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Numerical model of the sorting of biological cells based on gravity-driven optoelectronic tweezers

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Abstract

Novel gravity-driven optoelectronic tweezers were developed for accurately sorting Jurkat and B16 cells. Synergistic integration of gravity and optoelectronic tweezers was developed as a new tool to provide unique features for sorting or separating mixtures of cells with different dielectric properties. This chip combined flexible programmable virtual electrodes with gravity-driven hydrodynamic flow motion instead of complicated fabrication of micro-pumps and valves. Accordingly, the structure of the microchannel was dimensional, based on a theoretical analysis and numerical model. Using both Jurkat and B16 cells, we obtained the dielectrophoretic separation frequency by using a single-shell model, reflecting their effective complex permittivity. Finally, the results of cellular trajectory analysis demonstrated that the gravity-driven optoelectronic tweezers were able to achieve sorting of Jurkat and B16 cells at a voltage of 11 V with 221.5 kHz, based on a molecular dynamics approach. To further enhance the separation accuracy and reduce the risk of lysing membranes, improved microchannels with two separated branches were designed and studied. Additionally, the shape of the virtual electrode was optimized to generate a greater electrical field magnitude than a rectangular electrode. Thus, the applied electrical voltage could be reduced to 7 V for cell sorting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Information Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China

    Sheng Hu & Guangyuan Si

  2. Measurement Technology and Instrumentation Key Lab of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China

    Rongrong Fu

Authors
  1. Sheng Hu
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  2. Guangyuan Si
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  3. Rongrong Fu
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Correspondence to Sheng Hu.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Haeseung Chung

Sheng Hu received the Ph.D. degree from Northeastern University of China in 2015. Now he is working in Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao as Lecturer. His research interests are microfluidic biochips, optical fiber, optoelectronic tweezers and its biological applications. He has authored and coauthored more than 11 scientific papers, 2 patents and 2 conference presentations.

Guangyuan Si received the Ph.D. degree from National University of Singapore in 2012. In the same year, he started his academic career at Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao as a Lecturer and was promoted to Associate Professor in Jan. 2014. His research interests include three-dimensional metamaterials and photonic crystals and integrated system designs, integrated optics, nano-imaging technology and nanophotonic devices. As of June 2016, he has published 1 book chapter, 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and his total citation is 566 and h-index is 14 according to Google Scholar.

Rongrong Fu received her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University, Shenyang, China, in 2015. From 2012 to 2014, she was a Visiting Scholar in Northeastern University, Boston, USA. She works in Measurement Technology and Instrumentation Key Lab of Hebei Province, Yanshan University. Her research interests include biomedical signal processing and pattern recognition.

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Hu, S., Si, G. & Fu, R. Numerical model of the sorting of biological cells based on gravity-driven optoelectronic tweezers. J Mech Sci Technol 31, 2451–2457 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-017-0443-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-017-0443-3

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