Study of a Microfluidic Chip Integrating Single Cell Trap and 3D Stable Rotation Manipulation

Area of Science:

• Microfluidics and Bioengineering
• Cellular Manipulation Technologies
• Biophysics

Background:

• Single cell manipulation is crucial for various biological applications, including cell injection, physiological measurement, and imaging.
• Existing biochip platforms for cell 3D rotation face challenges with inefficient single cell placement and unstable rotation due to gravity and electric forces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated microfluidic chip capable of both single cell trapping and stable 3D rotation.
• To address the limitations of low experimental efficiency and unstable cell rotation in current single cell manipulation technologies.

Main Methods:

• Designed a two-part microfluidic chip: a top capture part utilizing the least flow resistance principle for cell transport, and a bottom rotation part employing dielectrophoresis (DEP) for stable 3D rotation.
• Integrated capture and rotation functionalities onto a single chip with aligned and bonded channels for microfluidic handling.
• Employed COMSOL simulation and preliminary experiments to validate the chip's design and identify key parameters.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated the principle of on-chip single cell trapping and transport to the rotation chamber.
• Verified the capability for stable 3D single cell rotation within the microfluidic chip.
• Identified critical parameters for chip structure, microfluidic handling, and electrode configuration for optimal performance.

Conclusions:

• The proposed microfluidic chip effectively integrates single cell trapping and stable 3D rotation capabilities.
• This novel design overcomes the limitations of manual pipetting and unstable rotation in previous technologies.
• The study provides a foundational framework for the fabrication and experimental validation of advanced single cell manipulation devices.