A handheld preconcentrator for the rapid collection of cancerous cells using dielectrophoresis generated by circular microelectrodes in stepping electric fields.

Biomicrofluidics · 2011 · Unclear · Insufficient evidence

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UnclearInsufficient evidencePaper 3197

A handheld device using circular microelectrodes to generate a stepping electric field was developed and evaluated. Preconcentration of HeLa cells was achieved in 160 s with ~76% efficiency using 16 V peak-to-peak at 1 MHz.

Study snapshot

PublicationBiomicrofluidics · 2011

Study typeengineering

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

The ability to concentrate biological cells, such as circulating tumor cells, circulating fetal cells, and stem cells, is an important issue in medical diagnostics and characterization. The present study develops a handheld device capable of effectively preconcentrating cancerous cells. Circular microelectrodes were designed to generate a stepping electric field by switching the electric field to an adjacent electrode pair by relays. Cancerous cells with a positive dielectrophoretic response are guided toward the center of the circular microelectrodes due to the region of high electric field between the adjacent electrodes being gradually decreased in the direction of the stepping electric field. Numerical simulations of the electric fields were performed to demonstrate the concept of the proposed design. The preconcentration of HeLa cells, which are a human cervical carcinoma cell line, was achieved in 160 s with an efficiency of around 76%, with an applied peak-to-peak voltage of 16 V at a frequency of 1 MHz.

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeengineering

Effect directionunclear

PopulationNot supplied

Sample sizeNot supplied

Exposure1 MHz · 160 s

Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

Preconcentration efficiency of cancerous cells (HeLa)
Device performance for rapid collection of cells using dielectrophoresis
Numerical simulation of electric fields

Limitations

Sample size not reported in abstract
Only one cell line (HeLa) mentioned in abstract
No comparison/control condition described in abstract
Exposure metrics beyond voltage and frequency (e.g., field strength distribution in experiment) not fully reported in abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "engineering",
  "exposure": {
    "band": null,
    "source": "dielectrophoresis via circular microelectrodes (stepping electric field)",
    "frequency_mhz": 1,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "160 s"
  },
  "population": null,
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Preconcentration efficiency of cancerous cells (HeLa)",
    "Device performance for rapid collection of cells using dielectrophoresis",
    "Numerical simulation of electric fields"
  ],
  "main_findings": "A handheld device using circular microelectrodes to generate a stepping electric field was developed and evaluated. Preconcentration of HeLa cells was achieved in 160 s with ~76% efficiency using 16 V peak-to-peak at 1 MHz.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in abstract",
    "Only one cell line (HeLa) mentioned in abstract",
    "No comparison/control condition described in abstract",
    "Exposure metrics beyond voltage and frequency (e.g., field strength distribution in experiment) not fully reported in abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "dielectrophoresis",
    "microelectrodes",
    "stepping electric field",
    "handheld device",
    "cell preconcentration",
    "HeLa cells",
    "circulating tumor cells",
    "1 MHz",
    "biomicrofluidics"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1063/1.3609263
PubMed: 22662032

Read the original paper →

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