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Combination of hydrodynamic and optical forces for cell mechanical flow cytometry
Roth, Kevin B.
Roth, Kevin B.
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2015
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2015-12-01
Abstract
Cell mechanical properties are a label-free biomarker capable of differentiating between healthy and diseased cells. Currently, cell deformability is measured by testing the mechanics of a suspension of cells to yield population averaged properties. This approach can mask the presence of sub-populations of diseased cells. Alternatively, individual cell measurements provide detailed information of individual cells, but are inherently low throughput, making data acquisition tedious and scale-up impractical. To address these issues, we propose using optical-based cell deformation techniques in microfluidic platforms to measure cell mechanical properties non-invasively, non-destructively and in a high-throughput manner (> 1 cell/s). In this thesis two different techniques are proposed: optical alignment compression (OAC) cytometry and optical stretching in flow. Both techniques combine optical and hydrodynamic forces in low Reynolds number flows. In OAC cytometry, an aligning optical trap is combined with extensional flow in a microfluidic device to allow hydrodynamic forces to cause measurable deformation through cell-cell collisions at the flow stagnation point. Results demonstrate the utility of optical-based testing by testing two red blood cell systems. To further examine optically based techniques, we employ optical forces to induce deformation. In optical stretching with improved laser imaging, a linear diode bar laser is aligned parallel to flow in a microfluidic device to deform cells that pass through the trap. The combination of optical and hydrodynamic forces at high flow rates allows for high-throughput measurements (~50 cells/s). Technique viability is tested with both red blood cells and neutrophils. By considering these two approaches we will characterize the interplay of optical and hydrodynamic forces and their contributions to cell deformation in optical-based cell mechanical property testing.
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