Human mammalian cell sorting using a highly integrated micro-fabricated fluorescence-activated cell sorter...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microfluidics
• Cell Sorting

Background:

• Traditional flow cytometry systems are often large and expensive.
• There is a need for high-throughput, cost-effective cell sorting solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-performance, integrated microfluidic system for fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).
• To achieve high-speed single cell manipulation and sorting with enhanced sensitivity and accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Integration of microfluidics, optics, acoustics, and electronics on a chip.
• Utilized a PZT actuator for fast cell manipulation and an optofluidic waveguide for light guiding.
• Implemented a space-time coding technology and FPGA-based real-time control loop for automated sorting.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated high-speed single cell manipulation with a response time of ~0.1 ms.
• Achieved a purification enrichment factor of up to 230-fold for microbeads and K562 cells.
• Maintained high throughput (>1000 cells/s) with a sorting mechanism independent of cell properties.

Conclusions:

• The developed microFACS system offers a compact, cost-effective, and high-performance solution for cell sorting.
• This lab-on-a-chip FACS technology has the potential to revolutionize microfluidic cytometers.
• The system's versatility allows for sorting of diverse cell populations based on fluorescence, not physical properties.