- The 3DEP is a cell analysis system that analyses several thousand cells simultaneously and produces an output that allows their electrical properties to be determined. It comprises a disposable chip into which the cells are inserted for analysis, and a reader into which the loaded chips are placed. This revolutionary device then uses a phenomenon called dielectrophoresis (abbreviated DEP) to analyse up to 20,000 cells in 10 seconds.
- The 3DEP is the first instrument to market, capable of measuring the electrical properties of populations of cells.
- In order to analyse cells, the 3DEP uses a patented chip containing 20 “wells”, each carrying a number of electrodes down the inside. The electrodes in each well receives a different frequency signal, allowing 20 frequencies (user-selectable, between 1kHz and 45MHz) to be analysed simultaneously. When the frequencies are applied to the wells, the cells inside the well moves due to dielectrophoresis. If they experience “positive DEP” (that is, they are attracted to the electrodes) the cells move from the centre of the well towards the edge; if repelled from the electrodes they move towards the centre of the well. With a new cell types there is always scope for optimising the exposure time to produce the best fit (highest R) but we have found that in most cases, a 10 second exposure produces highly satisfactory results.
- Testimonial
- “The lab of Nathan S. Swami at the University of Virginia, which is focused on the device, circuit and signal processing hierarchies for the electrokinetic characterization and microfluidic manipulation of biosystems, uses the 3DEP reader to acquire preliminary dielectrophoretic spectra on stem cells and infectious microbials for subsequent application towards their separation. More details are available within recent publications ( Anal Chem (2014), 86, 10855–10863; Lab Chip (2014), 14, 4183 – 4187; and Analyst (2014) 139, 66-73 ) “
Publications
Cell analysis papers using the 3DEP system
Dielectric fingerprinting: a low cost, rapid, non-invasive detection tool for oral and oropharyngeal cancer
KA Graham, HJ Mulhall, MP Hughes, MP Lewis, KF Hoettges, N Kalavrezos, J McCaul, C Liew, S Porter, S Fedele, FH Labeed
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention (In press)
Human oral cancer cells with increasing tumorigenic abilities exhibit higher effective membrane capacitance
X Liang, KA Graham, AC Johannessen, DE Costea, FH Labeed
Integrative Biology 2014 DOI: 10.1039/c3ib40255j
Epithelial cancer cells exhibit different electrical properties when cultured in 2D and 3D environments
HJ Mulhall, MP Hughes, B Kazmi, MP Lewis, FH Labeed
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 2013 1830 5136-5141
Characterisation of human skeletal stem and bone cell populations using dielectrophoresis
A Ismail, MP Hughes, HJ Mulhall, ROC Oreffo, FH Labeed
Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine 2012 DOI 10-1002/term.1629
Cytoplasm resistivity of mammalian atrial myocardium determined by dielectrophoresis and impedance methods
A Manazza, S Salvage, CH Fry, F Labeed, M Hughes, RI Jabr
Biophysical Journal 2012 103 2287-2294
Cancer, pre-cancer and normal oral cells distinguished by dielectrophoresis
HJ Mulhall, FH Labeed, B Kazmi, DE Costea, MP Hughes, MP Lewis
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 2011 401 2455-2463
Rapid, automated measurement of dielectrophoretic forces using DEP-activated microwells
LM Broche, KF Hoettges, SL Ogin, GEN Kass, MP Hughes
Electrophoresis 2011 32 2393-2399
Biophysical characteristics reveal neural stem cell differentiation potential
FH Labeed, JT Lu, HJ Mulhall, SA Marachenko, KF Hoettges, LC Estrada, AP Lee, MP Hughes, L FLanagan
PLoS One 2011 6e25458
Rapid determination of antibiotic resistance in E. coli using dielectrophoresis
- F. Hoettges, J. W. Dale, M. P. Hughes
Physics in Medicine and Biology 2007 52 6001-6009
Papers describing 3DEP cell analysis technology
Real-time cell electrophysiology using a multi-channel dielectrophoretic-dot microelectrode array
HO Fatoyinbo, NA Kadri DH Gould, KF Hoettges, FH Labeed
Electrophoresis 2011 32 2541-2549
Dielectrophoresis-activated Multiwell Plate for Label-Free High-Throughput Drug Assessment
KF Hoettges Y Hübner, LM Broche, SL Ogin, GEN Kass, MP Hughes
Analytical Chemistry 2008 80 2063-2068
Parallel measurements of drug actions on Erythrocytes by dielectrophoresis, using a novel 3-dimensional electrode design
Y Hübner, KF Hoettges, GEN Kass, SL Ogin, MP Hughes
IEE Proceedings on Bionanotechnology 2005 4 21-25
Papers on 3DEP separation
Efficient dielectrophoretic cell enrichment using a DEP-well based system
MA Abdul Razak, KF Hoettges, HO Fatoyinbo, FH Labeed, MP Hughes
Biomicrofluidics 2013 7, 064110 (1-10)
A 3D dielectrophoretic separator
HO Fatoyinbo, D Kamchis, R Whattingham, SL Ogin, MP Hughes
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering 2005 52 1347-1349
Papers using earlier DEP technology for cell biology
Dielectrophoretic analysis of changes in cytoplasmic ion levels due to ion channel blocker action reveals underlying differences between drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistance leukaemic cells. L Duncan, H Shelmerdine, MP Hughes, HM Coley, Y Hübner, FH Labeed. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2008 53 N1-N7
Early detection of oral cancer – is dielectrophoresis the answer? LM Broche, MP Hughes, M Lewis, WB Barrett, FH Labeed. Oral Oncology 2007 43 199-203
Biophysical characterization of MDR breast cancer cell lines reveals the cytoplasm is critical in determining drug sensitivity. H Coley, FH Labeed, H Thomas, MP Hughes. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 2007 1770 601-608
Changes in the cytoplasm of K562 myelogeneous leukaemic cancer cells during apoptosis, observed in real time by dielectrophoresis. FH Labeed, HM Coley, H Thomas, MP Hughes. Biophysica et Biochimica Acta 2006 1760 922-929
Rapid detection of early apoptosis events by dielectrophoresis. S Chin, LM Broche, HM Coley, H Thomas, MP Hughes, FH Labeed. International Journal of Nanomedicine 2006 1 333-337
Extraction of dielectric properties for multiple populations from dielectrophoretic collection spectrum data. L Broche, FH Labeed, MP Hughes. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2005 50 2267-2274
Water quality test based on dielectrophoretic measurements of fresh water algae Selenastrum capricornutum. Y Hübner, KF Hoettges, MP Hughes. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 2003 5 861-864
Dielectrophoretic assay of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. J Johari, Y Hübner, J Hull, JW Dale, MP Hughes. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2003 48 N193-N196
Assessment of multidrug resistance reversal using dielectrophoresis and flow cytometry. FH Labeed, HM Coley, H Thomas, MP Hughes. Biophysical Journal 2003 85 2028-2034