Cell patterning using a dielectrophoretic–hydrodynamic trap (original) (raw)
Related papers
Design and Fabrication of a Dielectrophoretic Cell Trap Array
Advances in Science, Technology and Engineering Systems Journal, 2017
We present a design and fabrication of an integrated micro-fabricated dielectrophoretic (DEP) cell trap array in a microfluidic channel. The cell trap array is capable of isolating target cells in high-throughput manner and producing cell clusters of tunable cell numbers. In this work, we have used commercially available polystyrene beads to show the concept. Bead clusters of various sizes were successfully produced using DEP force (attractive or repulsive). We have found that the number of beads in a cluster depends on the frequency of electric field and the concentration of beads in the mixture.
3D Dielectrophoretic Chips: Trapping and Separation of Cell Populations
The paper presents original contributions at manipulation of biological samples using electric field (dielectrophoresis). Design considerations, fabrication processes and experimental results of three original three dimensional (3D) dielectrophoretic (DEP) structures: DEP chip with 3D silicon electrodes, DEP chip with asymmetric electrodes. The paper presents also the experimental results of trapping yeast cells and the methods for separation of two cell populations developed in the above mentioned devices.
Trapping and imaging of micron-sized embryos using dielectrophoresis
ELECTROPHORESIS, 2011
Development of dielectrophoretic (DEP) arrays for real-time imaging of embryonic organisms is described. Microelectrode arrays were used for trapping both embryonated eggs and larval stages of Antarctic nematode Panagrolaimus davidi. Ellipsoid single-shell model was also applied to study the interactions between DEP fields and developing multicellular organisms. This work provides proof-of-concept application of chip-based technologies for the analysis of individual embryos trapped under DEP force.
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2022
We present a microfluidic dielectrophoretic-actuated system designed to trap chosen single-cell and form controlled cell aggregates. A novel method is proposed to characterize the efficiency of the dielectrophoretic trapping, considering the flow speed but also the heat generated by the traps as limiting criteria in cell-safe manipulation. Two original designs with different manufacturing processes are experimentally compared. The most efficient design is selected and the cell membrane integrity is monitored by fluorescence imaging to guarantee a safe-cell trapping. Design rules are suggested to adapt the traps to multiple-cells trapping and are experimentally validated as we formed aggregates of controlled size and composition with two different types of cells. We provide hereby a simple manufactured tool allowing the controlled manipulation of particles for the composition of multicellular assemblies.
Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 2010
It is shown that dielectrophoresis—the movement of particles in non-uniform electric fields—can be used to create engineered skin with artificial placodes of different sizes and shapes, in different spatial patterns. Modeling of the electric field distribution and image analysis of the cell aggregates produced showed that the aggregation is highly predictable. The cells in the aggregates remain viable, and reorganization and compaction of the cells in the aggregates occurs when the artificial skin is subsequently cultured. The system developed could be of considerable use for the in vitro study of developmental processes where local variations in cell density and direct cell–cell contacts are important. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;105: 945–954. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Controlled Rotation and Vibration of Patterned Cell Clusters Using Dielectrophoresis
Analytical Chemistry, 2015
The localized motion of cells within a cluster is an important feature of living organisms and has been found to play roles in cell signaling, communication, and migration, thus affecting processes such as proliferation, transcription, and organogenesis. Current approaches for inducing dynamic movement into cells, however, focus predominantly on mechanical stimulation of single cells, affect cell integrity, and, more importantly, need a complementary mechanism to pattern cells. In this article, we demonstrate a new strategy for the mechanical stimulation of large cell clusters, taking advantage of dielectrophoresis. This strategy is based on the cellular spin resonance mechanism, but it utilizes coating agents, such as bovine serum albumin, to create consistent rotation and vibration of individual cells. The treatment of cells with coating agents intensifies the torque induced on the cells while reducing the friction at the cell−cell and cell−substrate interfaces, resulting in the consistent motion of the cells. Such localized motion can be modulated by varying the frequency and voltage of the applied sinusoidal AC signal and can be achieved in the absence and presence of flow. This strategy enables the survival and functioning of moving cells within large-scale clusters to be investigated. C ells can both sense and respond to the mechanical and chemical cues from their microenvironment. 1,2 The signaling pathways triggered by mechanical cues can impact different cellular processes including proliferation, transcription, and organogenesis. 