(622u) Self-Folding Single Cell Grippers

SELF-FOLDING SINGLE CELL GRIPPERS

Beril Polat

(As the 4^th author)

bpolat3@jhu.edu

The Johns Hopkins University

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

ABSTRACT:

Given the heterogeneous nature of cultures, tumors, and
tissues, the ability to capture, contain, and analyze single cells is important
for genomics, proteomics, diagnostics, therapeutics, and surgery. Moreover, for
surgical applications in small conduits in the body such as in the
cardiovascular system, there is a need for tiny tools that approach the size of
the single red blood cells that traverse the blood vessels and capillaries. We
describe the fabrication of arrayed or untethered single cell grippers composed
of biocompatible and bioresorbable
silicon monoxide and silicon dioxide. The energy required to actuate these grippers
is derived from the release of residual stress in 3-27 nm thick films,
did not require any wires, tethers, or batteries, and resulted in folding
angles over 100° with folding radii as small as 765 nm. We developed and
applied a finite element model to predict these folding angles. Finally, we
demonstrated the capture of live mouse fibroblast cells in an array of grippers
and individual red blood cells in untethered grippers, which could be released
from the substrate to illustrate the potential utility for in vivo operations.