Innovative Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled, low-cost device that will make flow cytometry a technique used to analyze cells or particles in a fluid using a laser beam affordable and accessible. The prototype identifies and counts cells from unpurified blood samples with similar accuracy as the more expensive and bulky conventional flow cytometers, provides results within minutes and is significantly cheaper and compact, making it highly attractive for point-of-care clinical applications, particularly in low-resource and rural areas.

Peter Lillehoj, the Shankle Chair in Mechanical Engineering and associate professor of mechanical engineering and bioengineering, and Kevin McHugh, assistant professor of bioengineering and chemistry, led the development of this new device. The study was published in Microsystems and Nanoengineering. First developed in the 1950s, flow cytometry is a powerful technique for sorting and analyzing single cells that has applications in multiple medical fields including immunology, molecular and cancer biology and virology. It is the gold standard lab test for clinical diagnosis and care and is used extensively in biomedical research.

However, its use is currently limited to state-of-the-art diagnostic labs and medical centers since it requires large, expensive equipment ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars and specially trained staff to operate it. Conventional flow cytometry is not practical for many resource-limited settings in the U.S. and around the globe, said Lillehoj, the study’s corresponding author. With our approach, this technique can be performed with ease for a fraction of the cost. We envision our innovative device will pave the way for many new point-of-care clinical and biomedical research applications.

Slug flow is a two-phase flow pattern observed when a fluid composed of one or two fluids in discrete phases moves through a pipe or channel. It is used primarily for transporting large volumes of liquids through industrial equipment in oil and gas wells, chemical reactors and fermenters and is studied by researchers interested in fluid dynamics. To our knowledge, this is the first time gravity-driven slug flow has been employed for a biomedical application, said Lillehoj.

Source: https://news.rice.edu/news/2025/rice-researchers-harness-gravity-create-low-cost-device-rapid-cell-analysis