Concurrently\nProbing the Mechanical and Electrical\nCharacteristics of Living Cells via an Integrated Microdevice

The\nmechanical and electrical properties of cells serve as critical\nindicators of their physiological and pathological state. Currently,\ndistinct setups are required to measure the electrical and mechanical\nresponses of cells. In addition, most existing methods such as optical\ntrapping (OT) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are labor-intensive,\nexpensive, and low-throughput. Here, we developed a microdevice that\nintegrates automated cell trapping, deformation, and electric impedance\nspectroscopy to overcome these limitations. Our device enables parallel\naspiration of tens of trapped cells in a highly scalable manner by\nsimply adjusting the applied pressures, allowing for rapid probing\nof the dynamic viscoelastic properties of cells. Furthermore, embedded\nmicroelectrodes enable concurrent investigations of the electrical\nimpedance of the cells. Through testing on different cell types, our\nplatform demonstrated superior capabilities in comprehensive cell\ncharacterization and phenotyping, highlighting its great potential\nas a versatile tool for single cell analysis, drug screening, and\ndisease detection.