell viability (>94%). As a proof of concept, a compartmentalized tumor-endothelial co-culture layout was successfully established using breast cancer (MCF-7) cells and endothelial (EA.hy926) cells, where endothelial cells exhibited active proliferation and morphological remodeling into capillary-like networks, demonstrating the platform's utility for constructing complex multicellular models. Together, these results establish the FUS-pen as an agile tool for constructing organized in vitro microenvironments with broad implications for disease modeling and drug screening.

Severe male-factor infertility, particularly non-obstructive azoospermia, often requires recovery of rare sperm from testicular biopsy samples that contain large tissue fragments and dense background cells. Conventional microscopic identification is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human error, while existing microfluidic approaches are susceptible to channel blockage by tissue debris. Here, we present a two-stage passive microfluidic platform for rapid, label-free sperm isolation from biopsy-derived cell suspensions. The system combines a 40 μm pre-filtration stage to remove large tissue fragments with an inertial spiral microfluidic separator optimized through finite element simulations while operating at Reynolds numbers of 10-15. The device exploits the balance between inertial lift and Dean drag forces to achieve size-based cell focusing and separation without external fields. Experimental tests using both handmade cell suspensions and clinical fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples demonstrated good sperm recovery efficiencies exceeding 90%, while effectively removing more than 90% of red blood cells, other somatic cells, and all large tissue fragments at the optimal flow rate. The separation process preserved sperm motility, morphology, and DNA integrity, even after repeated processing. Notably, sperm with higher motility, more normal morphology, and lower DNA fragmentation index were preferentially separated, indicating that the system not only enables efficient cell separation but also inherently enables the selection of higher-quality sperm. Application to FNA samples reduced sperm retrieval time from several hours to less than 13 minutes and consistently enriched morphologically normal sperm at the target outlet. This two-stage passive microfluidic separator offers a robust and clinically relevant solution for the selection of sperm from complex biopsy samples and represents a significant step toward automated sperm preparation for assisted reproductive technologies.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is driven by progressive dysfunction of the glomerular filtration barrier (GFB), yet current in vitro models inadequately capture its multicellular architecture and dynamic microenvironment. Herein, we present a glomerular spheroid-on-a-chip that integrates organoid-like cellular organization with microfluidic perfusion to mimic the pathophysiology of DN. The strategic integration of human mesangial cells (HMCs), a critical component often neglected in existing platforms, into triculture spheroids alongside conditionally immortalized human podocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) significantly augments the structural integrity and functional recapitulation of the engineered GFB. A streamlined, cost-effective micro-3D printing strategy generates bowl-shaped PDMS microdevices that anchor spheroids for controlled lateral expansion under dynamic perfusion, establishing a biomimetic GFB with distinct vascular and urinary compartments. Under diabetic conditions, the platform faithfully recapitulates key pathological features of DN, including HMC expansion, podocyte injury and increased barrier permeability, while directly revealing the critical contribution of HMCs to filtration barrier dysfunction. Moreover, the system supports small-molecule therapeutic evaluation, underscoring its potential for mechanistic studies and preclinical drug screening. This work establishes a versatile and manufacturable platform that bridges static glomerulus spheroid cultures and dynamic, disease-relevant modeling of DN.

We integrate multi-stacked, thermally fused near-field electrospun PLGA membranes into a microfluidic organ-on-a-chip device. Layer number controls pore diameter (12-33 μm), porosity, circularity and permeability. The biodegradable, optically transparent membranes support endothelial-stromal co-culture with confirmed barrier integrity (TEER, ZO-1) and spatially resolved tissue compartmentalization.

Moist wound healing has been recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a preferred approach for skin wound treatment. The global market for moist wound dressings is valued at approximately USD 4.83 billion, driven by the ability of moist wound environments to promote faster healing, improve recovery quality, and reduce pain. Covering the wound with dressings, mostly hydrocolloid-based, is a preferred method to maintain a moist wound environment and isolate this environment from external interferences. Currently, commercial hydrocolloid dressings have already reached satisfactory performance, including efficient exudate absorption, good bacterial control, and low cost. Meanwhile, these commercial hydrocolloid dressings are opaque or will become opaque after absorbing liquid, hindering the direct observation of the wound. Under such circumstances, possible infections or unsatisfactory wound recovery cannot be discovered in time and may deteriorate the wound. To address this issue, this study presents a simple, wireless, and lightweight (3.2 g) impedance sensor for monitoring wound healing status under commercial hydrocolloid dressings. The specially designed spiral parallel electrodes realize accurate impedance measuring and, more importantly, adapt to the gradually contracting wound site. The adaptive moist wound sensing patch (AMoW-SP) substrate provides both high flexibility to adapt to the skin profile and good biocompatibility for not interfering with the wound recovery. The compact wireless communication and power circuit enables visual readout of the wound recovery status on a smartphone and therefore maintains the point-of-care nature of hydrocolloid-dressing-based moist healing. Mouse experiments demonstrate that the AMoW-SP is capable of accurately monitoring normal and chronic wounds for 24 days.