Digital Microfluidics and Radiochemistry: Current State and Future Trends
摘要
Centralized radiotracer synthesis is constrained by the half-life of a radioisotope and the necessary transportation time to a medical facility. As a result, there has been interest in decentralizing synthesis such that each medical facility would be able to synthesize their own tracer on-demand after radioisotope production and at reasonably low-cost. In recent years, moving toward this goal, microfluidics has become an attractive option due to the miniaturization and automation capabilities of these devices, their precise control over reaction conditions, and the increased safety during synthesis because of working with smaller reagent quantities. Notably, digital microfluidics (DMF) leverages electrical potential to manipulate droplets discretely and in parallel. Additionally, DMF systems are constructed using chemically inert and thermally stable materials, making them suitable for handling the harsh conditions encountered during radiotracer synthesis. Over the last decade, radiotracers such as [18F]FDG, [18F]FLT, [18F]fallypride, [18F]SFB, and [99mTc]Tc-DTPA have been synthesized on DMF platforms with high efficiency, thus demonstrating DMF as a suitable platform for decentralized synthesis. In this review, we explore various types of radiotracer synthesis carried out on DMF platforms, along with the technological advancements that enable accessible radiosynthesis for clinical and research purposes in any laboratory or facility.