Acoustochromatography Based on Low-Cost Polymer Columns Enables Rapid Extracellular Vesicle Proteome Analysis from 1 μL of Blood Plasma

Conventional approaches such as ultracentrifugation and size-exclusion chromatography require ≥100 μL of input, hours of processing, and are poorly compatible with clinical workflows. We present a low-cost polymer-based acoustochromatography device that enables EV enrichment from 1 μL of blood plasma within 2–10 minsignificantly faster than current gold-standard methods.

A novel ultrasound-driven release mode increased recovery significantly compared to the previously reported acoustofluidic chromatography method. Comprehensive proteomic analysis confirmed highly pure EV fractions after acoustofluidic enrichment. Apolipoproteins were depleted to below 100 ng/mL, corresponding to >99.6% depletion as compared to neat plasma.