Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Overview Of Cell Separation And Isolation01:20

Overview Of Cell Separation And Isolation

Cell separation was first achieved in 1964 by S. H. Seal, who separated large tumor cells from the smaller blood cells using filtration. Two years later, Pohl and Hawk performed experiments on how cells respond differently to a nonuniform electric field based on the cell type. Such observations were the inception of cell separation methods, which allow isolating a single cell type from a heterogeneous sample.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Report From the 32nd Annual Congress of the Japanese Society for Aeromedical Services.

Air medical journal·2026
Same author

Detection of a Target Nucleic Acid by Ligation-Assisted Fluorescence Enhancement of a Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) Twin Probe via Disulfide Binding.

Biopolymers·2026
Same author

Single-Cell Selective Retrieval Method Using Cone-Shaped Light-Responsive Gas-Generating Polymer Microscaffold Array Chip.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

C-Ring Structure-Dependent Redox Properties of Flavonoids Regulate the Expression of Bioactivity.

Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Gradient Optical Response of Au Ellipse Nanopillar Array via Anisotropic Pillar Heights: A Highly Tunable Plasmonic Material toward Biosensing Applications.

ACS nanoscience Au·2026
Same author

Specific Glucagon Assay System Using a Receptor-Derived Glucagon-Binding Peptide Probe.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A Microfluidic Platform for Precision Small-volume Sample Processing and Its Use to Size Separate Biological Particles with an Acoustic Microdevice
11:32

A Microfluidic Platform for Precision Small-volume Sample Processing and Its Use to Size Separate Biological Particles with an Acoustic Microdevice

Published on: November 23, 2015

Cell separation by an aqueous two-phase system in a microfluidic device.

Masatoshi Tsukamoto1, Shu Taira, Shohei Yamamura

  • 1School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1211, Japan.

The Analyst
|September 22, 2009
PubMed
Summary

This study presents a microfluidic chip for efficient blood cell separation. It utilizes an aqueous two-phase system to isolate leukocytes and erythrocytes, paving the way for integrated micro-analysis systems.

More Related Videos

Separating Beads and Cells in Multi-channel Microfluidic Devices Using Dielectrophoresis and Laminar Flow
09:45

Separating Beads and Cells in Multi-channel Microfluidic Devices Using Dielectrophoresis and Laminar Flow

Published on: February 4, 2011

Cell Co-culture Patterning Using Aqueous Two-phase Systems
10:11

Cell Co-culture Patterning Using Aqueous Two-phase Systems

Published on: March 26, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A Microfluidic Platform for Precision Small-volume Sample Processing and Its Use to Size Separate Biological Particles with an Acoustic Microdevice
11:32

A Microfluidic Platform for Precision Small-volume Sample Processing and Its Use to Size Separate Biological Particles with an Acoustic Microdevice

Published on: November 23, 2015

Separating Beads and Cells in Multi-channel Microfluidic Devices Using Dielectrophoresis and Laminar Flow
09:45

Separating Beads and Cells in Multi-channel Microfluidic Devices Using Dielectrophoresis and Laminar Flow

Published on: February 4, 2011

Cell Co-culture Patterning Using Aqueous Two-phase Systems
10:11

Cell Co-culture Patterning Using Aqueous Two-phase Systems

Published on: March 26, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Microfluidics
  • Cell Separation Technology

Background:

  • Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) are used for cell separation but are affected by gravity.
  • Microfluidic devices offer precise control over fluid dynamics, potentially overcoming limitations of conventional ATPS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate a microfluidic system for efficient separation of leukocytes and erythrocytes from whole blood.
  • To investigate the behavior of cells within a microfluidic ATPS.

Main Methods:

  • Generated a laminar flow of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and dextran (Dex) solutions in a microfluidic chip.
  • Introduced polystyrene beads and living cells (Jurkat cells, erythrocytes) to assess phase partitioning.
  • Separated whole blood cells within the microfluidic ATPS.

Main Results:

  • Hydrophilic beads partitioned to the Dex phase, hydrophobic beads to the interface.
  • Jurkat cells and erythrocytes showed efficient partitioning to PEG and Dex layers, respectively.
  • Leukocytes were successfully separated from erythrocytes in whole blood, with erythrocytes moving to the Dex layer.

Conclusions:

  • The microfluidic chip effectively separates leukocytes and erythrocytes using an ATPS.
  • This system reduces gravitational effects, enhancing cell separation efficiency.
  • The technology is suitable for integration into Micro Total Analysis Systems for various analyses.