2D cantilever array with spherical tips for parallel force spectroscopy on cancerous cells

Author

Loizeau, F. ; Favre, M. ; Akiyama, Toyokazu ; Gautsch, S. ; Meister, A. ; Smajda, R. ; Vettiger, P. ; Weder, G. ; de Rooij, Nico F.

Author_Institution

Ecole Polytech. Fed. de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland

fYear

2013

fDate

16-20 June 2013

Firstpage

1186

Lastpage

1189

Abstract

The nanomechanical properties of cancerous cells are of great interest to understand how a localized tumor becomes metastatic. We present a 2D cantilever array to investigate the stiffness and adhesion characteristics of multiple cells at a high throughput. A new molding process based on thermal oxidation of silicon allows us to create at a wafer scale spherical tips with a radius of curvature of 3.8 μm. Simulations show that radii ranging from 2.5 μm to 6.5 μm can be produced. The customized cantilever array system was used to simultaneously probe 13 melanoma living cells (WM239). The Young´s moduli of the cells were successfully obtained with the Hertz model.

Keywords

Young´s modulus; adhesion; bioMEMS; biomechanics; biomedical optical imaging; cancer; cantilevers; cell motility; elastic constants; microfabrication; silicon; tumours; 2D cantilever array; Hertz model; Si; WM239; Young´s moduli; cancerous cells; curvature radius; customized cantilever array system; localized tumor; melanoma living cell; metastatic tumor; molding process; multiple cell adhesion characteristics; multiple cell stiffness; nanomechanical properties; parallel force spectroscopy; radius 2.5 mum to 6.5 mum; radius 3.8 mum; thermal oxidation; wafer scale spherical tips; Arrays; Cancer; Etching; Oxidation; Probes; Shape; Silicon; AFM; cantilever array; melanoma cells; microfabrication; parallel force spectroscopy; spherical tips;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (TRANSDUCERS & EUROSENSORS XXVII), 2013 Transducers & Eurosensors XXVII: The 17th International Conference on

Conference_Location

Barcelona

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/Transducers.2013.6626985

Filename

6626985