A hybrid dielectrophoretic and hydrophoretic microchip for particle sorting using integrated prefocusing and sorting...

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Microfluidics
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Lab-on-a-chip devices require efficient methods for particle and cell manipulation.
• Dielectrophoresis (DEP) and hydrophoresis are label-free techniques for manipulating microparticles.
• Integrating these techniques can enhance sorting capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the use of DEP-active hydrophoresis for simultaneous sorting of particles and cells.
• To investigate the device's potential for integration into lab-on-a-chip bioanalysis systems.
• To achieve label-free sorting based on size and dielectric properties.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a microfluidic device with prefocusing and sorting regions.
• Application of DEP and hydrophoretic forces for particle and cell manipulation.
• Utilizing differences in dielectric properties for sorting viable and nonviable cells.

Main Results:

• Successful sorting of a mixture of 3 and 10 μm particles with high separation efficiency.
• Demonstrated sorting of viable Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells from nonviable cells based on dielectric properties.
• Achieved high purity separation of viable CHO cells at a medium conductivity of 0.03 S/m.

Conclusions:

• DEP-active hydrophoresis is an effective method for label-free particle and cell sorting.
• The developed device shows potential for integration into advanced microfluidic bioanalysis systems.
• This technique enables separation based on both physical size and distinct dielectric characteristics.