A QCM-Based Lab-on-a-Chip Device for Real Time Characterization of Shear-Induced Platelets Adhesion and Aggregation

The long-term goal of this project is to develop a microfluidic device integrated with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor to perform real-time monitoring of platelet adhesion and aggregation under various hemodynamic conditions. This Lab-On-a-Chip device was fabricated with softlithography technique and plasma bonding. The gold sensing surface (electrode) of QCM sensor was embedded in the sensing area of microchannel, in which different fluid solutions were driven through to induce required shear flows for protein interaction study. The time-dependent (transient) frequency shift upon flowing blood samples was monitored to characterize the dynamic process of the platelet adhesion and protein interaction. The interaction between recombinant platelet surface receptor glycoprotein Ibα (GPIbα) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) were investigated under both static and dynamic flow conditions. It was found that the association process is much faster than disassociation process. This device functions as a powerful platform for studying the impact of flow pattern and shear stress on platelet function and GPIbα and vWF interaction, and potentially serves as a prototype for cardiovascular diagnostic purposes.