On-chip Method to Measure Elastic Property of Single Cell Using Large Compressive Deformation Model

Abstract

This paper proposes a method to measure cellular elasticity on a microfluidic chip using large compressive deformation model. In our previous researches, we succeeded in improving accuracy and sensitivity of measurement devices using piezoelectric actuator and sampling moire method. However, there still were some problems on the analysis of mechanical properties of cell. Conventional studies employed Hertzian Contact Theory, which could be utilized in quite limited area of cell compression. Therefore, this theory could not be adaptive to on-chip measurement system based on uniaxial large compression mechanism. In this research, we introduce a large compressive deformation model to illustrate elastic behavior of single cell in detail. This is naturally extended model of Hertzian Contact Theory, and in good accordance with the experimental data. Using iterative least square estimation method, we succeed in demonstrating elasticity measurement based on the new model.