Robust dielectrophoretic single-cell trap design using BEM

We study the robustness of single-cell dielectrophoretic traps against misalignment of the electrodes with respect to an ideal design. The study is done via computer simulations using the boundary element method. The traps studied are formed by two sets of four flat electrodes that are situated opposite to one another. As the misalignment of the top electrode set increases from 0 degrees to 15 degrees we observe a reduction of the average holding strength which depends on the electrode shape and the distance to the misaligned electrodes. Three different electrode shapes are considered: circles, squares, and strips. Although all three designs are fairly tolerant to misalignments in the studied range, square electrodes show the highest sensitivity to alignment errors and show a reduction of the holding force that reaches 16% for certain planes in the trap. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.