| PhD Seminar

Name of the Speaker: Ms. Kanimozhi K (EE20D301)
Guide: Dr. Anil Prabhakar
Venue: ESB-234 (Malaviya Hall)
Online meeting link: https://meet.google.com/kgj-woai-brs
Date/Time: 9th December 2025(Tuesday), 3pm
Title: Optomicrofluidic Characterization of Droplet Systems and Design of a Compact Multicolor Detection Module

Abstract :

Single-cell analysis is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms and evaluating treatment response, as it captures cell-to-cell variability and functionally significant subpopulations. Conventional methods such as flow cytometry and immunofluorescence, though widely used, are often limited by high costs, complex optical architectures and extensive sample preparation. Optofluidic and microfluidic platforms have emerged as promising alternatives, offering reduced sample volumes, improved throughput and better control over optical interrogation. This work explores two complementary directions toward advancing optofluidic-based single-cell detection. The first involves examining droplet–light interactions in water-in-oil systems to study how droplet geometry, refractive interfaces and encapsulated particles influence refracted and fluorescent signal formation. Experimental measurements, supported by optical modelling, provide qualitative insights into the optical behaviour within droplets and help identify factors that may contribute to improved fluorescence signal stability in droplet microfluidics. The second component focuses on developing a compact multicolor fluorescence detection approach that employs a single laser source and a single photodetector. A 3D-printed optofluidic module is used to facilitate optical alignment and integration, with the goal of enabling smaller droplets and potentially cost-effective analytical systems. The design’s relevance to circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection is also considered, given the need for compact and sensitive platforms in such applications. Overall, this seminar presents ongoing progress toward developing practical optofluidic approaches for improved single-cell and rare-cell detection.