CellTrap: Beyond Poisson Statistics

该项目旨在开发一种微流体装置，通过捕获靶细胞来研究免疫反应。当前的细胞捕获方法有串扰、介质交换和基于泊松统计的加载等局限性。提出的解决方案包括使用压缩分叉通道将单个或成对的细胞或颗粒均匀地捕获在数千个单独的隔室中，使用过滤器进行介质交换。该项目将分三个阶段进行。首先，我们将设计和优化一个新的压缩微通道。其次，我们将使用软光刻工艺制造1024个陷阱和1023个压缩段的最终通道设计。第三，我们将进行粒子捕获实验并分析结果。这个项目的独特之处在于：(i)没有串扰的分段陷阱，（ii）介质交换的能力，以及（iii）通过在每次分岔之前聚焦颗粒来消除泊松载荷。最终目标是克服将单个粒子或细胞装入陷阱的限制。该装置将使针对癌细胞的免疫反应进行有效的长期细胞研究成为可能。在该项目完成后，我们将继续通过捕获活细胞并对其进行成像来量化免疫细胞在癌细胞存在时的反应。

The project aims to develop a microfluidic device for studying immune responses by trapping target cells. Current methods for cell trapping have limitations like cross talk, medium exchange, and Poisson statistics-based loading. The proposed solution involves using pinched bifurcated channels to trap single or paired cells or particles evenly in thousands of separate compartments using filters for medium exchange. The project will proceed in three stages. Firstly, we will design and optimize a new pinched microchannel. Secondly, we will fabricate the final channel design with 1024 traps and 1023 pinched segments using the soft lithography process. Thirdly, we will perform particle trapping experiments and analyze the outcomes. The unique features of this project are: (i) segmented traps that are free of cross talk, (ii) capability of medium exchange, and (iii) elimination of Poisson loading by focusing particles before each bifurcation. The ultimate goal is to overcome the limitations in loading single particles or cells into the traps. This device will enable effective long-term cellular studies of immune responses against cancer cells. Following the completion of this project, we will continue the work by trapping live cells and imaging them to quantify the immune cell's response in the presence of cancer cells.