Tudor N. Buican

Automated single-cell manipulation and sorting by light trapping

Following the recently reported trapping of biological particles by finely focused laser beams, we report on the automated micromanipulation of cells and other microscopic particles by purely optical means as well as on a newly observed interaction between particles in the trapping beam. A simple instrument is described which allows single cells to be positioned with high accuracy, transported over several millimeters, and automatically sorted on the basis of their optical properties. These operations are performed inside a small enclosed chamber without mechanical contact or significant fluid flow. Potential applications of this technique in experimental cell biology are discussed.

New flow cytometric capabilities at the national flow cytometry resource

The authors provide a brief review of flow cytometry and a broad view of new flow cytometry technologies. A brief introduction to flow cytometry and cell sorting is provided along with a summary of current commercial capabilities. New developments designed to overcome current limitations are described in terms of capabilities and a characterization of their performance. New capabilities include Fourier transform flow cytometry, phase sensitive detection, digital data acquisition, data clustering algorithms, high speed sorting, and slit scanning. >

Optical trapping, cell manipulation and robotics

A new type of analytical and preparative cytometric instrument was developed. The instrument combines image analysis and machine vision with single cell and chromosome manipulation by means of optical trapping. A proof-of-principle instrument, OCAM, has the ability to locate and analyze biological particles inside an enclosed manipulation chamber, as well as the ability to move and position particles according to preprogrammed protocols. Preliminary results and potential biological applications of such a microrobot are discussed.

Thermal luminescence spectroscopy chemical imaging sensor.

The authors present a pseudo-active chemical imaging sensor model embodying irradiative transient heating, temperature nonequilibrium thermal luminescence spectroscopy, differential hyperspectral imaging, and artificial neural network technologies integrated together. We elaborate on various optimizations, simulations, and animations of the integrated sensor design and apply it to the terrestrial chemical contamination problem, where the interstitial contaminant compounds of detection interest (analytes) comprise liquid chemical warfare agents, their various derivative condensed phase compounds, and other material of a life-threatening nature. The sensor must measure and process a dynamic pattern of absorptive-emissive middle infrared molecular signature spectra of subject analytes to perform its chemical imaging and standoff detection functions successfully.