UC Irvine

Project Goal: Our goal is to create a fast, cost-efficient system for cancer detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). A CTC detection system isolates tumor cells from blood

and scans for CTC presence. Other CTC detection systems, while effective, are expensive to produce and utilize for point-of-care diagnostics. They use abrasive capture and separation methods like centrifuging that often damage cells in the process. Also, these devices are costly for laboratories to purchase. We will focus on low cost and flexible.

Project Overview: A low cost, real-time diagnostic applicable for point-of-care

operations that will capture circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using microfabricated immunomagnetic microbeads in close-packed formation. Blood taken from a patient will be loaded into a funnel containing beads concentrated at the tip. Individual cells passing

through interstitial spaces will provide full contact with the surface of the microbeads, allowing for a high accuracy antibody-based detection of CTCs. Magnetic alignment will provide simple microscopy targets for further analysis.

Zach Gyugyi , Jamison Jew , Luis Rodriguez , Aimee San Jose, and Joshua Yu

Project Advisor: Lawrence Kulinsky

Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Irvine