Isolation of exosomes from whole blood by integrating acoustics and microfluidics

TLDR

The study develops an integrated on‑chip technology that isolates exosomes from undiluted whole blood in an automated manner. The method combines acoustics and microfluidics on a chip to isolate exosomes with high purity and yield. The automated device yields high‑purity exosomes, preserves their structure and function, reduces biohazard risk and processing time, and facilitates downstream analysis for diagnostics and therapeutics.

Abstract

Significance We have developed a unique, integrated, on-chip technology that is capable of isolating exosomes or other types of extracellular vesicles, directly from undiluted whole-blood samples in an automated fashion. Automated exosome isolation enables biohazard containment, short processing time, reproducible results with little human intervention, and convenient integration with downstream exosome analysis units. Our method of integrating acoustics and microfluidics leads to the isolation of exosomes with high purity and yield. With its label-free, contact-free, and biocompatible nature, it offers the potential to preserve the structures, characteristics, and functions of isolated exosomes. This automated, point-of-care device can further help in advancing exosome-related biomedical research with potential applications in health monitoring, disease diagnostics, and therapeutics.