Modeling and simulation study of micro-nano structures for single-cell capture

Abstract

Nanohole arrays can serve as a sensing unit for cellular physiologic properties such as cell adhesion. Multiplexing these nanohole arrays to immobilize or capture a single cell would largely facilitate cell adhesion assay in one single chip. To this end, a micro-nano-fluidic single-cell capture structure was designed, consisting of four sections: a main top channel, a cell capture region, nanohole arrays and a bottom channel. A simplified micro-nano-fluidic model has been established involving two important fluidic parameters (i.e. inlet flow velocity and outlet negative pressure) that drive the cell flow to the cell capture region deployed above the nanoholes. Through simulation, for a certain micro-nano structure, capture efficiency decreases as the fluid velocity and viscosity at the main channel inlet increase but increases as the negative pressure applied via the bottom channel outlet does so. Fabrication of nanoholes has been tried for future experimental test. Our study provides a new thought for the design of microfluidic single-cell capture chips based on nanohole arrays.