Method and apparatus for the processing and/or analysis and/or selection of particles, in particular biological particles
AssigneeMenarini Silicon Biosystems S.p.A.
InventorNicolò Manaresi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are described for the processing particles in which the particles suspended in a first fluid are introduced under laminar flow conditions into at least one first microchamber or first region, in which a second fluid is introduced under laminar flow conditions into at least one second region or second microchamber, in such a way as not to mix with the first fluid, and in which at least one field of force acting on the particles is activated in the microchamber(s), to provoke a shift of the particles alone in a predetermined direction and to transfer the same in suspension into the second fluid.
Claims9
A method for carrying out complex experimental protocols on particles kept suspended in a fluid, comprising:
- (i) introducing said particles suspended in a first process fluid into a first region of space delimited by a first microchamber;
- (ii) activating at least one first non-uniform field of force acting exclusively on said particles to shift said particles only into a second process fluid contained in a second region of space delimited by a second microchamber so as to suspend said particles in the second process fluid;
- (iii) activating at least one second non-uniform field of force acting exclusively on said particles to shift said particles only back into the first process fluid contained in the first region of space, wherein:
- the first and second process fluids are in a condition of stationary state when activating the at least one first and second non-uniform fields of force and remain substantially immobile during shifting of the particles,
- the first and second process fluids are different process fluids, and
- the second process fluid interacts with said particles.
A method for realizing particles having a complex predetermined structure starting from first particles with a simple structure, comprising:
- (i) introducing said first particles suspended in a first process fluid contained in a first microchamber;
- (ii) activating at least one first non-uniform field of force acting exclusively on said first particles to shift only said first particles with the simple structure into a second process fluid confined contained in a second microchamber so as to suspend said first particles in the second process fluid;
- and
- (iii) repeating n number of times activating at least one F2-Fn non-uniform field of force acting exclusively on said first particles to shift said first particles to L3-Ln process fluids contained in CH3-CHn microchamber arranged in sequence, until said first particles are suspended in a final process fluid, wherein said first particles are contacted by a plurality of different process fluids in which they are/have been suspended, at least some of said process fluids being able to interact with said first particles in a way selected from the group consisting of:
- coating, growing, and soaking.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.