Biomicrofluidics. 2012 Mar;6(1):14116-1411611. doi: 10.1063/1.3692765. Epub 2012 Mar 7.
Increasingly, invitro culture of adherent cell types utilizes three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds or aggregate culture strategies to mimic tissue-like, microenvironmental conditions. In parallel, new flow cytometry-based technologies are emerging to accurately analyze the composition and function of these microtissues (i.e., large particles) in a non-invasive and high-throughput way. Lacking, however, is an accessible platform that can be used to effectively sort or purify large particles based on analysis parameters. Here we describe a microfluidic-based, electromechanical approach to sort large particles. Specifically, sheath-less asymmetric curving channels were employed to separate and hydrodynamically focus particles to be analyzed and subsequently sorted. This design was developed and characterized based on wall shear stress, tortuosity of the flow path, vorticity of the fluid in the channel, sorting efficiency and enrichment ratio. The large particle sorting device was capable of purifying fluorescently labelled embryoid bodies (EBs) from unlabelled EBs with an efficiency of 87.3% ± 13.5%, and enrichment ratio of 12.2 ± 8.4 (n = 8), while preserving cell viability, differentiation potential, and long-term function.
越来越多的贴壁细胞类型的体外培养利用三维（3D）支架或聚集体培养策略来模拟组织样的微环境条件。与此同时，新的基于流式细胞术的技术也在不断涌现，能够以非侵入性和高通量的方式准确分析这些微组织（即大颗粒）的组成和功能。然而，目前缺乏一种易于使用的平台，可以根据分析参数有效地对大颗粒进行分选或纯化。在这里，我们描述了一种基于微流控的机电方法来对大颗粒进行分选。具体来说，采用无鞘不对称弯曲通道来分离和流体动力学聚焦待分析和随后分选的颗粒。该设计是根据壁面剪切应力、流动路径的曲折度、通道内流体的涡度、分选效率和富集比来开发和表征的。该大颗粒分选装置能够以 87.3%±13.5%的效率和 12.2±8.4 的富集比（n=8）从未标记的胚胎体（EBs）中纯化荧光标记的 EB，同时保持细胞活力、分化潜能和长期功能。
