Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Inaugural
Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip Devices for POCT
Technology and Digital Solutions for Point of Care Diagnostics
August 18, 2017 | Grand Hyatt Washington | Washington, DC

Recent advances in MEMS technology and nanotechnology brought to life a series of next generation micro and nanofluidic devices with potential of cheaper, faster and more accurate point-of-care testing (POCT). Lab-on-a chip devices enable automation and sample-to-result solutions while being millimeters to a few square centimeters in size. The miniaturization technology greatly impacted not only handheld devices but also compact comprehensive bench top analyzers. The Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Inaugural Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip for POCT symposium is designed to bring together biomedical engineers, technology experts and laboratory medicine community leaders to discuss the current state and the future of this exciting technology for diagnostics applications.

Final Agenda

Recommended Short Course(s)*

SC3: Technologies, Applications and Commercialization of Point-of-Care Diagnostics

*Separate registration required

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18

8:00 am Registration & Morning Coffee

MINIMIZING EXTERNAL INSTRUMENTATION

8:25 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks

Mario Cabodi, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Catherine Klapperich, Boston University

8:30 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Integrated Fluidic System for Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells: Searching for Drug-induced DNA Damage using Nanosensors

Steven_SoperSteven A. Soper, Ph.D., Foundation Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemistry, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Director, Center of BioModular Multiscale Systems for Precision Medicine, The University of Kansas

In this presentation, a novel SMARTChip™ design will be discussed for the isolation and processing of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The SMARTChip™ quantifies response to therapy using three pieces of information secured from the CTCs; (1) CTC number; (2) CTC viability; and (3) the frequency of DNA damage (abasic (AP) sites) in genomic DNA (gDNA) harvested from the CTCs. The SMARTChip consists of task-specific modules integrated to a fluidic motherboard.

9:00 Active and Passive Microfluidics for Instrumentation-Free Disposable Immunoassays and Nucleic Acid Diagnostics

Don_DevoeDon L. DeVoe, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Chair of Research & Administration, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park

The promise of microfluidics for low-cost disposable diagnostics remains constrained by the need for external instrumentation for many assay platforms. This talk will describe recent advances toward the development of rapid, sensitive, and multiplexed microfluidic assays supporting active and passive operation with minimal or no additional instrumentation required for reagent introduction, sample preparation, and fluid manipulation. Application of the thermoplastic technologies to immunoassays and nucleic acid diagnostics will be discussed.

9:30 Design and Development of Paper Molecular Diagnostics for STIs

Mario_CabodiMario Cabodi, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Catherine Klapperich, Boston University

The Klapperich Lab focuses on enabling advanced diagnostics in the area of women’s health. Specific applications include diagnosing and monitoring infectious diseases, detecting biomarkers to assess cancer risk, and monitoring adherence to drug regimens. Our devices include on board sample preparation modules and molecular detection schemes that do not require electrical components or pumps. The talk will cover our work to integrate these components into sample in/answer out devices.

10:00 Digital Microfluidics for Diagnostics Products

Scott Norton, Ph.D., Director of Advanced Technology, Technology Development, Baebies, Inc.

10:30 Coffee Break with Poster Viewing

SAMPLE TO RESULT TECHNOLOGIES

11:00 Nanoscale Deterministic Lateral Displacement for Bio-Colloid Diagnostics

Ben_WunschBenjamin H. Wunsch, Ph.D., Materials Science & Engineering, Surface Chemist, Staff, Nanobiotechnology, IBM Research, IBM

Nanoscale deterministic lateral displacement (nanoDLD) uses asymmetric arrays of nanoscale pillars to separate continuous flows of bio-colloids. Silicon lithography of nanoDLD allows scale-manufacturable, integrated nanofluidic systems for POC applications. Our work has focused on the emerging field of exosome liquid biopsy. As a health biomarker, exosomes provide an ideal size for nanoDLD diagnostics, and we demonstrate various chip implementations for isolating and analyzing exosome populations.

11:30  New Technology for Single-Cell Isolation from Rare Cell Samples

Claude Dufresne, Presisent, Scienion US Inc
A revolutionary technology allows automated isolation of single cells from
very rare samples making their clinical analyses possible. The openplatform
design makes it easy to use almost any source vessel and
destination for the cells. Use with 5 ul samples and no dead volume.

12:00 pm Enjoy Lunch on Your Own

1:30 Session Break

2:00 PANEL DISCUSSION: Trends and Challenges in New Technologies for POCT

Moderator:
Holger_BeckerHolger Becker, Ph.D., Founder & CSO, microfluidic ChipShop GmbH

  • Recent trends in microfluidics-enables POCT
  • Recent trends in cartridge based POCT
  • Technical challenges in product development
  • Regulatory and clinical requirements
  • Future technological needs to be met

Panelists:


Peter_KoertePeter Koerte, Ph.D., President, Point of Care Diagnostics, Siemens Healthineers


Chris_MyattChris Myatt, Founder and CEO, MBio Diagnostics


 


3:05 Refreshment Break with Poster Viewing

DIGITALIZING POC WITH CELL PHONE APPLICATIONS

3:35 A Cellphone-Based Semen Analyzer for Point-of-Care Male Infertility Screening

Hadi_ShafieeHadi Shafiee, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Division of Renal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Manual microscope-based testing and computer-assisted semen analysis systems are the standard methods for semen analysis; however, they are labor-intensive, expensive, and laboratory-based. A point-of-care diagnostic assay for home-based male infertility detection can shift the paradigm in infertility diagnosis and management. We have invented a microchip technology that uniquely integrates (i) hardware optics, (ii) a novel microfluidic design for easy-to-use semen sample handling, and (iii) a novel image processing algorithm that enables rapid (~5 seconds), on-phone image processing using videos recorded from unwashed human semen samples. Dr. Shafiee has recently been published, as noted in the article:
A Smartphone Can Actually Test Sperm Count

3:55 Self-Assembled Fluorescence Signal Booster for Facilitated Diagnostics of Zika with a Modified Smartphone

Birka_LalkensBirka Lalkens, Ph.D., Scientist, NanoBioSciences, TU Braunschweig

Our signal booster, a self-assembled nanoantenna with a plasmonic hotspot, is capable of enhancing fluorescence signals by several orders of magnitude. It is equipped with a molecular recognition unit, generating the enhanced signal only in the presence of the target. Here we exemplarily show the feasibility of the system with the detection of Zika-specific DNA. The specific, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sensitive signal generated in presence of the target DNA in human blood is strongly enhanced, enabling the detection with a modified smartphone. The enhancement is a purely physical effect, therefore it can be synergistically combined with other techniques and integrated into existing assays to make them faster, more sensitive, more specific and ready for point-of-care applications.

4:15 Towards Instrument-Free Inexpensive Point-of-Care Molecular Diagnostics

Changchun_LiuChangchun Liu, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Cellphone technology has a growing and pervasive influence on our daily life. Especially with the rapid development of microfluidics technology, the incorporation of microfluidics technology with cellphone technology will create a new paradigm shift towards affordable, mobile, personalized health monitoring. In this talk, I will introduce my microfluidic diagnostic chips, cellphone-based detection, electricity-free “smart cup” and their applications in disease diagnostics at the point of care.

4:35 Close of Symposia Programs