Dielectrophoretic Separation of Cancer Cells Based On Metastatic Stage

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and early detection and classification of stage is critical for the successful treatment of cancer. Several methods have been studied to detect cancerous cells, but compromise cell structure as well as further tests, such as in vitro therapeutic treatments, that can improve prognosis.  One of the most promising techniques utilized on microfluidic chips for the separation of biological particles is dielectrophoresis (DEP), or the motion of a particle relative to a fluid due to a non-uniform electric field. This phenomenon uses a cell’s intrinsic properties to its advantage without altering the original structure or disrupting the viability of the cell.  The present work shows progress towards improving prognosis by separating and isolating cancer cells based on their metastatic stage for cultivation.  The method, contactless dielectrophoresis, successfully separates breast cancer cells and improves sample purity by eliminating sample/electrode contact which may lead to contaminating effects.