Researchers at the University of the Basque Country have introduced a palm-sized device that simplifies and improves the extraction of platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, a regenerative therapy widely used to treat injuries, speed up healing, and manage pain. Unlike conventional methods that rely on centrifugation and mechanical force—both of which can prematurely activate platelets—the new device relies on gravity sedimentation and a passive microfluidic system to gently separate components from whole blood.
The device is built using laser-cut acrylic layers and pressure-sensitive adhesives that channel the flow of blood without damaging cells. After blood is introduced, red and white blood cells settle naturally over 40 minutes, while platelets remain suspended in plasma. From just one milliliter of blood, the system yields approximately 300 microliters of PRP, with less than 9% platelet activation—compared to over 30% with traditional techniques. This means the platelets retain more of their therapeutic potency, critical for effective tissue regeneration.
The resulting PRP has over 98% purity in terms of red blood cell removal and 96% purity for white blood cell exclusion. Because the device is inexpensive, disposable, and scalable, it holds strong potential for expanding access to regenerative treatments in outpatient clinics, emergency settings, and even home-based care. It also eliminates the need for bulky lab equipment, making the process faster, cleaner, and more reliable.
This breakthrough follows more than a decade of research in Lab-on-a-Chip technologies at EHU, and was led by Pablo Enrique Guevara-Pantoja with support from a Marie Curie COFUND grant. The team holds a Spanish patent for the design and is actively seeking clinical and industrial partners to take the device to market. As regenerative medicine continues to grow, EHU’s device offers a much-needed upgrade—making PRP more accessible, reproducible, and potent, in the most compact form yet.
Article from EHU: A device developed at the EHU makes it simple to obtain platelet-rich plasma
Abstract in Lab on a Chip: A microfluidic device for passive separation of platelet-rich plasma from whole blood
