Design and fabrication of a dielectrophoresis-based cell-positioning and cell-culture device for construction of cell networks

In this paper, we describe the design and fabrication of a dielectrophoresis (DEP)-based cell-positioning and cell-culture device for the construction of cell networks. This device enables both individual cell positioning and cell culture. Titanium electrodes were fabricated by deposition. Furthermore, microchambers and microchannels composed of SU-8, which is a negative photoresist, were used to carry out cell culture and enable cell differentiation. Using our device, N1E-115 cells were individually positioned in the microchambers, and the positioning yield was 45%. After positioning, the cells could be continuously cultured in the microchambers. Furthermore, the cells differentiated, and their neurites extended through the microchannels after cultivation for several days. These results indicate that our device greatly increases the prospects for individual cell positioning and can be used to construct cell networks that have several applications in the medical field, for example, in drug screening.