Electroporation is the formation of reversible hydrophilic pores in the cell membrane under electric fields. Severity of electroporation is challenging to measure and quantify. An image analysis method is developed, and the initial results with a fabricated microfluidic device are reported. The microfluidic device contains integrated microchannels and coplanar interdigitated electrodes allowing low-voltage operation and low-power consumption. Noninvasive human buccal cell samples were specifically stained, and electroporation was induced. Captured image sequences were analyzed for pixel color ranges to quantify the severity of electroporation. The method can detect even a minor occurrence of electroporation and can perform comparative studies.

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