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US 11,883,820 B2Granted
Microfluidic device and method of use
AssigneeApplied Cells Inc.
InventorYuchen Zhou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The current invention relates to the device and method to separate biological entities from a sample fluid by a microfluidic device. The claimed methods separate biological entities by differentiating the sizes of the biological entities with ultrasound modes. The claimed methods further utilize a multi-staged design that removes smaller size entities at earlier and wider sections and concentrates larger entities at later and narrower sections of a microfluidic channel.
Claims20
A device for separating biological entities from a sample fluid, the device comprising:
- a substrate including:
- a linear channel having a wide section with a first constant width, a narrow section with a second constant width, and a tapered transition section connecting a downstream end of said wide section to an upstream end of said narrow section;
- a first inlet connected to an upstream end of said wide section for introducing a buffer fluid into said linear channel;
- a first outlet connected to a downstream end of said narrow section;
- a second inlet for introducing said sample fluid into said wide section;
- a first pair of side channels connecting said second inlet to said upstream end of said wide section;
- a second outlet;
- and
- a second pair of side channels connecting said second outlet to said downstream end of said narrow section;
- and
- a means for generating ultrasound in a form of a standing wave in said sample and buffer fluids in said wide and narrow sections to separate said biological entities by size,
- wherein said first constant width is a first integer multiple of one-half wavelength of said standing wave, and said second constant width is a second integer multiple of one-half wavelength of said standing wave.
9 more elements
A device for separating biological entities from a sample fluid, the device comprising:
- a substrate including:
- a linear channel having an input end, an output end, a plurality of channel sections with different constant widths between said input and output ends, and one or more tapered transition sections with each tapered transition section interposed between two channel sections of said plurality of channel sections;
- a first inlet connected to said linear channel at said input end for introducing a buffer fluid into said linear channel;
- a second inlet for introducing said sample fluid into said linear channel;
- a first pair of side channels connecting said second inlet to said linear channel at said input end;
- a first outlet connected to said linear channel at said output end;
- a second outlet;
- and
- a second pair of side channels connecting said second outlet to said linear channel at said output end;
- and
- a means for generating ultrasound in a form of a standing wave in said sample and buffer fluids in said plurality of channel sections to separate said biological entities by size,
- wherein each of said plurality of channel sections has a constant width that is an integer multiple of one-half wavelength of said standing wave, and said plurality of channel sections become progressively narrower from said input end to said output end.
9 more elements
A method for separating biological entities from a sample fluid using a microfluidic device comprising the steps of:
- passing said sample fluid and a buffer fluid into a linear channel having an input end, an output end, a plurality of channel sections with different constant widths between said input and output ends, and one or more tapered transition sections with each tapered transition section interposed between two channel sections of said plurality of channel sections, wherein said buffer fluid flows along a center of said linear channel and said sample fluid flows along two side walls of said linear channel;
- generating ultrasound in a form of a standing wave in said sample and buffer fluids in said plurality of channel sections;
- passing a first group of said biological entities through a pair of side channels connected to one of said plurality of channel sections at a downstream end adjacent to one of said one or more tapered transition sections;
- and
- passing a second group of said biological entities to a second outlet connected to said output end,
- wherein said first group of said biological entities are smaller in physical size than said second group of said biological entities,
- and
- wherein said plurality of channel sections become progressively narrower from said input end to said output end.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.