Researchers from the Microfluidics Cluster at the Alava Campus of the University of the Basque Country (EHU) have developed a portable, low-cost system for the production of high-quality platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Under the leadership of Ikerbasque professor Lourdes Basabe and lecturer Fernando Benito, a device has been developed that extracts PRP directly from blood by gravity sedimentation, without the need for expensive centrifugation. The innovation, published in the journal “Lab on a Chip”, was featured on the front page.

PRP is crucial in regenerative medicine as it promotes healing and tissue regeneration. However, conventional methods activate platelets prematurely, which reduces their effectiveness. The new system reduces platelet activation to 8.2 percent compared to 31 percent with standard methods and maintains mean platelet volume. It also removes 98 percent of red blood cells and 96 percent of white blood cells. In just 40 minutes, the device extracts 300 microliters of PRP from one milliliter of blood and can be flexibly adapted for different blood volumes.

Made from laser-cut acrylic sheets and special adhesives, the system is cost-effective, disposable and easy to use. It is based on over a decade of research into lab-on-a-chip technologies that condense complex laboratory processes onto chip-sized devices. Lead author Dr. Pablo Enrique Guevara-Pantoja, funded by a Marie Curie COFUND grant, emphasizes its suitability for clinical settings, personalized therapies and even home care.

The technology is protected by a Spanish patent. The team is now looking for partners from hospitals and industry to accelerate the market launch. The device promises to improve access to PRP therapies in resource-poor regions and make regenerative medicine more cost-effective.

Original Paper:

A microfluidic device for passive separation of platelet-rich plasma from whole blood – Lab on a Chip (RSC Publishing) DOI:10.1039/D5LC00362H

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