What is it about?
To further improve the single cell trapping efficiency, this paper reports on a passive hydrodynamic microfluidic device based on the “least flow resistance path” principle with geometry optimized in line with corresponding cell types. Different from serpentine structure, the core trapping structure of the micro-device consists of a series of concatenated T and inverse T junction pairs which function as bypassing channels and trapping constrictions.
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Photo by Sudan Ouyang on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This new device enhances the single cell trapping efficiency from three aspects: 1) There is no need to deploy very long or complicated channels to adjust flow resistance, and thus save space for each trapping unit; 2) The trapping works in a ‘deterministic’ manner, and thus saves a great deal of cell samples; and 3) The compact configuration allows faster flowing of cells in multiple channels, and thus increase the speed and throughput of cell trapping.
Perspectives
This device can be used for trapping various types of cells and expanded to trap cells in the order of tens of thousands on 1-cm2 scale area, as a promising tool to pattern large-scale single cells on specific substrates and facilitate on-chip cellular assay at the single cell level.
Professor Wenhui Wang
Tsinghua University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A microfluidic device enabling high-efficiency single cell trapping, Biomicrofluidics, January 2015, American Institute of Physics,
DOI: 10.1063/1.4905428.
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