MyDEP: A New Computational Tool for Dielectric Modeling of Particles and Cells

Abstract

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) and electrorotation (ROT) are two electrokinetic phenomena exploiting nonuniform electric fields to exert a force or torque on biological particles suspended in liquid media. They are widely used in lab-on-chip devices for the manipulation, trapping, separation, and characterization of cells, microorganisms, and other particles. The DEP force and ROT torque depend on the respective polarizabilities of the particle and medium, which in turn depend on their dielectric properties and on the field frequency. In this work, we present a new software, MyDEP, which implements several particle models based on concentric shells with adjustable dielectric properties. This tool enables the study of the variation in DEP and ROT spectra according to different parameters, such as the field frequency and medium conductivity. Such predictions of particle behavior are very useful for choosing appropriate parameters in DEP experiments. The software also enables the study of the homogenized properties of spherical or ellipsoidal multishell particles and provides a database containing published cell properties. Equivalent electrical conductivity and relative permittivity of the cell alone and in suspension can be calculated. The software also offers the ability to create graphs of the evolution of the crossover frequencies with the electric field frequency. These graphs can be directly exported from the software.