Microfluidic separation of parasites and parasite-infected cells from blood for the diagnosis of leishmaniasis

Microfluidic techniques were applied to the separation of parasite and parasite-infected cells from blood to facilitate the detection of leishmaniasis, a disease representing a high burden in the developing world and for which new diagnostic tools are urgently needed. Leishmania mexicana promastigotes were successfully separated from red blood cells in a deterministic lateral displacement device. The mechanical properties of macrophages infected with L. mexicana were investigated using real-time deformability cytometry. In the early stage, we find that macrophages deform less than the control. The trend is reversed four days post infection while we see a continuous increase in cell size after parasitization.