title: Electrical Detection Method for Circulating Tumor Cells Using Graphene Nanoplates.
abstract: This paper presents a microfluidic device for electrical discrimination of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using graphene nanoplates (GNPs) as a highly conductive material bound to the cell surface. For two-step cascade discrimination, the microfluidic device is composed of a CTC-enrichment device and an impedance cytometry. Using lateral magnetophoresis, the CTC-enrichment device enriches rare CTCs from millions of background blood cells. Then, the impedance cytometry electrically identifies CTCs from the enriched sample, containing CTCs and persistent residual blood cells, based on the electrical impedance of CTCs modified by the GNPs. GNPs were used as a highly conductive material for modifying surface conductivity of CTCs, thereby improving the accuracy of electrical discrimination. The experimental results showed that a colorectal cancer cell line (DLD-1) spiked into peripheral blood was enriched by nearly 500-fold by the CTC-enrichment device. The phase of the electrical signal measured from DLD-1 cells covered by GNPs shifted by about 100° in comparison with that from normal blood cells, which allows the impedance cytometry to identify CTCs at a rate of 94% from the enriched samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nano Science and Engineering, Center for Nano Manufacturing, Inje University , 607 Obang-dong, Gimhae, Gyongnam 621-749, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Song-I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Nano Science and Engineering, Center for Nano Manufacturing, Inje University , 607 Obang-dong, Gimhae, Gyongnam 621-749, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000295:instrumentation; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004583:Electrons; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D010316:Particle Size; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D006108:Graphite