Researchers Developed Handheld Device to Collect Live Cells

The 3D-printed tool preserves cell viability for organoid growth, overcoming limitations in traditional pathology.

Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Life Sciences

Researchers Developed Handheld Device to Collect Live Cells

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MIT and Johns Hopkins University researchers have developed a 3D-printed handheld microfluidic device designed to extract living cells from tissue. This research-stage technology enables the growth of organoids, bypassing the cell death typically caused by chemical preservatives in standard pathology.

Why it matters

The ability to collect and culture living cells allows for more accurate studies of disease behavior and drug responses compared to analyzing dead, preserved samples. This development is primarily targeted at advancing research into ovarian cancer.

The device utilizes a syringe to create a vacuum seal against tissue, while a second syringe forces fluid through a 3D-printed microfluidic channel to shear cells from the surface. Researchers confirmed that cells collected using this method remained viable in culture.

The players

Kripa Varanasi

An MIT professor who led the research team and focuses on advanced fluid dynamics and surface engineering.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A research university recognized for its extensive contributions to mechanical engineering and biotechnology.

Johns Hopkins University

A leading research institution known for its medical school and significant efforts in cancer diagnostics and pathology.

The details

The device operates through a simple mechanical process: a vacuum seal holds the microfluidic channel steady against the surface of the excised tissue. By driving fluid through the channel, the tool physically shears individual cells from the tissue surface, bypassing the need for chemical preservatives. This approach keeps the collected cells alive, unlike standard pathology methods which rely on fixatives—chemical agents that stabilize biological tissues but terminate cell functions.

September 28, 2026: The research findings were published in the journal Device.

The Tech Race

The tool enters a field dominated by efforts to improve organoid culture efficiency for personalized medicine and cancer modeling. It represents a shift toward hardware-based cell acquisition that sidesteps the limitations of conventional histopathology.

This research-stage technology is not currently available for clinical or personal use, as it is limited to laboratory studies. Future development aims to transition the device from processing excised tissue to performing non-invasive swabs inside patient bodies.

The takeaway

The research provides a method to keep cells viable for observation after collection, marking a departure from traditional biopsy preservation techniques. Observers should track the team's progress toward in-vivo testing, which would allow for real-time live cell sampling within patients.