Kartalov, Emil P. | Search NASA

NASA NTRS2014

Methods and Devices for Micro-Isolation, Extraction, and/or Analysis of Microscale Components

Provided herein are devices and methods for the micro-isolation of biological cellular material. A micro-isolation apparatus described can comprise a photomask that protects regions of interest against DNA-destroying illumination. The micro-isolation apparatus can further comprise photosensitive material defining access wells following illumination and subsequent developing of the photosensitive material. The micro-isolation apparatus can further comprise a chambered microfluidic device comprising channels providing access to wells defined in photosensitive material. The micro-isolation apparatus can comprise a chambered microfluidic device without access wells defined in photosensitive material where valves control the flow of gases or liquids through the channels of the microfluidic device. Also included are methods for selectively isolating cellular material using the apparatuses described herein, as are methods for biochemical analysis of individual regions of interest of cellular material using the devices described herein. Further included are methods of making masking arrays useful for the methods described herein.

Kartalov, Emil P.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Principles, Techniques, and Applications of Tissue Microfluidics

The principle of tissue microfluidics and its resultant techniques has been applied to cell analysis. Building microfluidics to suit a particular tissue sample would allow the rapid, reliable, inexpensive, highly parallelized, selective extraction of chosen regions of tissue for purposes of further biochemical analysis. Furthermore, the applicability of the techniques ranges beyond the described pathology application. For example, they would also allow the posing and successful answering of new sets of questions in many areas of fundamental research. The proposed integration of microfluidic techniques and tissue slice samples is called "tissue microfluidics" because it molds the microfluidic architectures in accordance with each particular structure of each specific tissue sample. Thus, microfluidics can be built around the tissues, following the tissue structure, or alternatively, the microfluidics can be adapted to the specific geometry of particular tissues. By contrast, the traditional approach is that microfluidic devices are structured in accordance with engineering considerations, while the biological components in applied devices are forced to comply with these engineering presets.

Wade, Lawrence A.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Principles, Techniques, and Applications of Tissue Microfluidics

The principle of tissue microfluidics and its resultant techniques has been applied to cell analysis. Building microfluidics to suit a particular tissue sample would allow the rapid, reliable, inexpensive, highly parallelized, selective extraction of chosen regions of tissue for purposes of further biochemical analysis. Furthermore, the applicability of the techniques ranges beyond the described pathology application. For example, they would also allow the posing and successful answering of new sets of questions in many areas of fundamental research. The proposed integration of microfluidic techniques and tissue slice samples is called tissue microfluidics because it molds the microfluidic architectures in accordance with each particular structure of each specific tissue sample. Thus, microfluidics can be built around the tissues, following the tissue structure, or alternatively, the microfluidics can be adapted to the specific geometry of particular tissues. By contrast, the traditional approach is that microfluidic devices are structured in accordance with engineering considerations, while the biological components in applied devices are forced to comply with these engineering presets. The proposed principles represent a paradigm shift in microfluidic technology in three important ways: Microfluidic devices are to be directly integrated with, onto, or around tissue samples, in contrast to the conventional method of off-chip sample extraction followed by sample insertion in microfluidic devices. Architectural and operational principles of microfluidic devices are to be subordinated to suit specific tissue structure and needs, in contrast to the conventional method of building devices according to fluidic function alone and without regard to tissue structure. Sample acquisition from tissue is to be performed on-chip and is to be integrated with the diagnostic measurement within the same device, in contrast to the conventional method of off-chip sample prep and subsequent insertion into a diagnostic device. A more advanced form of tissue integration with microfluidics is tissue encapsulation, wherein the sample is completely encapsulated within a microfluidic device, to allow for full surface access. The immediate applications of these approaches lie with diagnostics of tissue slices and biopsy samples e.g. for cancer but the approaches would also be very useful in comparative genomics and other areas of fundamental research involving heterogeneous tissue samples.

Wade, Lawrence A.↗