Iso-acoustic focusing of cells for size-insensitive acousto-mechanical phenotyping

Per Augustsson (), Jonas T. Karlsen, Hao-Wei Su, Henrik Bruus and Joel Voldman
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Per Augustsson: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Jonas T. Karlsen: Technical University of Denmark
Hao-Wei Su: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Henrik Bruus: Technical University of Denmark
Joel Voldman: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Mechanical phenotyping of single cells is an emerging tool for cell classification, enabling assessment of effective parameters relating to cells’ interior molecular content and structure. Here, we present iso-acoustic focusing, an equilibrium method to analyze the effective acoustic impedance of single cells in continuous flow. While flowing through a microchannel, cells migrate sideways, influenced by an acoustic field, into streams of increasing acoustic impedance, until reaching their cell-type specific point of zero acoustic contrast. We establish an experimental procedure and provide theoretical justifications and models for iso-acoustic focusing. We describe a method for providing a suitable acoustic contrast gradient in a cell-friendly medium, and use acoustic forces to maintain that gradient in the presence of destabilizing forces. Applying this method we demonstrate iso-acoustic focusing of cell lines and leukocytes, showing that acoustic properties provide phenotypic information independent of size.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11556

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