HIGH-THROUGHPUT CELLULAR SAMPLE PREPARATION VIA ULTRAFAST SOLUTION EXCHANGE

Sample preparation is a critical process in analytical methods, but it is often challenging to integrate into microfluidic systems. The primary tasks in sample preparation involve solution exchange. Here, we take advantage of inertial focusing equilibirum positions to transfer cells and particles from one solution to another in as fast as 2 ms with a throughput compatible with downstream flow cytometry. We demonstrate the method’s efficacy with a range of representative applications from a simple solution exchange about cancer cells to isolating white blood cells from hypotonically lysed red blood cells.