An inertial-based spiral device for separating rare tumor cells from liquid biopsies
Abstract
Early detection of primary tumors and metastatic processes increases the success of antitumor therapies and favors good prognoses. Within the current range of methods available to detect the presence of tumors, liquid biopsy is receiving particular attention as it is a minimally-invasive and quick procedure. Identification of cancer elements such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) constitutes valuable information about tumor biology. However, this is a challenging process due to the rarity of those cells in corporal fluids as blood (CTCs <10 cell/ 10 mL blood). Microfluidics, an affordable, sensitive, user-friendly and rapidly evolving technology, has significatively provided advances in the detection and isolation of rare cancer cells. One of the main strategies currently employed is the development of inertial focusing devices with spiral geometries. In these systems hydrodynamic forces are used to focus particles as a function of their size without additional mechanical or electronic equipment.
Specifically, the interactions between inertial lift forces and Dean vortices determine the equilibrium position of particles as a function of their size enhancing their sorting. Here, by combination of viscoelastic and inertial microfluidics approaches, we have developed a spiral device for isolation of CTCs from liquid biopsies. Our device was able to isolate and enrich with high efficiency osteosarcoma cells presented in a low number from whole blood samples. This device constitutes a promising tool for isolation, characterization and potential culture of tumor cells from patient samples and improve personalized medicine.
Translational Impact StatementEarly detection of cancers substantially improves cancer therapies and patients' responses.
In this sense, the use of liquid biopsy techniques constitutes a potential and minimal invasive approach. Here we developed an elliptic microfluidic device for effective detection and isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood biopsies with minimal sample perturbation and fast procedure (less than 30 minutes). This device can be used as standard tool for real-time monitoring of patient tumor evolution and effectiveness of anti-cancer therapies in clinics.
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BibTeX
@article{paneztoro2026inertialbased,
title = {{An inertial-based spiral device for separating rare tumor cells from liquid biopsies}},
author = {Isidora Panez-Toro and Laurent Griscom and Dominique Heymann and J Munoz-Garcia},
journal = {Bioengineering \& Translational Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1002/btm2.70175},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05737290v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - An inertial-based spiral device for separating rare tumor cells from liquid biopsies
AU - Isidora Panez-Toro
AU - Laurent Griscom
AU - Dominique Heymann
AU - J Munoz-Garcia
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/03
JO - Bioengineering & Translational Medicine
DO - 10.1002/btm2.70175
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05737290v1
AB - Early detection of primary tumors and metastatic processes increases the success of antitumor therapies and favors good prognoses. Within the current range of methods available to detect the presence of tumors, liquid biopsy is receiving particular attention as it is a minimally-invasive and quick procedure. Identification of cancer elements such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) constitutes valuable information about tumor biology. However, this is a challenging process due to the rarity of those cells in corporal fluids as blood (CTCs <10 cell/ 10 mL blood). Microfluidics, an affordable, sensitive, user-friendly and rapidly evolving technology, has significatively provided advances in the detection and isolation of rare cancer cells. One of the main strategies currently employed is the development of inertial focusing devices with spiral geometries. In these systems hydrodynamic forces are used to focus particles as a function of their size without additional mechanical or electronic equipment. Specifically, the interactions between inertial lift forces and Dean vortices determine the equilibrium position of particles as a function of their size enhancing their sorting. Here, by combination of viscoelastic and inertial microfluidics approaches, we have developed a spiral device for isolation of CTCs from liquid biopsies. Our device was able to isolate and enrich with high efficiency osteosarcoma cells presented in a low number from whole blood samples. This device constitutes a promising tool for isolation, characterization and potential culture of tumor cells from patient samples and improve personalized medicine. Translational Impact StatementEarly detection of cancers substantially improves cancer therapies and patients' responses. In this sense, the use of liquid biopsy techniques constitutes a potential and minimal invasive approach. Here we developed an elliptic microfluidic device for effective detection and isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood biopsies with minimal sample perturbation and fast procedure (less than 30 minutes). This device can be used as standard tool for real-time monitoring of patient tumor evolution and effectiveness of anti-cancer therapies in clinics.
SN - 2380-6761
ER -