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Laser Beam Sorts Cells

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 13, 2007 -- Like water from a firehose levitates a beach ball, a new system uses a targeted beam of light to push certain types of cells up out of special "traps." The method could make separating particular cells from a sample faster, cheaper and easier, and could also enable new kinds of biological research. MIT graduate student Joseph Kovac (left) and Joel Voldman, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, have developed an inexpensive and easy method for sorting cells for microscope examination, using microfluidics and a laser beam "firehose." (Photo: Donna Coveney) Joel...Read full article

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    Published: December 2007
    Glossary
    beam
    1. A bundle of light rays that may be parallel, converging or diverging. 2. A concentrated, unidirectional stream of particles. 3. A concentrated, unidirectional flow of electromagnetic waves.
    microfluidics
    Microfluidics is a multidisciplinary field that involves the manipulation and control of very small fluid volumes, typically in the microliter (10-6 liters) to picoliter (10-12 liters) range, within channels or devices with dimensions on the microscale. It integrates principles from physics, chemistry, engineering, and biotechnology to design and fabricate systems that handle and analyze fluids at the micro level. Key features and aspects of microfluidics include: Miniaturization:...
    microscope
    An instrument consisting essentially of a tube 160 mm long, with an objective lens at the distant end and an eyepiece at the near end. The objective forms a real aerial image of the object in the focal plane of the eyepiece where it is observed by the eye. The overall magnifying power is equal to the linear magnification of the objective multiplied by the magnifying power of the eyepiece. The eyepiece can be replaced by a film to photograph the primary image, or a positive or negative relay...
    nano
    An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other structures and particles on the nanometer scale. Nano-optics (also referred to as nanophotonics), for example, is the study of how light and light-matter interactions behave on the nanometer scale. See nanophotonics.
    optical tweezers
    Optical tweezers refer to a scientific instrument that uses the pressure of laser light to trap and manipulate microscopic objects, such as particles or biological cells, in three dimensions. This technique relies on the momentum transfer of photons from the laser beam to the trapped objects, creating a stable trapping potential. Optical tweezers are widely used in physics, biology, and nanotechnology for studying and manipulating tiny structures at the microscale and nanoscale levels. Key...
    photonics
    The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
    Basic SciencebeambiologicalBiophotonicscellsdefensefire hosefluorescentJoel VoldmanJoseph KovaclevitationmicrofluidicsmicroscopeMicroscopyMITnanoNews & Featuresoptical tweezersphotonicssortLasers

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