On-chip Sort: The world's first Cell Sorter using disposable microfluidic chips for damage-free sorting.
On-chip Biotechnologies has developed cell sorters based on microfluidic chip technology to gently sort even the most delicate cells damage-free. Because all fluids stay contained in the sterile disposable chips, there is zero chance of cross contamination and no instrument cleanup.
Conventional cell sorters damage sorted cells due to electrical charge and collision. Moreover, sheath fluid cannot be selected freely, and sorting of the cell by various culture medium is not possible in conventional sorting. In addition, since a flow system is not exchangeable, cross contamination of sample arises in conventional sorting. On-chip Biotechnologies has developed a cell sorting system which has adopted microfluidic technology, enabling it to separate precious samples without any damage.
Following are just some of the applications that demonstrate the advantages of the instrument.
Damage Free
The technology of On-chip Biotechnologies enables ultimate cellular studies without any damage.
The instrument adopts Flow-shift method which controls liquid flow within microfluidic channels. Unlike conventional Jet-in-air method, Flow-shift method enables sorting with overwhelmingly small pressure (0.3 psi). Moreover, even sensitive cells like neurons can be sorted because the sorter does not use ultrasonic waves or electrical charge.
Cells sorted using Jet-in-air method
Cells sorted using On-chip Sort
Property evaluation of evulsion tooth stem cells sorted by On-chip Sort
In in vivo analysis, the cells were isolated from hard tissue by On-chip Sort after transplanting four kinds of stem cells from withdrawal tooth and bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cell. It became clear that the cells still kept stem cell characteristics.
Comparison between On-chip Sort and conventional cell sorter -Eosinophil sorting and observation in the morphology
On-chip Sort does not damage cells in comparison to the cell sorter using the conventional Jet-in-Air method. It was thought that the peripheral blood mononuclear leukocyte resisted comparative damage. The cells sorted using On-chip Sort kept the morphology of normal eosinophil, but the cells sorted using the Jet-in-air sorter of the droplet generation method were not able to keep the form of eosinophil.
Damage free sorting of the neurons of rat fetal brain
The neurons were isolated from the rat fetal brain hippocampus, and the influence of the sorting damage on neurons was investigated. As for the neurons sorted using On-chip Sort, formation of the nerve dendrites was observed after sorting. However, the neurons sorted with the conventional cell sorter did not show the formation of dendrites during the cultivation after sorting.
Broad selection of sheath fluid
On-chip Sort allows users to select their own sheath fluid for analysis and sorting of cells at the optimal sorting condition.. For example, artificial sea water with high salt concentration can be used for sorting of marine microbes that do not survive otherwise. Sorting of plant protoplast requires high-concentration of mannitol in sheath fluid. Therefore, On-chip Sort enables sorting of various cell types by using the medium most appropriate for the sorting condition.
A sample containing Perkinsus marius was sorted based on GFP expression in plastid. The positive fraction (0.6%) was sorted in artificial sea water. The cell death by sorting was not observed.
Sorting of Perkinsus with high salt culture medium
Sorting and cloning of Perkinsus, which is a type of protozoa and lives on oysters, was done with high salt artificial sea water. This can be performed without damage because the sorter uses medium that is the most suitable for Perkisus as the sheath fluid.
Contamination free
The technology of On-chip Biotechnologies prevents contamination because the fluidic system is on the disposable chip.
Liquids do not come in contact with the instrument, and thus the sorter will not be contaminated.
On-chip also supplies sterilized chips to ensure contamination does not occur. This sorter is small enough to fit inside a biosafety cabinet. That enables you to operate the sorter under an aseptic condition.
Moreover, we paid maximum attention to safety of operators because our system never generates aerosol.
On-chip proposes an innovative solution to researchers who could not use a cell sorter because of the contamination issues.
Sorting of yeast and bacteria using "On-chip Sort", and the simple judgment of "live and dead" of yeast and bacteria.
Although the cell sorter was an effective tool for isolation of not only eucaryocytes but yeast and bacteria, there was always a concern of contamination in the conventional cell sorter. The cell sorting system of On-chip Biotechnologies can prevent such contamination due to the use of a microfluidic chip.
Cancer research
On-chip Sort could be applied to the cell therapy and cell based diagnosis.
For example, the sorter can detect and isolate Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) from a low volume of blood from patients suffering from various cancer types. After sorting, the cells can be used for cell culture to monitor and select the optimal drug and to analyze the genetic variations.
Currently On-chip Sort does not have FDA approval for the use in clinical diagnostics.
Detection and Sorting of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs)
After removal of the blood cells in 4mL of peripheral blood, samples were stained with CTC markers (cytokeratin (CK-FITC) and EpCAM (CD326-PE)) and leukocyte common antigen (CD45-Alexa700). Detection and sorting of CTCs were carried out using On-chip Sort. As a result, the detection and sorting of various CTCs that are independent of the expression of EpCAM was achieved.
About PHC Corporation of North America
PHC Corporation of North America, located in Wood Dale, IL, is a leader in laboratory equipment for the biopharmaceutical, life sciences, academic, healthcare and government markets. Product lines under the PHCbi brand include the space saving and energy efficient VIP® ECO and TwinGuard® ultra-low temperature freezers, cryogenic and biomedical freezers, pharmacy and high-performance refrigerators, cell culture CO2 and multigas incubators, and Drosophila/plant growth chambers. PHC Corporation of North America is a subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, which is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, sells, and services solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, diagnostics and life sciences.