title: Human mammalian cell sorting using a highly integrated micro-fabricated fluorescence-activated cell sorter (microFACS).
abstract: We demonstrate a high performance microfabricated FACS system with highly integrated microfluidics, optics, acoustics, and electronics. Single cell manipulation at a high speed is made possible by the fast response time (approximately 0.1 ms) of the integrated PZT actuator and the nozzle structure at the sorting junction. A Teflon AF-coated optofluidic waveguide along the microfluidic channel guides the illumination light, enabling multi-spot detection, while a novel space-time coding technology enhances the detection sensitivity of the microFACS system. The real-time control loop system is implemented using a field-programmable-gate-array (FPGA) for automated and accurate sorting. The microFACS achieves a high purification enrichment factor: up to approximately 230 fold for both polystyrene microbeads and suspended human mammalian cells (K562) at a high throughput (>1000 cells s(-1)). The sorting mechanism is independent of cell properties such as size, density, and shape, thus the presented system can be applied to sort out any pure sub-populations. This new lab-on-a-chip FACS system, therefore, holds promise to revolutionize microfluidic cytometers to meet cost, size, and performance goals.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Engineering Program, 9500 Gilman Drive, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. scho@logroup.ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Sung Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Chun H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Frank S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Godin
authors.forename: Yu-Hwa
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D002469:Cell Separation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D008863:Microspheres; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors