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Self-aligned microfluidic contactless dielectrophoresis device fabricated by single-layer imprinting on cyclic olefin copolymer

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Abstract

The trapping and deflection of biological cells by dielectrophoresis (DEP) at field non-uniformities in a microfluidic device is often conducted in a contactless dielectrophoresis (cDEP) mode, wherein the electrode channel is in a different layer than the sample channel, so that field penetration through the interceding barrier causes DEP above critical cut-off frequencies. In this manner, through physical separation of the electrode and sample channels, it is possible to spatially modulate electric fields with no electrode-induced damage to biological cells in the sample channel. However, since this device requires interlayer alignment of the electrode to sample channel and needs to maintain a thin interceding barrier (~ 15 μm) over the entire length over which DEP is needed (~ 1 cm), variations in alignment and microstructure fidelity cause wide variations in cDEP trapping level and frequency response across devices. We present a strategy to eliminate interlayer alignment by fabricating self-aligned electrode and sample channels, simultaneously with the interceding barrier layer (14-μm width and 50-μm depth), using a single-layer imprint and bond process on cyclic olefin copolymer. Specifically, by designing support structures, we preserve fidelity of the high aspect ratio insulating posts in the sample channel and the interceding barrier between the sample and electrode channels over the entire device footprint (~ 1 cm). The device operation is validated based on impedance measurements to quantify field penetration through the interceding barrier and by DEP trapping measurements. The presented fabrication strategy can eventually improve cDEP device manufacturing protocols to enable more reproducible DEP performance.

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Funding

This study was funded by the US AFOSR contract FA2386-18-1-4100, the CytoRecovery, Inc., the Virginia Catalyst (VBHRC), and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, under Award Number UL1TR003015.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA

    Armita Salahi, Walter B. Varhue, Vahid Farmehini & Nathan S. Swami

  2. CytoRecovery, Inc., Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA

    Alexandra R. Hyler

  3. Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Eva M. Schmelz

  4. Department of Biomedical Engineering & Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Rafael V. Davalos

  5. Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA

    Nathan S. Swami

Authors
  1. Armita Salahi
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  2. Walter B. Varhue
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  3. Vahid Farmehini
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  4. Alexandra R. Hyler
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  5. Eva M. Schmelz
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  6. Rafael V. Davalos
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  7. Nathan S. Swami
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The manuscript was written through contributions of all authors and all authors approved the final version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nathan S. Swami.

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Conflicts of interest

Co-author ARH is an employee of CytoRecovery, Inc. and co-author RVD is on the company’s Scientific Advisory Board. All other authors have no conflicts to declare.

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The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Published in the topical collection Bioanalytics and Higher Order Electrokinetics with guest editors Mark A. Hayes and Federica Caselli.

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Salahi, A., Varhue, W.B., Farmehini, V. et al. Self-aligned microfluidic contactless dielectrophoresis device fabricated by single-layer imprinting on cyclic olefin copolymer. Anal Bioanal Chem 412, 3881–3889 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-02667-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-02667-9

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