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High‐speed separation system of randomly suspended single living cells by laser trap and dielectrophoresis
Author(s) -
Arai Fumihito,
Ichikawa Akihiko,
Ogawa Masanobu,
Fukuda Toshio,
Horio Koji,
Itoigawa Kouichi
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
electrophoresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.666
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1522-2683
pISSN - 0173-0835
DOI - 10.1002/1522-2683(200101)22:2<283::aid-elps283>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - dielectrophoresis , microchannel , microfluidics , laser , trap (plumbing) , separation (statistics) , materials science , extraction (chemistry) , microscope , trapping , microfabrication , nanotechnology , chromatography , chemistry , optics , computer science , fabrication , physics , biology , medicine , ecology , alternative medicine , pathology , machine learning , meteorology
We developed a new system for random separation of a single microorganism, such as a living cell and a microbe, in the microfluidic device under the microscope by integrating the laser‐trapping force and dielectrophoretic (DEP) force. An arbitrarily selected single microbe could be isolated in a microchannel, despite the presence of a large number of microbes in solution. Once the target microbe is trapped at the focal point of the laser, we can easily realize exclusion of excess microbes around the target by controlling the electric field, while keeping the target trapped by the laser at the focal point. To realize an efficient separation system, we proposed a new separation cell and produced it by microfabrication. Flow speed in the microchannel is adjusted and balanced to realize high‐speed and high‐purity extraction of the target. Some preliminary experiments are conducted to show the effectiveness. The target is trapped by the laser, transported, and is taken out from the extraction port. Total separation time is less than 20 s. Our method is extremely useful in the pure cultivation of the cell and will be a promising method for biologists in screening useful microbes.