Early diabetes screening via red blood cell mechanics using microfluidic chip integration
Early diagnosis of diabetes is crucial, as diabetes, particularly type 2, can eventually lead to irreversible changes and complications. Conventional techniques, such as the Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) Test and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Test, measure blood glucose levels, which fluctuate over time and...
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Mechanobiology in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949907025000245 |
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| author | Yibo Feng Bingchen Che Yonggang Liu Cangmin Zhang Jiameng Niu Jiangcun Yang Guangyin Jing Dan Sun Xiaobo Gong Ce Zhang |
| author_facet | Yibo Feng Bingchen Che Yonggang Liu Cangmin Zhang Jiameng Niu Jiangcun Yang Guangyin Jing Dan Sun Xiaobo Gong Ce Zhang |
| author_sort | Yibo Feng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Early diagnosis of diabetes is crucial, as diabetes, particularly type 2, can eventually lead to irreversible changes and complications. Conventional techniques, such as the Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) Test and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Test, measure blood glucose levels, which fluctuate over time and are insensitive to early stages. In this study, we focus on measuring the mechanical properties of red blood cells, as their irreversible changes can indicate early pathological impacts of diabetes. We developed a microfluidic chip with a symmetrical hyperbolic structure. By periodically altering the state of the valve membrane, we generate a reciprocating shear flow field that repeatedly acts on groups of RBCs. We then quantify the morphological parameters of the RBCs, establishing a correlation between the reciprocating shear flow field and the morphological changes of the cells. Using the developed microfluidic chip, we investigated the resistance of blood cells from 20 healthy volunteers to mechanical stimuli. The results indicated a significant correlation between the deformability of red blood cells and age, while no such correlation was found among individuals of the same gender. This study highlights the potential of utilizing the mechanical properties of red blood cells as an early diagnostic tool for diabetes. Furthermore, given the ease of integration of microfluidic chips, they present a promising high-throughput diagnostic solution for large-scale clinical screening. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a0caaacd6e9a40d7ba27862780ab43f2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2949-9070 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mechanobiology in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-a0caaacd6e9a40d7ba27862780ab43f22025-08-20T03:10:46ZengElsevierMechanobiology in Medicine2949-90702025-09-013310013610.1016/j.mbm.2025.100136Early diabetes screening via red blood cell mechanics using microfluidic chip integrationYibo Feng0Bingchen Che1Yonggang Liu2Cangmin Zhang3Jiameng Niu4Jiangcun Yang5Guangyin Jing6Dan Sun7Xiaobo Gong8Ce Zhang9State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Institute of Photonics and Photon-Technology, Northwest University, No. 1, Xuefu Avenue, Xi'an, 710127, Shaanxi, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Institute of Photonics and Photon-Technology, Northwest University, No. 1, Xuefu Avenue, Xi'an, 710127, Shaanxi, ChinaLaboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, 400016, Chongqing, ChinaWONGENY Precision Technology Co., Ltd., No. 169 Liaobang Road, Suzhou, 215217, Jiangsu, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, Shaanxi, ChinaDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, Shaanxi, ChinaSchool of Physics, Northwest University, No. 1 Xuefu Avenue, Xi'an, 710127, Shaanxi, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Institute of Photonics and Photon-Technology, Northwest University, No. 1, Xuefu Avenue, Xi'an, 710127, Shaanxi, ChinaSchool of Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; Corresponding author.State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Institute of Photonics and Photon-Technology, Northwest University, No. 1, Xuefu Avenue, Xi'an, 710127, Shaanxi, China; Corresponding author.Early diagnosis of diabetes is crucial, as diabetes, particularly type 2, can eventually lead to irreversible changes and complications. Conventional techniques, such as the Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) Test and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Test, measure blood glucose levels, which fluctuate over time and are insensitive to early stages. In this study, we focus on measuring the mechanical properties of red blood cells, as their irreversible changes can indicate early pathological impacts of diabetes. We developed a microfluidic chip with a symmetrical hyperbolic structure. By periodically altering the state of the valve membrane, we generate a reciprocating shear flow field that repeatedly acts on groups of RBCs. We then quantify the morphological parameters of the RBCs, establishing a correlation between the reciprocating shear flow field and the morphological changes of the cells. Using the developed microfluidic chip, we investigated the resistance of blood cells from 20 healthy volunteers to mechanical stimuli. The results indicated a significant correlation between the deformability of red blood cells and age, while no such correlation was found among individuals of the same gender. This study highlights the potential of utilizing the mechanical properties of red blood cells as an early diagnostic tool for diabetes. Furthermore, given the ease of integration of microfluidic chips, they present a promising high-throughput diagnostic solution for large-scale clinical screening.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949907025000245Reversal shear flowMechanical stimuliDiabetesEarly screening |
| spellingShingle | Yibo Feng Bingchen Che Yonggang Liu Cangmin Zhang Jiameng Niu Jiangcun Yang Guangyin Jing Dan Sun Xiaobo Gong Ce Zhang Early diabetes screening via red blood cell mechanics using microfluidic chip integration Mechanobiology in Medicine Reversal shear flow Mechanical stimuli Diabetes Early screening |
| title | Early diabetes screening via red blood cell mechanics using microfluidic chip integration |
| title_full | Early diabetes screening via red blood cell mechanics using microfluidic chip integration |
| title_fullStr | Early diabetes screening via red blood cell mechanics using microfluidic chip integration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early diabetes screening via red blood cell mechanics using microfluidic chip integration |
| title_short | Early diabetes screening via red blood cell mechanics using microfluidic chip integration |
| title_sort | early diabetes screening via red blood cell mechanics using microfluidic chip integration |
| topic | Reversal shear flow Mechanical stimuli Diabetes Early screening |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949907025000245 |
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