Automated Liquid Biopsy
April 4, 2017 | Terry Sharrer
Because tumor cells in blood tend to be larger than blood cells, it’s possible to separate the two in an automated liquid biopsy instrument from Vortex Biosciences (Menlo Park, CA). The automated technology relies on microfluidics chips and connected boxes where a liquid vortex provides centrifuge action which captures circulating tumor cells. Presumably, a constant pressure pump drives the system, but this piece is slim on the specifications, and questions may remain about blood tumor cells, particularly primitive white blood cells, actually being heavier than wild type white blood cells. MORE WITH VIDEO
Image Credit: Vortex Biosciences and MedGadget.com