title: Continuous dielectrophoretic cell separation microfluidic device.
abstract: We present a prototype microfluidic device developed for the continuous dielectrophoretic (DEP) fractionation and purification of sample suspensions of biological cells. The device integrates three fully functional and distinct units consisting of an injector, a fractionation region, and two outlets. In the sheath and sample injection ports, the cell sample are hydrodynamically focused into a stream of controlled width; in the DEP fractionation region, a specially shaped nonuniform (isomotive) electric field is synthesized and employed to facilitate the separation, and the sorted cells are then delivered to two sample collection ports. The microfluidic behavior of the injector region was simulated and then experimentally verified. The operation and performance of the device was evaluated using yeast cells as model biological particles. Issues relating to the fabrication and operation of the device are discussed in detail. Such a device takes a significant step towards an integrated lab-on-a-chip device, which could interface/integrate to a number of other on-chip components for the device to undertake the whole laboratory procedure.
authors.affiliation: Biosystems Research and Applications Group, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, N.W., Calgary, AB, CanadaT2N 1N4.
authors.forename: Youlan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: H John
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Crabtree
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Karan V I S
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Kaler
mesh_terms: D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D046209:Electrophoresis, Microchip; D004867:Equipment Design; D008832:Microchemistry; D008839:Microelectrodes; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015003:Yeasts / Q000166:cytology*