Controllability of non-contact cell manipulation by image dielectrophoresis (iDEP)

The controllability of cell manipulation using image dielectrophoresis (DEP) was characterized regarding DEP affinity test of cells, effective DEP radius, threshold voltage and parallel manipulation. The reconfigurable electrodes for DEP were achieved using an optically addressable projection array of 800 by 600. Each optical pixels projected on the chips were measured to be 25 mu m by 25 mu m. Individual pixels were controlled through a computer using a mouse cursor or pre-programmed flashes as projection patterns over a period of time. Based on the result of the DEP affinity test, effective DEP radius and threshold voltages, the parallel manipulation of cells without interfering each other was demonstrated.