Sorting cells by their dynamical properties

Abstract

Recent advances in cell sorting aim at the development of novel methods that are sensitive to various mechanical properties of cells. Microfluidic technologies have a great potential for cell sorting; however, the design of many micro-devices is based on theories developed for rigid spherical particles with size as a separation parameter. Clearly, most bioparticles are non-spherical and deformable and therefore exhibit a much more intricate behavior in fluid flow than rigid spheres. Here, we demonstrate the use of cells’ mechanical and dynamical properties as biomarkers for separation by employing a combination of mesoscale hydrodynamic simulations and microfluidic experiments. The dynamic behavior of red blood cells (RBCs) within deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) devices is investigated for different device geometries and viscosity contrasts between the intra-cellular fluid and suspending medium. We find that the viscosity contrast and associated cell dynamics clearly determine the RBC trajectory through a DLD device. Simulation results compare well to experiments and provide new insights into the physical mechanisms which govern the sorting of non-spherical and deformable cells in DLD devices. Finally, we discuss the implications of cell dynamics for sorting schemes based on properties other than cell size, such as mechanics and morphology.

Deformability based sorting of stored red blood cells reveals donor-dependent aging curves

“…Traditional methods, such as ektacytometry 28,29,54,55 , test the rheological properties of RBC derived from bulk flow, which does not correlate well with circulatory clearance time 56,57 . Microfluidic technologies present the potential to improve upon this measurement process by using microfabricated structures to approximate the deformation mechanics of the splenic microvasculature [58][59][60] . However, key limitations of existing microfluidic devices is the throughput of the measurement process, as well as sample-to-sample consistency.…”

Investigation of Size Sensitivity in the Hydrogen Production from Formic Acid over Carbon‐Supported Pd Nanoparticles

“…It has been reported that the molecular beam studies indicated that the larger Pd NPs greatly decrease the adsorption energy from the asymptotic value of Pd(111). [65,66] On the other hand, the adsorption of HCOO À is favoured in the smaller Pd NPs, which unfortunately leads to space exclusion and repulsive adsorbate-adsorbate interaction and finally declines the catalytic performance in the H 2 production. [42] Therefore, it seems that achievement of a properly balanced surface state possessing the higher reactivity of the smaller metal NPs and the higher coverage of intermediate species is mandatory to obtain optimal catalysts in the formic acid dehydrogenation.…”

Microfluidics for mechanobiology of model organisms

“…2). Developments include microfluidic systems for cell culture (Halldorsson, Lucumi, Gómez-Sjöberg, & Fleming, 2015; Moreno et al, 2015; Rhee et al, 2005; Young & Beebe, 2010), sorting (Henry et al, 2016; Krüger et al, 2002; Siedlik, Varner, & Nelson, 2016; Ung et al, 2017; Warkiani, Wu, Tay, & Han, 2015), manipulation (Applegate, Squier, Vestad, Oakey, & Marr, 2004; Chen, Chen, Chen, Jang, & Wang, 2014; Ding et al, 2012; Yi, Li, Ji, & Yang, 2006; Yun, Kim, & Lee, 2013; Zhao, Cheng, Miller, & Mao, 2016), and bioanalysis (Chen, Li, et al, 2014; Mirasoli, Guardigli, Michelini, & Roda, 2014; Wheeler et al, 2003). The research field of microfluidics continues to expand as novel strategies for stimulation and analysis continuously emerge.…”