J024031 交流平等電界を用いた細胞群の位置制御([J02403]バイオにおける流れと熱・物質移動(3))

Abstract

Dielectrophoresis (DEP), the motion of polarizable particles in an electric field, has become an important tool for the transport, separation, and manipulation of cells in the field of biomedical engineering. However, DEP-based manipulations require in-channel micro-electrodes or micro-insulators to produce non-uniform electric fields. The present study introduces a novel cell manipulation technique by the use of a uniform AC electric field. In a uniform AC electric field, the DEP forces are eliminated because the value of the field gradient takes zero everywhere in the applied field. Hence, the dipole-dipole interaction forces present among cells play a major role in positioning and controlling cells to favorable sites of the micro-device. Human carcinoma (HeLa) cells were used to investigate the behavior of cells exposed to the uniform AC electric field. It has been demonstrated that cells aggregated, and formed a single structured layer between two electrodes; consisting of numerous chain-like clusters of various lengths aligned parallel to the direction of the field.