The basic physical principles of dielectrophoresis and its application to sensing microscopic particles are described. The technique requires the application of high AC electric fields between two or more electrodes. An overview of the design and fabrication, using conventional semiconductor device fabrication techniques of electrode cells suitable for microbiological sensing, is presented, along with details of measurement systems. Finally, several applications of dielectrophoretic sensing to microbiology are reviewed.

Inspec keywords: electrochemical electrodes; biosensors; reviews; electrophoresis; microorganisms; electrochemical sensors

Other keywords: dielectrophoretic sensors; microscopic particles sensing; microbiological applications; rapid on-line sensing; physical principles; high AC electric fields; electrode cells; electrode configuration

Subjects: Biosensors