Flow&Patch™ – A Versatile Platform for Advanced Cell and Blood Research
Flow&Patch™ is a next-generation flow chamber system that unites precision engineering, microfluidics and AI-powered analysis. The core purchase provides a high-precision flow chamber with full control of flow, shear stress, temperature, pH and solution exchange, giving researchers a flexible base they can use however they choose. The flow chamber features a glass-covered observation deck for high-resolution imaging of cells in the flow channel. For patch clamp applications this glass is removed allowing direct access for patch electrodes access from above. Specialized analysis modules are available as separate software packages, each unlocking dedicated measurement and evaluation workflows.
Built for researchers in hematology, cell biology and pharmacology, Flow&Patch™ recreates near-physiological conditions with exceptional parameter accuracy and stability.Its integrated high-precision thermostat maintains temperature with a stability of ±0.1 °C, ensuring reliable and repeatable measurements even during long term experiments. Every aspect of the system is fully customizable, allowing you to simulate both healthy and pathological conditions with precision. Whether you are studying red blood cell behavior, ion channel activity or drug responses under dynamic flow, Flow&Patch™ provides a flexible foundation you can expand as your research evolves.
With its dedicated software modules, Flow&Patch™ enables researchers to:
1- Measure red blood cell mechanics and deformability: Quantify elongation, stiffness and relaxation under realistic shear stresses to study diseases such hemolytic anemias, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, diabetes, malaria or COVID-19-related cell effects.
Open Application Note- Elongation/Deformability Module [PDF]
2- Run osmotic fragility testing: Generate real-time osmotic fragility curves using minimal blood volumes, even a finger-prick blood sample, while AI calculates MCF50 automatically. This is ideal for drug testing, membrane studies and aquaporin research.
Open Application Note- Osmotic Fragility Module [PDF]
3- Quantify RBC–endothelial adhesion: Model vascular disease by measuring red blood (and white blood) cell adhesion to endothelial monolayers under adjustable flow, temperature and chemical conditions, including high-throughput AI image analysis.
Open Application Note- Adhesion Module [PDF]
4- Assess RBC shape and aggregation (Rouleaux-formation): Capture and classify red cell morphologies, aggregation dynamics and subpopulations with AI, enabling drug screening and disease phenotyping.
Open Application Note- Shape & Aggregation Module [PDF]
5- Perform patch-clamp under flow: Record ion channel activity at single-cell or whole-cell level while exposing cells to tightly controlled temperature, pH, osmolarity and pharmacological agents without disturbing the patch during solution exchange.
Open Application Note- Patch Clamp Module [PDF]
6- Diagnostic AI based cell assays for sickle cell anemia and thalassemia: A dedicated workflow aimed at research and quantitative diagnostic of Sickle Cell Anemia and Thalassemia RBCs, expanding Flow&Patch™ applications into clinically relevant pathologies. This module is under active development and will soon be available on request.
Every module integrates seamlessly with the Flow&Patch™ hardware, using the same intuitive interface to deliver real-time AI evaluation, ultra-low sample requirements and easy reversibility testing. Modules are available as separate software packages, allowing you to start with the Flow&Patch™ core system and add the capabilities you need as your projects evolve. Together, the Flow&Patch™ system form a scalable research platform that grows with your projects and adapts to your scientific questions.
Explore the individual modules below to see how Flow&Patch™ can accelerate your next discovery.