Richard Lin

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Demirci Laboratory
Mentor: Sanjun Moon

Summer 2008

Filter-Based Microfluidic Chip for HIV CD4 Monitoring at Resource-Limited Settings

According to UN/WHO report in 2008, HIV infects over 33.2 million people , including 2.1 million children. Flow cytometers, which can enumerate the CD4+ T lymphocytes in blood, currently remain the gold standard for HIV monitoring. While WHO recommends patients to receive routine check-ups on their conditions, logistical issues often hinder this from happening. For instance, a flow cytometer can cost upwards of US$150,000, with an additional cost of about US$30-50 for each test along with the need for maintenance and trained personnel. The largest group of victims of this reality is those living in developing countries, who also constitute the majority of the world's HIV-positive population.

In my research, I seek to use m icro-scale techniques to develop a microfluidic device that offers rapid CD4 + T-cell counting in resource-limited settings . Microfluidic devices require much fewer reagents and sample volume than conventional methods to provide diagnosis and monitoring. A microfilter is incorporated into microfluidic chips that can separate prestained CD4+ T lymphocytes and white blood cells from whole blood. This design, requiring less than 10 µl of blood sample and reagent, is validate d with HIV-infected blood samples .