Integrated Hybrid Sensor/Microfluidic Chip for Cellular Toxicity Sensing

Recently, cell-based biosensors, such as electrical cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS), have been used as toxicity sensors for rapid monitoring of a wide range of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) in drinking waters. However, several limitations existing in current cell-based toxicity sensors prevent their use in the field. For example, the large size of the chip and media demands limits its application for assessment of field drinking water supplies. The maintenance of viable cells on the chips for long periods of time prior to testing is problematic. Also, the current toxicity sensor uses only a single sensing endpoint (impedance). With the advances in lab-on-a-chip technologies, cell maintenance systems that are integrated into the chip become possible. Therefore, it is highly desirable to merge advances in label-free multiparametric cellular sensing with microfluidic technology to develop a truly field portable fluidic chip with integrated supporting elements that can improve long-term cell maintenance and cytotoxicity sensing capabilities for field use. To address this critical need, Intelligent Automation, Inc. (IAI), along with our collaborators Prof. Qing-Ming Wang at University of Pittsburgh, propose to develop an integrated impedance/acoustic sensor system with capabilities of long-term cell maintenance.