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For more than a decade, researchers are trying to find out practical commercial tool for particle/cell detection and characterization with portable, low cost, specific and sensitive characteristics. The advance of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and microfluidic technologies opened a major challenge for a large number of researchers, industrial health and bio companies to invest their time and budget into the avenue of point of care health instruments or devices helping the early detection of cancer cells within the human blood via circulating malignant cells. Actual existing commercial flow cytometer that detects and identifies the type and size of cells are costly, time consuming and need the assistance of highly qualified operators. Moreover, in certain research activities, micro cytometers are investigated and assessed with different detection techniques such as optical, impedance spectroscopy, electromagnetic spectroscopy and many other techniques. The aim of this research is to investigate an innovative mechanism that enables to characterize, identify and differentiate among various living cells including malignant tumor cells through the use of the electromagnetic energy detection technique. Cells are spatially centered in a microfluidic channel through dielectrophoresis technique then detected and characterized by measuring and interpreting the RF signal transmission of the cells passing one by one through the interrogation region in the microchannel. The outcome of this research might help the clinical end user to gain certain important information about the condition of the patient, establish personalized treatment or track the effect of a treatment. Detection and counting of tumor cells may help identification of early stages of illness and help patient with early care that may significantly cut the overall cost of cancer management. |
