title: Blood cell counting by means of impedance measurements in a microsystem device.
abstract: This paper presents an innovative, portable and low power blood cell counter, based on micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) technology. It was realized by designing and developing a custom impedance measurement circuit, which drives an electro-fluidic microsystem, providing a parallel, multi-channel Coulter counter. A method for a reliable, easy, and low-cost interfacing to such kind of micro-devices, allowing both fluidic and electric coupling, is also shown. Preliminary experiments led to promising results: fluidics works properly without leakages or clogging. Electrodes show good stability with current (in terms of adhesion), and measured channel impedances are satisfyingly low (30 kW for a cubic Coulter orifice, side 10 microm). Finally, we present a possible extension of the setup, based on a dual-characteristic, electro-optical counting.
authors.affiliation: BIOLAB, Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Electronics - Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy. niccolo.piacentini@polito.it
authors.forename: Niccolo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Demarchi
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Civera
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knaflitz
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D004906:Erythrocyte Count / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008839:Microelectrodes; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010992:Plethysmography, Impedance / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity