Cell Type Classification Based on Specific Membrane Capacitance and Cytoplasm Conductivity Using Microfluidic Devices

This paper presents a microfluidic system enabling cell type classification based on continuous characterization of cellular specific membrane capacitance (Cspecific membrane) and cytoplasm conductivity (σcytoplasm). In this study, cells were aspirated continuously through a constriction channel with cell elongations and two-frequency impedance profiles measured. Based on a distributed equivalent circuit model, raw data were translated into Cspecific membrane and σcytoplasm. Two lung cancer cell lines of CRL-5803 cells (ncell=489) and CCL-185 cells (ncell=487) were tested, producing Cspecific membrane of 1.63±0.52 μF/cm 2 vs. 2.00±0.60 μF/cm 2 (p<0.001) and σcytoplasm of 0.90±0.19 S/m vs. 0.73±0.17 S/m (p<0.001), suggesting these two lung tumor cell lines can be classified based on electrical properties.