Fabrication of Line and Grid Patterns with Cells Based on Negative Dielectrophoresis

The rapid, direct fabrication of two-dimensional line patterns with biological cells in a culture medium we report here is based on negative dielectrophoresis (n-DEP). It easily creates a versatile cell micropattern without specially pretreating culture slides. When an alternating electric field, typically 1 MHz, was applied to an InterDigitated band Array (IDA) electrode with four subunits, n-DEP force directs cells toward a weaker of electric field strength region. Cells aligned above attracted bands within 1min. Applying AC voltage for 5 min enables cells to adhere to the cell culture slide. When 12 Vpp is applied, 45-65% cells remain in line after the device is washed and disassembled. Resulting adsorbed cell lines were immersed in a medium to culture cells. n-DEP patterning did not significantly damage cells for growth because of the cell number increased by growth. We fabricated cell grid patterns to demonstrate formation of different patterns. After the device was disassembled and excess cells removed, the culture slide was reassembled with the IDA electrode and was rotated 90° to the previous setup. Second cells were patterned in lines the same way, forming grid patterns on the slide. Micropatterns aligned cells at desired locations enabling a biomimetic structure to be generated with biological functions and to detect cellular response to many kinds of drugs for simultaneous high-throughput screening.