Process for sorting motile particles from lesser-motile particles and apparatus suitable therefor
OwnerShuichi Takayama, Gary D. Smith +2inventors
InventorsShuichi Takayama, Gary D. Smith, Timothy G. Schuster, Brenda S. Cho
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Abstract
Motile particles are sorted from non-motile particles in a microfluidic sorting device wherein a stream of sort fluid containing motile and non-motile particles is caused to flow adjacent a media stream in non-turbulent fashion through a sort channel, during which flow motile particles cross the interface between the adjacent flow streams, entering the media stream, and forming a motile particle-depleted sort stream. The sorting devices are easily and inexpensively fabricated and have numerous uses, in particular sorting of motile from non-motile sperm.
Claims21
A method for sorting motile particles from lesser motile and/or non-motile particles, comprising:
- a) providing a sort fluid comprising motile particles and at least one of lesser motile particles or non-motile particles;
- b) providing a media fluid to be enriched with motile particles;
- c) contacting a stream of said sort fluid and a stream of said media fluid within a sort channel of a sorting device, said sort fluid stream and said media fluid stream having therebetween a non-turbulent interface within said sort channel,
- whereby motile particles leave the sort fluid stream and enter the media fluid stream, forming a motile particle-depleted sort fluid stream and a motile particle-enriched media fluid stream, and
- d) separating a motile particle-depleted sort fluid outlet stream from a motile particle-enriched media fluid outlet stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.