Monitoring light scattering characteristics of adherent cell cultures using a lab-on-a-chip

We have developed a μ-fluidic biochip capable of monitoring in real-time cellular phenotype dynamics by non-invasively assessing cell viability and reproduction over long periods of time. The μ-fluidic biochip contains integrated organic photodiodes that continuously perform light scattering measurements of adherent cell populations. In the presented work, we experimentally show that light scattering measurements are an effective label-free method for accurately assessing cell number variations. Furthermore, results obtained from 3D FDTD simulations indicate that side scatter characteristics of cells allow in principle predictions on cellular health status.