Microfluidic integrated optoelectronic tweezers for single-cell preparation and analysis

We report a novel microfluidic integrated optoelectronic tweezers (OET) platform for single-cell sample preparation and analysis. Integration of OET and microfluidics is achieved by embedding single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) electrodes into multilayer PDMS structures. This integrated platform allows users to selectively pick up individual cells from a population with light beams based on their optical signatures such as size, shape, and fluorescence, and transport them into isolated chambers using light induced dielectrophoretic forces. Isolated cells can be encapsulated into nanoliter liquid plugs and transported out of the platform for downstream molecule analysis using standard commercial instruments.