Durability of the bubble-jet sorter enables high performance bio sample isolation

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microfluidics
• Cell Sorting

Background:

• Cell sorting is vital for diagnostics and cell therapy.
• Existing methods like fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) face challenges in cost, throughput, and biosafety.
• Microfluidic platforms offer potential for compact, efficient cell sorting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a durable, high-throughput microfluidic cell sorter based on bubble-jet technology.
• To assess the technical performance, operational lifetime, and sorting efficiency of the improved bubble-jet sorter chip.
• To evaluate the impact of the sorting process on cell viability.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new silicon-based bubble-jet sorter chip designed for durability and continuous operation.
• Characterization of the sorter's technical performance, including operational lifetime and firing rates.
• Continuous sorting experiments using microparticles and CD3 positive T cells.
• Assessment of cell viability using dedicated tests within a closed, aerosol-free system.

Main Results:

• The bubble-jet sorter chip demonstrated a lifetime exceeding 80 million actuation cycles.
• Continuous sorting of millions of beads and T cells was achieved at rates over 1000 events per second.
• High purity (>90%) and recovery (>85%) were maintained during sorting.
• The gentle sorting process preserved cell viability, confirmed by dedicated tests.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced bubble-jet sorter chip offers a promising solution for large-scale cell isolation.
• Its high durability, throughput, efficiency, and cell viability preservation meet critical demands in drug and immunotherapy development.
• The potential for on-chip parallelization further enhances its utility for various biological applications.