EVs & EXOSOMES
Microfluidics for Extracellular Vesicle & Exosome Isolation
Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are nanoscale vesicles — roughly tens to a few hundred nanometres across — that carry molecular cargo from their parent cells. They are of growing interest for liquid biopsy, diagnostics and drug delivery. We manufacture microfluidic chips that isolate and enrich EVs from blood, plasma and other biological fluids, taking your design from a single prototype to production volumes.
- Label-free & affinity capture
- Gentle, low-shear handling
- PDMS to thermoplastic
- Prototype to production
Why isolate EVs on a chip?
Extracellular vesicles carry proteins, lipids and nucleic acids that reflect the state of the cells they came from, which makes them attractive markers for non-invasive diagnostics. Conventional isolation by ultracentrifugation is slow, requires bulky equipment and large sample volumes, and can be hard to reproduce. Microfluidics offers faster, smaller-volume and more reproducible enrichment directly from blood, plasma and other fluids, often integrated with the steps that come before and after isolation.
On-chip isolation methods
- Size-based separation — membranes and nanofilters, deterministic lateral displacement, and pillar or nanostructure arrays that sort vesicles by their physical dimensions.
- Immunoaffinity capture — antibodies against EV surface markers immobilised on functionalised channel surfaces or beads, capturing specific vesicle populations.
- Acoustic separation — standing-wave forces that move vesicles by size and density without labels; see acoustofluidics.
- Inertial and viscoelastic methods — label-free hydrodynamic sorting that uses flow forces alone; see inertial microfluidics.
- Upstream plasma separation — EV isolation is often preceded by on-chip blood plasma separation from whole blood.
Why microfluidics suits EV work
Microfluidic devices handle the small sample volumes typical of clinical specimens and apply gentle, low-shear forces that minimise damage to fragile vesicles. They also integrate naturally with downstream steps such as single-cell and molecular analysis, letting isolation and readout sit on the same lab-on-a-chip platform.
Materials and manufacture
EV devices often rely on fine, high-precision features, so feature fidelity and surface quality matter. A common route is to prototype in PDMS and then move to reproducible thermoplastics such as COC, COP or PMMA for production. We support that transition end to end — see our notes on going from prototype to scale and the full range of manufacturing services we offer, including DFM advice and solvent-free bonding.
Get started
Tell us what you are isolating and we will help you choose materials and a process. Upload a design for a written quote, usually within one working day, or book a call to talk through your EV chip.
Frequently asked questions
Do you make microfluidic chips for exosome/EV isolation?
Yes. We manufacture custom microfluidic chips for extracellular vesicle and exosome isolation, in PDMS, thermoplastics such as COC, COP and PMMA, and glass, from a single prototype through to production volumes.
What methods isolate EVs on-chip?
Common approaches include size-based separation such as membranes, deterministic lateral displacement and nanostructure arrays, immunoaffinity capture using antibodies against EV surface markers, acoustic separation, and label-free inertial or viscoelastic sorting. EV isolation is often preceded by on-chip plasma separation from whole blood.
Can EV chips be scaled to production?
Yes. We typically prototype in PDMS to refine the design, then transfer to reproducible thermoplastics for higher volumes, with cleanroom manufacture and sterile packaging available where needed. We can produce from 1 to 100,000+ units under one supplier.
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EVs & EXOSOMES
Let's build your device.
Upload your design for a written quote — usually within one working day — or book a 30-minute call to talk through materials, volumes and timelines.
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