On-chip ultrasonic sample preparation for cell based assays

We demonstrate an acoustophoresis method for size-based separation, isolation, up-concentration and trapping of cells that can be used for on-chip sample preparation combined with high resolution imaging for cell-based assays. The method combines three frequency-specific acoustophoresis functions in a sequence by actuating three separate channel zones simultaneously: zones for pre-alignment, size-based separation, and trapping. We characterize the mutual interference between the acoustic radiation forces between the different zones by measuring the spatial distribution of the acoustic energy density during different schemes of ultrasonic actuation, and use this information for optimizing the driving frequencies and voltages of the three utilized ultrasonic transducers attached to the chip, and the flow rates of the pumps. By the use of hydrodynamic defocusing of the pre-aligned cells in the separation zone, a cell population from a complex sample can be isolated and trapped with very high purity, followed by dynamic fluorescence analysis. We exemplify the method's potential by isolating A549 lung cancer cells from red blood cells with 100% purity, 92% separation efficiency, and 93% trapping efficiency resulting in a 130x up-concentration factor during 15 minutes of continuous sample processing through the chip. Furthermore, we demonstrate an on-chip fluorescence assay of the isolated cancer cells by monitoring the dynamic uptake and release of a fluorescence probe in individual trapped cells. The ability to combine isolation of individual cells from a complex sample with high-resolution image analysis holds great promise for applications in cellular and molecular diagnostics.