Enhancement of sensitivity of DACS (dielectrophoretically activated cell sorting) using 3D-asymmetric microelectrodes

In this paper, a novel 3D-asymmetric microelectrode system has been designed and fabricated to enhance the sorting sensitivity about cells for high-throughput. Basic concept of the presented system, which utilizes relative strength between the negative dielectrophoretic force and the drag force, is the same with conventional 3D microelectrode system. However, varied dielectrophoretic force along the transverse direction of microchannel is realized by presented microelectrode system with changing width in half sphere shaped channel. This varied force increases the sorting sensitivity about cells by inducing the different forces to different kinds of cells distinctly. Based on numerical analysis for the 3D-asymmetric microelectrode, significantly improved sensitivity about cells was verified, and the feasibility of this device was shown by experimental study.