Cell Notes: Revolutionizing Blood Separation: A Thanksgiving Reflection on Innovation

Thanksgiving is a time for reflection on people, progress, imagination, innovation and things that captivate. Recently, I have become captivated by microfluidics apheresis—a technology with significant potential to revolutionize blood separation and purification.

Microfluidics apheresis holds immense promise for cell and gene therapy. It can enhance cell separation, improve the quality and efficacy of cell-based therapies and streamline the production of therapeutic cells and gene therapies by minimizing blood volume requirements and developing scalable systems. This technology uses tiny channels to manipulate blood at a microscale, offering a gentler approach compared to traditional methods. It stands out for its precision and efficiency, accurately separating blood components with minimal cell damage. Operating on very low blood volumes, it is ideal for diagnostics requiring small samples and has versatile applications for various therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.

Traditional apheresis methods rely on centrifugation and membrane filtration, which require larger blood volumes and are well-suited for bulk processing. While effective, these methods can be less precise and there is a higher risk for cell damage.

Though promising, microfluidics apheresis faces several challenges, including scalability, complex design and fabrication, and clogging and contamination of small channels. Researchers are developing strategies to improve scalability, including multiplexing (running processes in parallel), using advanced materials, modular designs and integrating automation. Automation, in particular, is a game-changer, increasing throughput, ensuring precision and consistency, reducing human error and enhancing workflow integration.