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。目前用于细胞捕获的方法具有诸如串扰、介质交换和基于泊松弹性的加载的限制。所提出的解决方案涉及使用挤压的分叉通道来使用用于介质交换的过滤器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。该项目将分三个阶段进行。首先，我们将设计和优化一种新的箍缩微通道。其次，我们将使用软光刻工艺制造具有1024个陷阱和1023个箍缩段的最终沟道设计。第三，我们将进行粒子捕获实验，并分析结果。该项目的独特之处在于：（i）分段陷阱，无串扰，（ii）介质交换能力，以及（iii）通过在每个分叉之前聚焦粒子来消除泊松加载。最终目标是克服将单个颗粒或细胞装载到陷阱中的限制。该设备将能够对针对癌细胞的免疫反应进行有效的长期细胞研究。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下的反应。

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.