A research team led by Professor Jian-Guang Chen at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech) has developed a fully automated, laser diffraction-based, label-free flow cytometry system capable of rapidly detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and other specific cells in blood. This innovative system offers simplicity, speed, and significantly lower detection costs.

Traditional blood cell detection methods typically rely on fluorescent dyes to label cells for analysis using flow cytometers. However, these methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and involve costly dyes. Moreover, dyes can cause nonspecific binding to cells, which compromises the accuracy of detection results.

Laser Diffraction Technology: Accurate and Efficient Cell Detection

The new label-free flow cytometry system leverages laser diffraction principles in combination with microfluidic chip technology. It directly detects diffraction changes on the chip surface caused by cells. When specific cells, such as CTCs, adhere to the chip surface, they alter the diffraction characteristics of the chip. These changes are detected by a laser optical system, which then calculates the cell count. This method offers several advantages:

• Speed: Results are obtained within minutes, significantly reducing detection time.
• High Accuracy: By eliminating the staining step, errors are minimized, leading to greater accuracy.
• High Sensitivity: Capable of detecting extremely low concentrations of CTCs (approximately 5 cells/3 mL), enabling better assessment of surgical or chemotherapy outcomes and monitoring for cancer recurrence.
• High Specificity: Specific antibodies allow precise identification of different cancer cell types.
• Full Automation: Reduces manual handling, improving consistency in detection results.
• Wide Applicability: Suitable not only for blood but also for other bodily fluids such as urine and saliva.

A New Benchmark in Cancer Detection with Broader Diagnostic Potential

Professor Chen highlighted that this system’s rapid, accurate, and cost-effective CTC detection capabilities could help doctors identify cancer at an early stage and tailor personalized treatment plans based on individual patient profiles. Beyond cancer detection, the technology has the potential to be extended to other disease diagnostics, such as infectious diseases.

Looking ahead, the team plans to continue conducting clinical trials and actively pursue industry-academia collaborations to commercialize this groundbreaking technology.

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