Steady cone-jet mode of electrospray for single-cell deposition

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel electrospray cone-jet technique operating at low flow rates for precise, single-cell deposition with high spatial resolution, maintaining cell viability.

Contribution

It presents a new method for single-cell deposition using a steady cone-jet electrospray mode near its stability limit, enabling high-resolution placement without significant cell damage.

Findings

Cells can be deposited at user-defined locations with high spatial precision.

Most cells maintain membrane integrity after electrospray exposure.

The method allows deposition at relatively high cell concentrations.

Abstract

We propose using the electrospray cone-jet mode operated near its minimum-flow-rate stability limit for single-cell deposition. Because the jet is much thinner than the cells themselves, individual cells can be clearly visualized or detected during deposition. At such low flow rates, individual cells can be placed at distinct, user-defined locations, even at relatively high cell concentrations. In this sense, our approach provides a spatial resolution at the scale of a single cell. We demonstrate the method's capabilities by depositing cells onto a millimeter-scale droplet of a standard cell-culture medium. Cell viability assays indicate that many cells maintain membrane integrity after exposure to the electrosprayed liquid, suggesting that most damage is reversible.