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A microfluidic device for separation of amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells utilizing louver-array structures

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Abstract

Human mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into multiple lineages for cell therapy and, therefore, have attracted considerable research interest recently. This study presents a new microfluidic device for bead and cell separation utilizing a combination of T-junction focusing and tilted louver-like structures. For the first time, a microfluidic device is used for continuous separation of amniotic stem cells from amniotic fluids. An experimental separation efficiency as high as 82.8% for amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells is achieved. Furthermore, a two-step separation process is performed to improve the separation efficiency to 97.1%. These results are based on characterization experiments that show that this microfluidic chip is capable of separating beads with diameters of 5, 10, 20, and 40 μm by adjusting the volume-flow-rate ratio between the flows in the main and side channels of the T-junction focusing structure. An optimal volume-flow-rate ratio of 0.5 can lead to high separation efficiencies of 87.8% and 85.7% for 5-μm and 10-μm beads, respectively, in a one-step separation process. The development of this microfluidic chip may be promising for future research into stem cells and for cell therapy.

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Abbreviations

AF:

amniotic fluid

AFMSC:

amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cell

Bio-MEMS:

bio-micro-electro-mechanical-systems

BCRC:

Bioeresource Collection and Research Center

CMOS:

complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor

DEP:

dielectrophoretic

DIP:

digital image processing

EOF:

electroosmotic flow

FITC:

fluorescein isothiocyanate

IgG:

immunoglobulin G

MSC:

mesenchymal stem cell

MEMS:

micro-electro-mechanical-systems

ODEP:

optically induced dielectrophoresis

PBS:

phosphate buffered saline

PDMS:

polydimethylsiloxane

PR:

photoresist

RBC:

red blood cell

SEM:

scanning electron microscope

UV:

ultraviolet

WBC:

white blood cell

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided to this study by the National Science Council in Taiwan (NSC 97-2120-M-006-007). This work is also partially supported by the Ministry of Education, Taiwan, R.O.C. under the NCKU Project of Promoting Academic Excellence & Developing World Class Research Centers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering Science, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    Huei-Wen Wu & Gwo-Bin Lee

  2. Department of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    Xi-Zhang Lin

  3. Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Food Industry Research and Development Institute, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan

    Shiaw-Min Hwang

Authors
  1. Huei-Wen Wu
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  2. Xi-Zhang Lin
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  3. Shiaw-Min Hwang
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  4. Gwo-Bin Lee
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Correspondence to Gwo-Bin Lee.

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Wu, HW., Lin, XZ., Hwang, SM. et al. A microfluidic device for separation of amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells utilizing louver-array structures. Biomed Microdevices 11, 1297–1307 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-009-9349-x

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