Virginia Tech
    • Log in
    View Item 
    •   VTechWorks Home
    • ETDs: Virginia Tech Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • Masters Theses
    • View Item
    •   VTechWorks Home
    • ETDs: Virginia Tech Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • Masters Theses
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Lab on a chip rare cell isolation platform with dielectrophoretic smart sample focusing, automated whole cell tracking analysis script, and a bioinspired on-chip electroactive polymer micropump

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Anders_LM_T_2014.pdf (2.865Mb)
    Downloads: 1571
    Date
    2014-07-18
    Author
    Anders, Lisa Mae
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Dielectrophoresis (DEP), an electrokinetic force, is the motion of a polarizable particle in a non-uniform electric field. Contactless DEP (cDEP) is a recently developed cell sorting and isolation technique that uses the DEP force by capacitavely coupling the electrodes across the channel. The cDEP platform sorts cells based on intrinsic biophysical properties, is inexpensive, maintains a sterile environment by using disposable chips, is a rapid process with minimal sample preparation, and allows for immediate downstream recovery. This platform is highly competitive compared to other cell sorting techniques and is one of the only platforms to sort cells based on phenotype, allowing for the isolation of unique cell populations not possible in other systems. The original purpose of this work was to determine differences in the bioelectrical fingerprint between several critical cancer types. Results demonstrate a difference between Tumor Initiating Cells, Multiple Drug Resistant Cells, and their bulk populations for experiments conducted on three prostate cancer cell lines and treated and untreated MOSE cells. However, three significant issues confounded these experiments and challenged the use of the cDEP platform. The purpose of this work then became the development of solutions to these barriers and presenting a more commercializable cDEP platform. An improved analysis script was first developed that performs whole cell detection and cell tracking with an accuracy of 93.5%. Second, a loading system for doing smart sample handling, specifically cell focusing, was developed using a new in-house system and validated. Experimental results validated the model and showed that cells were successfully focused into a tight band in the middle of the channel. Finally, a proof of concept for an on-chip micropump is presented and achieved 4.5% in-plane deformation. When bonded over a microchannel, fluid flow was induced and measured. These solutions present a stronger, more versatile cDEP platform and make for a more competitive commercial product. However, these solutions are not just limited to the cDEP platform and may be applicable to multitudes of other microfluidic devices and applications.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10919/49614
    Collections
    • Masters Theses [19642]

    If you believe that any material in VTechWorks should be removed, please see our policy and procedure for Requesting that Material be Amended or Removed. All takedown requests will be promptly acknowledged and investigated.

    Virginia Tech | University Libraries | Contact Us
     

     

    VTechWorks

    AboutPoliciesHelp

    Browse

    All of VTechWorksCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    Log inRegister

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    If you believe that any material in VTechWorks should be removed, please see our policy and procedure for Requesting that Material be Amended or Removed. All takedown requests will be promptly acknowledged and investigated.

    Virginia Tech | University Libraries | Contact Us