Polymer microflow cytofluorometer

This paper reports a microflow cytometer fabricated in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) in which a 3D hydrodynamic flow focusing is employed in order to align the particles in a single line along the focused stream. By exploiting an innovative and simple technique to realize a 3D hydrodynamic focusing effect, a tunable and circular-shaped focused stream has been obtained. The device has been fabricated by direct micromilling of two parts of PMMA that were finally bonded together. Flow cytometry measurements have been performed by using 10 ?m-sized fluorescent particles. From the analysis of the fluorescence signals collected at each transit event, we can confirm that the device is capable of creating a single-file particle stream. © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland.