3D Electrode Array Layout for Low-Voltage High-Throughput Electroporation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electroporation techniques using parallel-plate electrodes require high voltages, causing cell damage, and three-dimensional electrodes are not suitable for high-throughput experiments with suspended or attached cells, leading to inefficient and potentially harmful electroporation processes.
Innovation Solution
A high-density distributed three-dimensional electrode device with a structured electrode array and polarity grouping, employing equilateral polygon arrangements and alternating polarities to create a homogeneous electric field, reducing cell death and increasing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If parallel-plate electrodes are used for electroporation, then a homogeneous electric field can be formed, but high voltage (several thousand volts) is required causing cathode effect and cell damage
Solution Approach 1:
The single parallel-plate electrode structure is segmented into multiple small-diameter electrodes (0.1-1.0mm) arranged in arrays. This segmentation allows the system to maintain electric field homogeneity while reducing the voltage requirement from several thousand volts to lower levels, thereby eliminating the harmful cathode effect and reducing cell damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from two-dimensional parallel-plate electrodes to three-dimensional electrode arrays with electrodes distributed in space. This dimensional change enables better electric field distribution and reduces the voltage requirement while maintaining field homogeneity, solving the contradiction between field quality and cell safety.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If planar electrodes are used to reduce voltage, then cell damage is reduced, but throughput is very low and cannot process large amounts of cells
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple small-diameter electrodes are merged into a unified electrode array structure that can process large volumes of cell suspension simultaneously. This combining approach maintains the low-voltage advantage of planar electrodes while achieving high throughput by processing millions of cells in parallel through the multi-electrode configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the electrode diameter parameter to a small range (0.1-1.0mm) and optimizes the spacing (0.5-2.0mm) to achieve both low voltage operation and high cell processing capacity. This parameter optimization allows the system to maintain reduced cell damage while significantly increasing throughput compared to traditional planar electrodes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If three-dimensional electrodes are used for tissue electroporation, then penetration into tissues is achieved, but electroporation efficiency is not high and unsuitable for suspended cells
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode array provides different local configurations suitable for different applications. The same basic array structure can be adapted for both tissue electroporation (utilizing the 3D penetration capability) and suspended cell electroporation (utilizing the homogeneous field distribution), thereby achieving both adaptability and reliability across different cell types and experimental conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device achieves high-throughput, low-voltage electroporation with reduced cell mortality by compensating for electric field unevenness, suitable for both pore plate and flow devices, and ensuring optimal electroporation conditions for suspended and adherent cells.
Implementation Method 1
exposing a cell to a short-lasted high-voltage electric field may enable formation of pathways through the cell membrane, and macromolecules such as proteins and DNAs may enter into the cell through those pathways. Those pathways are referred as electroporation pores
Implementation Method 2
a substantially homogeneous electric field may be formed between the electrodes opposite to each other. However, the distance between the parallel-plate electrodes is large, the required voltage is usually up to several thousand volts, thus generating of cathode effect is inevasible, which has a huge damage to the cells.
Data Source
AI summary
A high-density distributed three-dimensional electrode device and an associated electroporation method is provided. The method includes applying an electric pulse of a first polarity to a first group of electrodes while simultaneously applying an electrical pulse of a second polarity to a remaining group of electrodes, and then applying an electric pulse of the first polarity on a second group of electrodes while simultaneously applying an electric pulse of the second polarity to the remaining groups of electrodes. The electrodes receiving the electric pulse of the first polarity being surrounded by the electrodes receiving the electric pulse of the second polarity, and the first polarity and the second polarity are opposite.