An innovative wide range flow sensor to unlock microfluidic cell analyses: GALILEO
Author
Marlene Kopf
Publication Date
May 15, 2023
Status
Keywords
wide-range flow sensor
microfluidic cell analyses
high-precision sensor
nanotechnology
EIC transition
drug development
integrated microfluidics
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A high-precision, wide-range flow sensor to advance microfluidic cell analyses for preclinical studies.
Check our Galileo website for updates on the project’s development.
Wide-range flow sensor to unlock microfluidic cell analyses: introduction
We have some big news: The Microfluidics Innovation Center has won an EIC Transition grant!
This prestigious grant enables us to develop an innovative wide-range flow sensor from proof-of-concept to a complete prototype for beta testing with a budget of 1.67 million Euros.
The GALILEO project steps in at an exciting point: Microfluidics is currently one of the strategies with the most significant potential to take cell testing and analysis for drug development to a new level.
The success rate for drug candidates is still meager (around only 3.4% for cancer drugs), and conventional drug development still requires a lot of animal testing.
Integrated microscale fluidics offer new possibilities for in vitro cell cultures and open the door to cutting-edge research on single-cell analysis and nanotherapies.
The further development of flow sensors will make an essential contribution to this field of research.
As new as these approaches are, we see a lot of potential for technological developments in this area: End users report that the flow rate range they can measure and control with conventional sensors needs to be extended by a factor of 100.
In addition, the requirements for measurement accuracy and sensor drift detection are high to minimize experimental errors.
The GALILEO project tackles these urgent requirements for diagnosis, drug discovery, and development by developing a novel wide-range flow sensor. By joining our team, you will improve the success rate of new therapeutics and help provide earlier detection and treatment.
Integrated microfluidics, enabling single cell analyses and nanotechnology: project description
The highly competitive EIC Transition grant is intended for innovation activities beyond experimental proof of concept.
It supports the maturation and validation of novel technologies in the laboratory and relevant application environments and the development of a business case and business model for future innovation commercialization like the GALILEO wide range flow sensor.
The MIC has won one of the highly coveted EIC Transition grants for the GALILEO project out of 181 proposals submitted in September 2022. Thanks to this funding from the European Innovation Council, we will bring our novel wide-range flow sensor to the beta testing stage by 2025.
Related content & results from this project
As a first result of the Galileo project, we developed the Galileo flow sensor and compared its performance to other flow sensors.
Then, we integrated the Galileo flow sensor into our automated recirculation system.
We have published three reviews:
Funding
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon research and innovation program under HORIZON-EIC-2022-TRANSITION-01, grant agreement no. 101113098 (GALILEO).
Start date: 1 May 2023
Overall budget: €1,667,500.00
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FAQ – Wide-range flow sensor to unlock microfluidic cell analyses: GALILEO
What is GALILEO?
This wet-end microfluidic flow sensor is precise and wide-range, with an exchangeable sensing cartridge, to pair with real-time software that scales from sub-microliter-per-minute trickles to milliliters-per-minute perfusion – without requiring replacement of the entire system.
What is the actual problem that it addresses in the lab?
The majority of sensors do not handle both very low and moderate flows; you are playing with models, connectors, and calibrations. GALILEO was designed to fill that gap and ensure accuracy and consistency across regimes, allowing protocols (e.g., organ-on-chip vs. rapid washout) to coexist on the rig.
Provide numbers- what is the range/precision of what we are talking about?
Its range is configured from 0.5 to 10,000 μL/min, with flow-rate accuracy of less than 5 percent; it also supports logging and events (such as clog flags) at up to 100 Hz via the Galileo interface. Comparative tests with a Bronkhorst reference showed that the sensor closely followed the trend over a range of 10-150 μL/min.
What is the work in the wide range, what is actually changing?
Cartridge modularity. You pick a measurement cartridge that provides only the optimal range for that particular readout, insert it into the readout body, and retain the same software and fittings. That holds the dead volume, optics, and electronics fixed and changes the sensing core.
Is the Benchtop sensor only, or does it connect to control loops?
It is meant to run on closed microfluidics: live-streaming, clogging indicators, and captures combine with pressure pump, syringes, and level sensors to provide fault-tolerant perfusion. We would set up GALILEO every day with our recirculations to help keep the shear, the timing of drift, and blockages in check without making a sound.
So far, in which areas has it been proven?
In addition to bench comparisons, where they are compared to industry standards, we have incorporated the sensor into automated recirculation of live cells, which is used with chip-based assays and applications that require baseline stability and rapid transients (media exchanges, pulses). Findings emphasized consent for reference meters and the strength of the foul test.
How about the drift, the calibration? How does it ensure confidence over time?
With instant readout, a high logging rate (100 Hz), and automatic flagging for clogging or anomalies, one can spot departures early. For QA workflows, the same sensing stack is available in its flow-calibration product line, designed to test syringe/pressure systems before and after a run.
Competitiveness of program choice?
This project was selected as one of the deserving projects among 181 EIC Transition proposals (September 2022 cut-off)- an indication that outside reviewers viewed novelty as well as a plausible way to exploitation.
How does this compare with other microfluidic flow-sensing technologies?
Each sensor has its advantages and weaknesses (thermal, Coriolis, differential-pressure, and cantilever sensors) (dead volume, warm-up, pressure drop, cost). Modular range coverage and compact integration: GALILEO bets on a compact integration that will not require numerous boxes to connect regimes. When surveying the landscape, you may wish to consider trade-offs by principle and use case, as we describe in our review.
I plan to lead a Horizon Europe or industry project. What does MIC add to the sensor?
We write WPs and exploitation plans together as a professional SME that routinely participates in EU consortia. In our experience, co-writing has roughly doubled the successful submission rates of our proposals, compared with official baselines, in part because the procuring organization can envision a demonstrable route to prototypes.
How do I determine whether GALILEO is appropriate for my setup?
Two fast tests: (i) plot up your flow spans expected (μL/min to mL/min) to the coverage of the cart tracks; (ii) check that your controller (pressure or syringe) can accept a 100 Hz stream to raise alarm eventualities. Assuming that yes, you can standardize on a single read-out body, change cartridges when required, and add level sensors to ensure long-term fail-safe perfusion.