Electric field gradient focusing device

A system for particle separation comprising:

• an electric field gradient focusing device comprising:
• a fluidic channel having an inlet and an outlet for a fluid;
• a first actuator comprising a first plurality of electrodes adjacent to the fluidic channel;
• a second actuator comprising a second plurality of electrodes adjacent to the fluidic channel;
• and
• a plurality of pairs of side-chambers and a first array of semi-permeable membranes along a first wall of the fluidic channel and a second array of semi-permeable membranes along a second wall of the fluidic channel, the first wall and the second wall arranged on opposite sides of the fluidic channel, wherein the plurality of pairs of side-chambers are arranged such that a first side-chamber of a pair of side-chambers is connected to the first wall of the fluidic channel by a respective semi-permeable membrane of the first array of semi-permeable membranes, wherein a second side-chamber of the pair of side-chambers is connected to the second wall at a same position longitudinally along the fluidic channel as the first side-chamber by a respective semi-permeable membrane of the second array of semi-permeable membranes, wherein each semi-permeable membrane is conductive to ions, and wherein the second actuator comprises a pair of electrodes of the second plurality of electrodes in each of the plurality of pairs of side-chambers;
• a fluidic input configured to provide a fluid comprising a mixture of charged particles comprising a first charged particle;
• and
• a controller comprising one or more processors that are operatively coupled to the first plurality of electrodes of the first actuator and to the second plurality of electrodes of the second actuator and that are configured to:
• (i) apply an AC voltage across the first plurality of electrodes of the first actuator, thereby inducing a fluid flow in the fluidic channel via electroosmosis and (ii) apply a DC voltage across the second plurality of electrodes of the second actuator, thereby generating a nonuniform DC electric field gradient longitudinally along at least part of the fluidic channel.

A system for particle separation comprising:

• an electric field gradient focusing device comprising:
• a fluidic channel having an inlet and an outlet for a fluid;
• a first actuator comprising a first plurality of electrodes adjacent to the fluidic channel;
• an AC voltage source that is operatively coupled to the first plurality of electrodes of the first actuator and configured to apply an AC voltage across the first plurality of electrodes of the first actuator, thereby inducing fluidic flow in the fluidic channel via electroosmosis;
• a second actuator comprising a second plurality of electrodes adjacent to the fluidic channel;
• a DC voltage source that is operatively coupled to the second plurality of electrodes of the second actuator and configured to apply a DC voltage across the second plurality of electrodes of the second actuator, thereby inducing a DC electric field gradient longitudinally along at least part of the fluidic channel;
• a side-chamber having an inlet and an outlet for a fluid, wherein the side-chamber extends longitudinally along a length of the fluidic channel;
• and
• a semi-permeable membrane that extends longitudinally along the length of the fluidic channel, separating the fluidic channel from the side-chamber;
• a first fluidic input configured to provide a first fluid comprising a mixture of charged particles comprising a first charged particle and a first concentration of an ion to the inlet of the fluidic channel;
• and
• a second fluidic input configured to provide a second fluid to the inlet of the side-chamber, wherein the second fluid has a second concentration of the ion that is less than the first concentration of the ion in the first fluid and wherein providing the second fluid to the inlet of the side-chamber induces a gradient in concentration of the ion in the fluidic channel along at least a portion of the fluidic channel such that the DC electric field gradient along the portion of the fluidic channel is nonuniform, wherein the gradient in concentration of the ion is induced by ions from the fluidic channel passing through the semi-permeable membrane that connects the side-chamber to the fluidic channel, and wherein the semi-permeable membrane is not permeable to the first charged particle.