Design and Manufacture of Novel MEMS-based Dielectrophoretic Biochip

Abstract

This study designs and fabricates a novel biochip for electroporation applications. Dielectrophoretic forces are used to separate the host cells from the sample stream. The cells are then absorbed in the reaction region of the biochip and subjected to a high-intensity electrical pulse. In the resulting electroporation effect, the outer membrane of the cell is temporarily ruptured, allowing the introduction of a foreign gene, a drug, and so on, into the host cell. The biochip is fabricated using conventional micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) techniques and features a unique 3D stacked electrode arrangement. Using water to simulate a reaction medium, the distribution and formation of bubbles on the surfaces of electrodes of different widths are observed following the application of an electro-impulse and during a dielectrophoretic test, respectively. In general, the biochip presented in this study has the advantages of a reduced sample and reagent consumption, an enhanced detection efficiency, improved sensitivity and reliability, and a greater protection of the cells from the effects of thermal heating and environmental contamination.