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Abstract
A dual dielectropheretic article for monitoring cell migration includes: a membrane to selectively migrate a plurality of cells across the membrane, the membrane including: a first surface to receive the cells; a second surface opposed to the first surface; and a plurality of communication paths disposed in the membrane to provide the selective migration of the cells across the membrane from the first surface to the second surface; a first electrode disposed on the first surface to: provide an electric field for dielectrophoresis of the cells at the first surface; and provide a first potential for monitoring an impedance at the first surface; and a third electrode disposed on the second surface to: provide an electric field for dielectrophoresis of the cells at the second surface; and provide a third potential for monitoring an impedance at the second surface.
Patent Description
This invention is a microfluidic platform that can generate real-time, quantitative measurements of cell migration and invasion through porous membranes. This system uses microfabricated electronic components built on both sides of porous membranes to produce the electronic signals that can “display” the movement of cells from one side of the membrane to the opposite, while it is occurring. The movement of cells through the pores also can be visualized using optical microscopy.
Applications/Industries
In this invention, there is a ration of electrical measurements that will start changing as cell migration progresses. Therefore, this makes this invention a controlled system in which normalized quantification occurs due to electrodes being set up within the same device. The progression of movement (cell migration) from one side of the membrane to the opposite side is tracked in real-time and in a quantitative way using the electrical measured magnitude (e.g. impedance) on both sides of the membrane. This system simplifies the tedious, end point conventional process of counting cells and add dynamic measurement capability via simultaneous electronic and optical measurements.