Dielectrophoresis-Based Method for Measuring the Multiangle Mechanical Properties of Biological Cells

The mechanical properties of cells are closely related to their physiological functions and states. Analyzing and measuring these properties are beneficial to understanding cell mechanisms. However, most measurement methods only involve the unidirectional analysis of cellular mechanical properties and thus result in the incomplete measurement of these properties. In this study, a microfluidic platform was established, and an innovative microfluidic chip was designed to measure the multiangle cellular mechanical properties by using dielectrophoresis (DEP) force. Three unsymmetrical indium tin oxide (ITO) microelectrodes were designed and combined with the microfluidic chip, which were utilized to generate DEP force and stretch cell from different angles. A series of experiments was performed to measure and analyze the multiangle mechanical properties of red blood cells of mice. This work provided a new tool for the comprehensive and accurate measurement of multiangle cellular mechanical properties. The results may contribute to the exploration of the internal physiological structures of cells and the building of accurate cell models.