Precision manipulation by an optically induced dielectrophoresis system based on an improved A-star algorithm

Cell manipulation using optically induced dielectrophoresis (ODEP) in a microfluidic system has drawn much attention due to its simplicity and being damage-free at the cellular level. Additionally, to improve its manipulation efficiency and accuracy, automatic manipulation methods have been applied in the ODEP system. However, the current automatic manipulation methods of ODEP rarely consider the impact of non-manipulated targets on cell manipulation, thereby reducing the operating efficiency and accuracy. Here, we propose a new, to our knowledge, automatic manipulation method of ODEP based on a path planning algorithm of the improved A-star. First, the maximum influence range of ODEP force generated by the virtual electrode was investigated by a numerical simulation, and it was also taken as the limit to expand the scope of the infeasible region in path planning to avoid the impact of the non-operational target on manipulation accuracy. Then, an improved A-star algorithm with target range constraints was proposed to optimize the manipulation path and improve the operation efficiency. Finally, experiments on cell separation were also carried out to validate the feasibility of the proposed automatic manipulation method. This work provides an automated method to improve the accuracy of ODEP manipulation, which is of great significance to further promote the application of ODEP in cell manipulation.