www.nanopicoftheday.org
November 13, 2003
Source: S.R. Quake and A. Scherer
References:
Description:
Pictured is a microfabricated biological cell sorter with integrated valves and pumps. This is a two-layer device made of a molded silicone elastomer (PDMS); the bottom layer is a T-shaped fluidic channel, and the top layer contains pneumatic control lines for pumps and valves, as well as cavities to smooth out oscillations. Controlling the flow of fluid through certain channels in the top layer, can either stop or help (depending on the design) the flow through the bottom layer. One of the advantages of chip-based cell sorters is that they can implement sorting schemes for certain rare cells. Scale bar, 1 mm.
These cell sorters are now being commercially developed and are expected to find applications in a variety of areas, including molecular screening and drug discovery. Besides the cost savings, an important advantage of the microfluidic cell sorters is that they will allow the implementation of sophisticated assays that are impractical to perform with traditional cell sorters or microtiter plates.
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