Issue 13, 2012

Breast tumor cell detection at single cell resolution using an electrochemical impedance technique

Abstract

Gold micro-electrodes with various diameters (25, 50, 75, 100 and 250 μm) were manufactured using standard micro-fabrication techniques and optimized for counting of MCF-7 cells (breast tumor cells) with single cell resolution. For specific cell capture, anti-EpCAM was immobilized on 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA)-3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modified gold surface of micro-electrodes. Electrodes were characterized using optical, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) techniques. Cell capture response recorded using EIS suggested that optimum electrode dimensions should be analogous to desired cell size. For MCF-7 cells with an average diameter of 18 ± 2 μm, an electrode with 25 μm diameter was established as the optimum electrode size for precise single cell recognition and enumeration. In EIS investigation, the 25 μm electrode exhibited an impedance change of ∼2.2 × 107 Ω in response to a single tumor cell captured on its surface. On the other hand other electrodes (250, 100, 75 and 50 μm) showed much less response for a single tumor cell. In future, the use of high density arrays of such electrodes with surface modifications will result in miniaturized lab on a chip devices for precise counting of MCF-7 cells with single cell resolution.

Graphical abstract: Breast tumor cell detection at single cell resolution using an electrochemical impedance technique

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Nov 2011
Accepted
12 Mar 2012
First published
14 Mar 2012

Lab Chip, 2012,12, 2362-2368

Breast tumor cell detection at single cell resolution using an electrochemical impedance technique

S. K. Arya, K. C. Lee, D. B. Dah'alan, Daniel and A. R. A. Rahman, Lab Chip, 2012, 12, 2362 DOI: 10.1039/C2LC21174B

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