Dielectrophoretic Separation of Human Normal and Tumor Cells

In this study, we proposed and evaluated a new dielectrophoresis (DEP)-based device for the high-throughput, non-invasive separation of cells with similar physical properties. Although DEP is an established technology for separating biological particles based on their dielectric properties, the accurate separation of populations of similar cell types—such as normal cells and cancer cells of the same species—remains a significant technical challenge. In this study, separation experiments using a prototype device were conducted with normal (MCF10A) and tumor (MDA-MB-231) human mammary cells. The experiments systematically analyzed the effects of three key parameters—A.C. frequency (f), flow rate (Q), and solution conductivity (σf)—on the cell separation ratio (Φ). The experimental results identified optimal operating conditions at f = 57.6 kHz, Q = 5.0 mL/h, and σf = 40 mS/m, achieving a maximum separation ratio of Φ = 72.1%. These findings demonstrate that the potential of this device to perform high-speed processing without the need for fluorescent labeling or invasive pretreatment. This study provides a fundamental framework for optimizing DEP parameters and outlines a pathway toward more efficient clinical applications and the isolation of rare cell populations.