A miniaturized wash-free microfluidic assay for electrical impedance-based assessment of red blood cell-mediated microvascular occlusion.

The production of HbS - an abnormal hemoglobin (Hb) - in sickle cell disease (SCD) results in poorly deformable red blood cells (RBCs) that are prone to microcapillary occlusion, causing tissue ischemia and organ damage. Novel treatments, including gene therapy, may reduce SCD morbidity, but methods to functionally evaluate RBCs remain limited. Previously, we presented the microfluidic impedance red cell assay (MIRCA) for rapid assessment of RBC deformability, employing electrical impedance-based readout to measure RBC occlusion of progressively narrowing micropillar openings.