# US 10,024,819 B2 · Microfluidics with wirelessly powered electronic circuits

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- Number: US 10,024,819 B2
- Document ID: US10024819B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/880,973
- Filed: 2011-10-21
- Published: 2014-03-06
- Granted: 2018-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2010-10-21
- Assignees: The Regents of the University of California; Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation of Sunchon National University
- Applicants: Yu-Hwa Lo; Wen Qiao; Gyoujin Cho; Hwiwon Kang
- Inventors: Yu-Hwa Lo; Wen Qiao; Gyoujin Cho; Hwiwon Kang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10024819B2

## CPC

- G01N 27/44704: {Details; Accessories}
- B01J 19/0093: {Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors (laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027)}
- B01L 3/502761: {specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads or physically stretching molecules}
- B01L 3/502776: {specially adapted for focusing or laminating flows}
- B01J 2219/00853: Employing electrode arrangements
- B01J 2219/00912: by electrophoresis
- B01L 3/502715: {characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces}
- B01L 2200/0652: Sorting or classification of particles or molecules
- B01L 2200/0668: Trapping microscopic beads
- B01L 2200/10: Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
- B01L 2200/12: Specific details about manufacturing devices
- B01L 2300/022: Transponder chips
- B01L 2300/023: Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using Bluetooth®
- B01L 2300/0645: Electrodes
- B01L 2300/0822: Slides
- B01L 2300/0887: Laminated structure
- B01L 2400/0421: electrophoretic flow
- B01L 2400/0424: Dielectrophoretic forces
- G01N 2015/1422: {Electrical focussing}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE

## Abstract

Techniques, devices and systems are described for incorporating a printed circuit with a microfluidic device and wirelessly powering the microfluidic device. In one aspect, a microfluidic device includes a substrate with a fluidic channel to provide a path for a fluid with particles. The fluidic channel includes fluid inlet and outlet. A pair of electrodes near the inlet and the outlet guides the particles toward a center of the fluidic channel using negative-dielectrophoresis (DEP) effect in response to an alternating current (AC) frequency voltage received at the pairs of electrodes. Additional pairs of electrodes are disposed along a border of the fluidic channel between the pairs of electrodes near the inlet and the outlet of the fluidic channel to isolate a subpopulation of the particles using positive and negative DEP effects in response to AC voltages of different frequencies received at different ones of the additional pairs of electrodes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A microfluidic device, comprising:
a fluidic channel in a substrate with an inlet to receive a fluid with particles suspended in the fluid and one or more sheath flow inlets to receive sheath flow;
at least one pair of DC electrodes positioned near the inlet, the at least one pair of DC electrodes configured to electrophoretically separate suspended particles when supplied with a direct current (DC) voltage;
pairs of AC electrodes arranged along the fluidic channel, the pairs of AC electrodes configured to sort the separated particles using one or more of a positive dielectrophoresis (DEP) effect and a negative dielectrophoresis effect when each of the different pairs of AC electrodes are supplied with alternating current (AC) voltages at different frequencies, wherein each pair of AC electrodes includes a circularly shaped electrode and a straight electrode, and wherein the particles experiencing the positive DEP effect are attracted to an edge of the circularly shaped electrodes, and particles experiencing the negative DEP effect are diverted toward paths between the circularly shaped electrodes;
a printed integrated circuit on the substrate configured to produce the AC voltages at the different frequencies, wherein the printed integrated circuit includes one or more active electronic devices; and
an inductor on the substrate configured to couple power from a wireless radio frequency (RF) signal emanating from an external transmitter to the integrated circuit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the fluidic channel has a free-flow design to allow the fluid to spread out transverse to a flow direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one pair of DC electrodes are configured to separate the particles into groups according to one or more of a charge, a shape, or a mass based on an electrophoretic (EP) effect.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein each of the pairs of AC electrodes is configured to receive an AC voltage that is different in frequency from at least another of the pairs of AC electrodes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein each of the pairs of AC electrodes has an asymmetric geometry.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein a gradient of an electric field is zero.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes one or more of a glass, a polymer, or a plastic.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the inductor comprises loops to inductively couple the power from the wireless RF signal to the integrated circuit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the inductor includes silver, and wherein the inductor is a printed inductor printed on the substrate using silver gravure ink.

### Claim 10

A method of sorting particles, comprising:
receiving a sample fluid with suspended particles at an inlet of a fluidic channel in a substrate and receiving a sheath flow at one or more sheath flow inlets;
electrophoretically separating the suspended particles by supplying at least one pair of direct current (DC) electrodes positioned near the inlet with a DC voltage;
sorting the separated particles via pairs of alternating current (AC) electrodes arranged along the fluidic channel, the sorting using one or more of a positive dielectrophoresis (DEP) effect and a negative dielectrophoresis effect, wherein each of the pairs of AC electrodes are supplied with AC voltages at different frequencies, wherein each pair of AC electrodes includes a circularly shaped electrode and a straight electrode, and wherein the particles experiencing the positive DEP effect are attracted to an edge of the circularly shaped electrodes, and particles experiencing the negative DEP effect are diverted toward paths between the circularly shaped electrodes;
producing the AC voltages at the different frequencies via a printed integrated circuit on the substrate, wherein the printed integrated circuit includes one or more active electronic devices; and
receiving a coupled power at an inductor on the substrate from a wireless radio frequency (RF) signal emanating from an external transmitter to the integrated circuit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of sorting particles of claim 10, wherein the fluidic channel has a free-flow design to allow the fluid sample to spread out transverse to a flow direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of sorting particles of claim 10, wherein the at least one pair of DC electrodes are configured to separate the particles into groups according to one or more of a charge, a shape, or a mass based on an electrophoretic (EP) effect.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of sorting particles of claim 10, wherein each of the pairs of AC of electrodes is configured to receive an AC voltage that is different in frequency from at least another of the pairs of AC electrodes.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of sorting particles of claim 10, wherein each of the pairs of AC electrodes has an asymmetric geometry.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of sorting particles of claim 10, wherein a gradient of an electric field is zero.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of sorting particles of claim 10, wherein the substrate includes one or more of a glass, a polymer, or a plastic.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The method of sorting particles of claim 10, wherein the inductor comprises loops to inductively couple the coupled power from the wireless RF signal to the integrated circuit.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The method of sorting particles of claim 10, wherein the inductor includes silver, and wherein the inductor is a printed inductor printed on the substrate using silver gravure ink.