Isolation of circulating tumor cells under hydrodynamic loading using microfluidic technology(基于微流控技术在流体动力载荷下分离循环肿瘤细胞)

在世界范围内, 癌症的死亡率仍在逐年上升. 循环肿瘤细胞(circulating tumor cells, CTCs) 是指从原发肿瘤脱落并进入血液循环系统的细胞, 可能引发肿瘤转移并入侵其他正常组织和器官. 因此, CTCs 的检测结果可以作为癌症病人疗效和预后的评价指标. 但是CTCs 的数量及其稀少, 使得CTCs 的检测尤为困难. 在癌症转移的病人中, 每毫升血液约含有10-100 个CTCs. 利用经生物活性材料表面修饰的微流控器件, 可以从血液中分离出CTCs. 这是一项跨学科的挑战, 需要来自不同学科背景的专家们共同参与, 如细胞生物学、表面化学、流体力学及微纳加工技术等. 该文首先介绍了CTCs 的细胞生物学基础, 然后总结了当前分离CTCs 的主要微流控技术, 包括基于细胞-- 配体作用、磁力作用和过滤等, 最后综述了基于微流控技术的CTC 检测和计数、在体CTC 成像等最新研究进展.      

Fast-scanning two-photon fluorescence imaging based on a microelectromechanical systems two- dimensional scanning mirror

Towards overcoming the size limitations of conventional two-photon fluorescence microscopy, we introduce two-photon imaging based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) scanners. Single crystalline silicon scanning mirrors that are 0.75 mm x 0.75 mm in size and driven in two dimensions by microfabricated vertical comb electrostatic actuators can provide optical deflection angles through a range of approximately16 degrees . Using such scanners we demonstrated two-photon microscopy and microendoscopy with fast-axis acquisition rates up to 3.52 kHz.     

Miniature near-infrared dual-axes confocal microscope utilizing a two-dimensional microelectromechanical systems scanner

The first, to our knowledge, miniature dual-axes confocal microscope has been developed, with an outer diameter of 10 mm, for subsurface imaging of biological tissues with 5-7 microm resolution. Depth-resolved en face images are obtained at 30 frames per second, with a field of view of 800 x 100 microm, by employing a two-dimensional scanning microelectromechanical systems mirror. Reflectance and fluorescence images are obtained with a laser source at 785 nm, demonstrating the ability to perform real-time optical biopsy.