Alignment and fusion of cells with an electrical field
View Patent ↗A method of alignment and fusion of cells with an electrical field includes firing a first fluid dispenser of an electrofusion device until a first impedance sensor in a first microfluidic channel of the electrofusion device detects a presence of a first cell. The method includes firing a second fluid dispenser of the electrofusion device until a second impedance sensor in a second microfluidic channel of the electrofusion device detects a presence of a second cell. The method includes moving the first cell and the second cell into a merging chamber of the electrofusion device by firing a third fluid dispenser of the electrofusion device, in response to alignment of the first cell in the first microfluidic channel with the second cell in the second microfluidic channel. The method further includes fusing the first cell and the second cell in the merging chamber by creating an electrical field in the merging chamber.
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a pairing region, comprising:
a first microfluidic channel including a first impedance sensor, wherein the first microfluidic channel is in fluidic communication with a first fluid dispenser; and
a second microfluidic channel including a second impedance sensor, wherein the second microfluidic channel is in fluidic communication with a second fluid dispenser;
a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed:
actuate the first fluid dispenser to move a first cell within the first microfluidic channel and actuate the second fluid dispenser to move a second cell within the second microfluidic channel until the first cell in the first microfluidic channel is aligned with the second cell in the second microfluidic channel within the same plane such that neither the first cell nor the second cell is closer to a merging chamber than the other of the first cell or the second cell;
the merging chamber in fluid communication with the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel, wherein the merging chamber comprises a plurality of electrodes that, when activated, generate an electric field within the merging chamber,
a third fluid dispenser fluidly coupled with the merging chamber at a side opposite a location at which the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel are coupled with the merging chamber,
wherein the instructions, when executed:
actuate the third fluid dispenser to move both of the first cell and the second cell, while aligned, through the merging chamber to fuse the first cell with the second cell to generate a third cell in the electric field generated by the plurality of electrodes, in response to alignment of the first cell in the first microfluidic channel with the second cell in the second microfluidic channel.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium includes instructions that, when executed, cause the first fluid dispenser to actuate until the first impedance sensor detects the first cell in the first microfluidic channel, and the second fluid dispenser to actuate until the second impedance sensor detects the second cell in the second microfluidic channel.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium includes instructions that, when executed, cause the first fluid dispenser to actuate at a reduced rate responsive to the first impedance sensor detecting the first cell in the first microfluidic channel.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel are disposed in series with the merging chamber, and the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel are disposed in parallel.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid dispenser and the second fluid dispenser include resistors.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first impedance sensor is disposed upstream from a first junction between the first microfluidic channel and the first fluid dispenser, and the second impedance sensor is disposed upstream from a second junction between the second microfluidic channel and the second fluid dispenser.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a third impedance sensor disposed downstream from the first junction and a fourth impedance sensor disposed downstream from the second junction, wherein the third impedance sensor and the fourth impedance sensor are disposed upstream from the merging chamber.