Dielectrophoresis

Monitoring the effectiveness and location of cell or particle trapping under microfluidic force fields is currently achieved by cumbersome imaging methods that require extensive microscopy to be conducted by a trained operator, with limited ability to rapidly trigger downstream decisions. We present an embedded circuit for an impedance sensor that directly interfaces to a microfluidic chip for the monitoring of cell or particle trapping based on the level and frequency response of parasitic voltage drops measured during AC electrokinetic manipulation, to enable assessment of trapping efficacy of the device geometry and to rapidly inform downstream cell separation decisions. read more