title: 3D pulsed laser-triggered high-speed microfluidic fluorescence-activated cell sorter.
abstract: We report a 3D microfluidic pulsed laser-triggered fluorescence-activated cell sorter capable of sorting at a throughput of 23 000 cells per s with 90% purity in high-purity mode and at a throughput of 45 000 cells per s with 45% purity in enrichment mode in one stage and in a single channel. This performance is realized by exciting laser-induced cavitation bubbles in a 3D PDMS microfluidic channel to generate high-speed liquid jets that deflect detected fluorescent cells and particles focused by 3D sheath flows. The ultrafast switching mechanism (20 μs complete on-off cycle), small liquid jet perturbation volume, and three-dimensional sheath flow focusing for accurate timing control of fast (1.5 m s(-1)) passing cells and particles are three critical factors enabling high-purity sorting at high-throughput in this sorter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), 43-147 Eng. IV, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597, USA. pychiou@seas.ucla.edu katechen@ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ting-Hsiang
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yu-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kung
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Teitell
authors.forename: Pei-Yu
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Chiou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005453:Fluorescence; D007834:Lasers; D008322:Mammals; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation*