Cell Trapping Utilizing Insulator-based Dielectrophoresis in The Open-Top Microchannels

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel insulator-based dielectrophoresis microchip with open-top microchannels for efficient cell trapping, enabling easier treatment and culture of trapped cells compared to enclosed microchannels.

Contribution

It introduces a new open-top microchannel design using photoresist structures for improved cell trapping via insulator-based DEP.

Findings

Successful fabrication of open-top microchannels

Effective cell trapping demonstrated

Enhanced accessibility for cell treatment

Abstract

The ability to manipulate or separate a biological small particle, such as a living cell and embryo, is fundamental needed to many biological and medical applications. The insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) trapping is composed of conductless tetragon structures in micro-chip. In this study, a lower conductive material of photoresist was adopted as a structure in open-top microchannel instead of a metallic wire to squeeze the electric field in a conducting solution, therefore, creating a high field gradient with a local maximum. The microchip with the open-top microchannels was designed and fabricated herein. The insulator-based DEP trapping microchip with the open-top microchannels was designed and fabricated in this work. The cells trapped by DEP force could be further treated or cultured in the open-top microchannel ; however, those trapped in the microchip with enclosed microchannels could not be proceeded easily.