1,3,4 A variety of techniques have been developed for the mechanical stimulation of cells, 5−8 which, according to the extent and number of affected cells, can be divided into three groups. The first group includes cell poking, 9 atomic force microscopy indentation, 10 magnetic bead microrheometry, 11 and magnetic twisting cytometry techniques, 12 which enable local deformation of single cells. The second group includes micropipette aspiration, 13 optical tweezing, 14 and acoustic tweezing techniques, 15 which enable deformation of an entire cell. The third group includes the application of hydrostatic pressure 16 or inducing osmotic pressure, also known as hypotonic cell swelling techniques, 17 which enable the mechanical stimulation of multiple cells at a time. Recent advances in microfabrication technologies, and in particular microfluidics, has realized devices that are smaller, simpler, cheaper, and more accurate than their macro-sized predecessors for the mechanical stimulation of cells. 5−8,18
Biomedical Microdevices, 2008
The manipulation of biological cells is essential to many biomedical applications. Insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) trapping consists of insulating structures which squeeze the electric field in a conductive solution to create a non-uniform electric field. The iDEP trapping microchip with the open-top microstructures was designed and fabricated in this work. For retaining the merit of microfabrication, the microelectrodes were deposited on the substrate to reduce the voltage required, due to the shortened spacing between them. The dielectrophoretic responses of both live and dead HeLa cells under different frequencies (100 Hz, 1 kHz and 1 MHz) have been investigated herein. The live cells exhibited negative dielectrophoresis at low frequencies of 100 Hz and 1 kHz, but a positive dielectrophoretic response with the frequency at 1 MHz. As for dead cells, positive dielectrophoretic responses were shown at all the frequencies applied. Therefore, selective trapping of dead HeLa cells from live cells was achieved experimentally at the frequency of 1 kHz. The open-top microstructures are suitable for trapping cells or biological samples, and easily proceeding to further treatment for cells, such as culturing or contact detection. The intensity of the emitted light during fluorescent detection will not suffer interference by a cover, as it does not exist herein.
Cell trapping utilizing insulator-based dielectrophoresis in the open-top microchannels
2008 Symposium on Design, Test, Integration and Packaging of MEMS/MOEMS, 2008
The ability to manipulate or separate a biological small particle, such as a living cell and embryo, is fundamental needed to many biological and medical applications. The insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) trapping is composed of conductless tetragon structures in micro-chip. In this study, a lower conductive material of photoresist was adopted as a structure in open-top microchannel instead of a metallic wire to squeeze the electric field in a conducting solution, therefore, creating a high field gradient with a local maximum. The microchip with the open-top microchannels was designed and fabricated herein. The insulator-based DEP trapping microchip with the open-top microchannels was designed and fabricated in this work. The cells trapped by DEP force could be further treated or cultured in the open-top microchannel; however, those trapped in the microchip with enclosed microchannels could not be proceeded easily. I.
Lab on a Chip, 2006
Biomimetic heterogeneous patterning of hepatic and endothelial cells, which start from randomly distributed cells inside the microfluidic chamber, via the chip design of enhanced field-induced dielectrophoresis (DEP) trap is demonstrated and reported in this paper. The concentric-stellatetip electrode array design in this chip generates radial-pattern electric fields for the DEP manipulation of the live liver cells. By constructing the geometric shape and the distribution of stellate tips, the DEP electrodes enhance the desired spatial electric-field gradients to guide and snare individual cells to form the desired biomimetic pattern. With this proposed microfluidic chip design, the original randomly distributed hepatocytes inside the microfluidic chamber can be manipulated in parallel and align into the desired pearl-chain array pattern. This radial pattern mimics the lobular morphology of real liver tissue. The endothelial cells, then, are snared into the additional pearl-chain array and settle at the space in-between the previous hepatic pearl-chain array. By this cell-lab chip, we demonstrate the in vitro reconstruction of the heterogeneous lobule-mimetic radial pattern with good cell viability after cell patterning. This work reports the rapid in-parallel patterning of the dual types of live liver cells via the enhanced DEP trap inside the microfluidic chip.
Microelectronic Engineering, 2012
This paper introduces a new quadrupole microelectrode design for trapping mass loading of single cells using dielectrophoretic (DEP) force. The DEP force profiles generated by the pattern which represent trapping regions on the biochip platform, were studied using finite element software Comsol Multiphysics v3.5a. Arrays of the quadrupole microelectrode were patterned on a multilayer structure called sandwiched insulator with back contact (SIBC) biochip platform, fabricated using photolithography technique.