Using the micro-array electrode chip and AC signals to generate the electric field effect on cell migration

We have successfully fabricated the micro-array electrode chip with different gap sizes by Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) technology and generated the moving electric field to drive cells to migrate by employing AC signal. Our strategy is to simulate the ramp waveform signal with various gap sizes (10 mu m, 20 mu m, and 30 mu m) to examine the optimal moving electric field by the ANSYS 9.0 software. The electrode with 10 mu m gap can generate the better moving electric field effect on cell migration than that of other gap sizes. In the experiments, when fixing the electric field strength at 0.6 V/mm in 100 kHz, the migration velocity of the cells was 21.25 mu m/h in the micro-array electrode chip with the gap of 10 mu m, and the direction of cell migration could be controlled by the moving electric field. Moreover, the cell migration was more obvious when the driving frequency is over 50 kHz. This method for cell migration could be applied to cell manipulation of bio-applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.