Immune Diagnostics

Low-cost cell counting

Overview (Now Inactive)

From 2009-2015, we oversaw a project using microfluidics tools for immunological diagnostics. 

Newborn Screening 

  • We are developing tools to identify newborns with serious, life-threatening immunodeficiencies (such as SCID).
    • SCID can be identified by low numbers of T cells in the peripheral blood
    • Maternal T cells in the fetal/newborn circulation can confound this count

Complete blood counting

Our tools will facilitate semi-quantitative counting of blood cells from a drop of blood. This is useful in:

  • Disaster settings
  • Military applications
  • Resource-poor (rural) settings
  • Home monitoring

Featured publications

  • Daniel Garcia; Isaac Ghansah; John LeBlanc; Manish J. Butte. Counting cells with a low-cost integrated microfluidics-waveguide sensor. Biomicrofluidics. March 7, 2012.
  • LeBlanc J; Muller A; Prinz A; Butte MJ. Optical Planar Waveguide for Cell Counting. Applied Physics Letters. Jan 23, 2012.