title: Gravitation-driven stress-reduced cell handling.
abstract: We present a simple lab-on-chip device for handling small samples of delicate cells, e.g. stem cells. It uses a combination of sedimentation and dielectrophoresis. The transport of cells is driven by gravitation. Dielectrophoresis uses radio-frequency electric fields for generating particle-selective forces dependent on size and polarisability. Electrodes along the channels hold particles and/or cells in a defined position and deflect them towards different outlets. The absence of external pumping and the integration of injection and sampling ports allow the processing of tiny sample volumes. Various functions are demonstrated, such as contact-free cell trapping and cell/particle sorting. Pairs of human cells and antibody-coated beads, as they are formed for T cell activation, are separated from unbound beads. The cells experience only low stress levels compared with the stress levels in dielectrophoresis systems, where transport depends on external pumping. Our device is a versatile yet simple tool that finds applications in cellular biotechnology, in particular when an economic solution is required.
authors: Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Am Muehlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Boettcher
authors: Magnus
authors: M
authors: Jaeger
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Kirschbaum
authors: Torsten
authors: T
authors: Mueller
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Schnelle
authors: Claus
authors: C
authors: Duschl
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002623:Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D006112:Gravitation; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate