Advancement of On-Chip Mixing Capabilities for RAPID, a Microfluidic Radiotracer Synthesis Platform

Publication Date

2026

Presentation Length

Poster/Gallery presentation

College

College of Sciences & Mathematics

Department

Biology, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Beth Bowman

Presentation Type

Poster

Summary

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death, responsible for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020. One common method of cancer detection is positron emission tomography (PET), which uses radioactive tracers to create detailed maps of areas containing tumors. [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) has long been the most commonly used radiotracer due to its ability to detect multiple varieties of cancer. Despite its success, many other radiotracers function to more accurately detect specific cancers and other diseases. As current production methods are designed around large batches of [18F]FDG, production of these more specialized radiotracers is prohibitively expensive. One solution to this is RAPID, a microfluidic device platform that synthesizes radiotracers on demand in single doses. In radiotracer production, mixing target molecules (antibodies, proteins, etc.) and radionuclides is crucial for successful synthesis. This study tests different microfluidic mixing channel designs, comparing flow rates and channel geometries to determine the most efficient design for radiotracer synthesis. Channel designs followed a zigzag pattern with varying widths, lengths, and pattern repetitions. Solutions of rhodamine b and fluorescein were mixed, and fluorescent microscopy was used to image the channels and calculate an overlap coefficient to determine mixing efficiency. The results of the study found that a 300 µm wide channel, with a pattern segment-to-channel width ratio of 10:1 with a flow rate of 400 µL/min was most optimal. This condition resulted in an overlap coefficient of 0.940, indicating near complete mixing.

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