Bio-Inspired MEMS Devices for Electrical Cell Separation and Mechanical Cell Characterization

We present a couple of bio-inspired microdevices for electrical cell separation and mechanical cell characterization, respectively. The electrical cell separator, inspired from ion-selective permeation mechanism in bio-membrane, performs size-dependent cell sorting functions using electrical pillar array. The mechanical cell characterization device, inspired from deformability-selective erythrocyte destruction mechanism in spleen, performs size-independent cell deformability monitoring functions using mechanical filter array. The structures and principles of the bio-inspired microdevices are presented and compared with those of the biological counter parts. The unique features and performance characteristics of the bio-inspired microdevices are analyzed and verified by experimental study. The cell separator illustrates an electrical method for size-dependent cell sorting insensitive to cell property, while the cell deformability sensor demonstrates a mechanical method for cell deformability monitoring insensitive to cell size. Additional advantages of the bio-inspired microdevices include simple structures and stable performance for applications to integrated biomedical systems.