Non-contact impedance measurement of cells by dielectrophoretic motion analysis using quasi-travelling waves

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K04416
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 21030:Measurement engineering-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Technology, Kumamoto College (2021-2022); Kagoshima National College of Technology (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Suda Takao 熊本高等専門学校, 拠点化プロジェクト系地域協働プロジェクトグループ, 嘱託教授 (10163031)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 誘電泳動 / 疑似進行波 / クラウジウスーモソッティ因子 / 電気八重極電極

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When an alternating electric field is applied to cells suspended in solution, dielectrophoretic forces related to the Clausius-Mossotti factor K(ω), which is calculated from the conductivity and dielectric constant of the cells and surrounding solution, are generated. To realize a system to measure the dielectric constant and conductivity of cells from this dielectrophoretic force, a novel electric octupole system that can generate various electric field distributions was developed. The system, which consists of eight planar electrodes arranged around a 100-μm-diameter region, enabled the movement of red blood cells, iPS cells, and other cells from arbitrary point to point. Furthermore, a method was established to leave only target cells in the measurement space from a group of cells. It was confirmed that the developed electrodes system can also generate quasi- traveling waves, and a new model of the dielectrophoretic force in the quasi-traveling wave electric field was constructed.

Free Research Field

電気電子工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、電極によるインピーダンス測定とは全く異なる、誘電泳動力の解析から細胞の等価な誘電率、導電率を求めようとするものであり、微量の細胞試料を対象とした細胞識別への応用が可能となる。根本的にはこれまで測定が不可能であった、浮遊細胞など媒質中にある粒子の誘電率、導電率を力学的な、しかも非接触である運動の解析により計測する手法の確立であり、様々な分野への応用が期待できる。