Dielectrophoresis-based automatic 3D cell manipulation and patterning through a micro-electrode integrated multi-layer scaffold

Automatic manipulation and patterning of biological cells into an artificial scaffold is an imperative step in the production of high-quality tissue for tissue transplantation. This paper examines the incorporation of dielectrophoresis into a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold body for batch manipulation and patterning of cells. To facilitate dielectrophoresis-based manipulation, a multi-layer biocompatible scaffold structure utilizing its body as the integrated micro-electrodes was designed and fabricated using soft lithography. Voltage of opposite polarity was applied to the scaffold structure and the resultant electric field from the scaffold body polarized the cells in the culture medium and attracted them to migrate towards the scaffold body. Experiments were conducted and the results confirm that the proposed multi-layer scaffold is capable of generating dielectrophoretic forces to manipulate the cells to the scaffold surface, forming a three-dimensional cellular pattern automatically.