Team:TU Eindhoven/Modeling/Cell Encapsulation Modeling

Cell Encapsulation Modeling

The modeling group focused on the microfluidics. With the use of microfluidics the cells are separated into single droplets. However, this process is not very accurate. Sometimes the droplets do not contain the desired number of cells. This inaccuracy can be modeled with the help of a Poisson distribution. In this model an average number of cells per droplet can be defined (lambda). Lambda can be varied in order to choose a suitable average number of cells per droplet for the cell encapsulation device.

Figure 1. Poisson distribution for multiple lambdas.

This allows for the determination of the ratios between one cell:zero cells and one cell:two or more cells. Both of these have to be as high as possible for a specific lambda.

Figure 2. Ratio between one cell:zero cells or more cells

Based on these results a lambda of 0.3 was chosen for the microfluidic device. The Poisson distribution for different number of cells becomes then as follows.

Figure 3. Modeled Poisson distribution for a specific lambda of 0.3 together with vs. the experimental Poisson distribution based on a lambda of 0.3.

Click here to download the model

Bibliography

Mazutis, Linas, John Gilbert, W Lloyd Ung, David A Weitz, Andrew D Griffiths and John A Heyman. Single-cell analysis and sorting using droplet-based microfluidics. Nature protocols 8.5 (2013): 870-891.