Microscopic impedance cytometry for quantifying single cell shape

In this work, we investigated the ability of impedance flow cytometry to measure shape single cells/particles. We found that pulses triggered by micro-objects are asymmetric in morphology show a tilting trend, and there is no such trend for symmetric ones. Therefore, proposed new metric, tilt index, quantify level pulses. Through simulation, value index tends be zero perfectly symmetrical objects, while greater than asymmetrical Also, metric was independent on trajectories (i.e., lateral, z-direction shift) target micro-object. experiments, adopted home-made lock-in amplifier performed experiments 10 μm polystyrene beads Euglena gracilis (E. gracilis) cells with varying shapes. The experimental results coincided simulation demonstrated (tilt index) enables characterize cells/particles without microscopy or other optical setups.