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Raman tweezers in microfluidic systems for automatic analysis and sorting of living cells
Pilát, Zdeněk
We have devised an automatic analytical and sorting system combining optical trapping with Raman spectroscopy in microfluidic environment, together with computerized real time image analysis, spectra processing and micromanipulation. This device serves to identify and sort biological objects, such as living cells of various prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms based on their Raman spectral properties. This approach allowed us to collect information about the chemical composition of the objects, such as the presence and composition of lipids, proteins, or nucleic acids without using artificial chemical probes such as fluorescent markers. The non-destructive and non-contact nature of this optical analysis and manipulation allowed us to separate individual living cells of our interest in a sterile environment and provided the possibility to cultivate the selected cells for further experiments. The special microfluidic chip uses gravity to move the cells across the sorting area. Our system uses dedicated software to achieve fully automated spectral analysis and sorting. The devised system is a robust and universal platform for non-contact sorting of microobjects based on their chemical properties. It could find its use in many medical, biotechnological, and biological applications.
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Raman tweezers: principle and applications
Bernatová, Silvie ; Samek, Ota ; Pilát, Zdeněk ; Ježek, Jan ; Kaňka, Jan ; Šiler, Martin ; Zemánek, Pavel
Raman tweezers combines the optical trap for non-contact micromanipulation of micro-objects with Raman spectroscopy for chemical analysis of the sample. This combination presents an efficient tool for concurrent spectroscopic analysis of chemical composition and micromanipulation allowing sorting or probing of mechanical properties of the sample. Raman tweezers were successfully used for example in characterization of biomolecules like DNA, for sorting of cells and investigation of the link between their chemical and mechanical properties.
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