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Updated: May 8, 2026
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Label-free Isolation and Enrichment of Cells Through Contactless Dielectrophoresis
Published on: September 3, 2013
Rapid dielectrophoretic characterization of single cells using the dielectrophoretic spring
Hao-Wei Su1, Javier L Prieto, Joel Voldman
1Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 36-824, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. voldman@mit.edu.
Lab on a Chip
|August 24, 2013
Summary
This study introduces an automated system for measuring individual cell electrical properties using dielectrophoresis. This advancement aids in cell separation and identifying distinct cell states, crucial for applications like cancer cell isolation.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a powerful technique for separating cells based on electrical properties.
- Accurate cell-by-cell electrical property measurement is essential for effective DEP-based cell separation.
- Current methods may lack the throughput or precision needed for complex cell mixtures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an automated system for high-throughput, cell-by-cell electrical characterization.
- To enable precise measurement of electrical properties independent of cell size.
- To demonstrate the system's utility in identifying distinct cell activation states.
Main Methods:
- Development of a continuous-flow microfluidic device.
- Implementation of the 'dielectrophoretic spring' method balancing DEP force and fluid drag.
- Automated characterization of thousands of individual cells across numerous conditions per hour.
Main Results:
- Successful characterization of beads and cells using the developed system.
- Demonstration of the system's ability to measure electrical properties independent of cell size.
- Rapid identification of conditions to discriminate between neutrophil activation states.
Conclusions:
- The automated system provides a robust platform for cell electrical property measurement.
- This technology enhances the utility of dielectrophoresis for cell separation and analysis.
- The system facilitates rapid discovery of conditions for distinguishing specific cell subpopulations.
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