A hydrodynamic shuttling chip device comprising an array of single-cell trapping units, each of the single-cell trapping units comprising:
- (a) an incoming channel with length L1, width W1, and height H1, having an anterior end and a posterior end opposite to the anterior end, wherein the posterior end has a cell capture site for trapping at least one single cell;
- (b) a cell culture chamber with diameter M and depth D, located posterior to the cell capture site of the incoming channel and having a receiving site spaced apart from the capture site at a distance of g, the chamber having an interior space adapted for more than one single cell to attach, grow, proliferate, and/or migrate, and whereby the cell culture chamber is sized to enable cell spread, proliferation, and/or migration for more than 24 hours;
- (c) a trapping channel with length L2, width W2, height H2, located between the capture site and the receiving site and being in fluid connection with the incoming channel and the cell culture chamber;
- (d) a chamber channel with length L3, width W3, height H3, located posterior to and in fluidic connection with the cell culture chamber and having an anterior end and a posterior end opposite to the anterior end, the height H3 of the chamber channel being smaller than the depth D of the cell culture chamber;
- and
- (e) a by-pass channel with length L4, width W4, and height H4, located lateral to the incoming channel, the cell culture chamber and the chamber channel and having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end branching out from the incoming channel immediately prior to the capture site and the second end joining the chamber channel at the posterior end thereof, the width W4 and height H4 of the by-pass channel being greater than the width W2 and height H2 of the trapping channel;
- such that after a first cell is trapped in the trapping channel, a flow resistance of a path through the trapping channel is created causing a second cell, in the incoming channel, to move on a path through the by-pass channel;
- wherein in each column of the array:
- (i) the single-cell trapping units are in fluidic connection;
- (ii) the incoming channel of each unit, except the first unit, is in fluid connection with the chamber channel of an immediately upstream unit;
- and
- (iii) the by-pass channel of each unit, except the last unit, is in fluid connection with the incoming channel of an immediately downstream unit.