Tunable, sheathless, and three dimensional single-stream cell focusing and sorting in high speed flows
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsYU-CHUN KUNG, PEI-YU E. CHIOU
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Abstract
In various embodiments methods and devices are provided for focusing and/or sorting particles and/or cells in a microfluidic channel. In certain embodiments the device comprises a microfluidic channel comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed to provide dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces that are perpendicular to hydrodynamic flows along the channel; wherein said device is configured to apply voltages to said electrodes to provide an electric field minimum that is not centered in said microfluidic channel.
Claims42
A device for focusing cells, viruses, particles, molecules or molecular complexes in a microfluidic channel, said device comprising:
- a microfluidic channel comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed on surfaces of said channel to provide three-dimensional spatially tunable tunnel electric field minimum for dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces that are perpendicular to hydrodynamic flows along the channel;
- and
- a fluid within said channel providing said hydrodynamic flow along said channel;
- wherein said device is configured to apply voltages to said electrodes to provide an spatially adjustable electric field minimum or electric field pattern that is programmable by the voltage combinations on each electrodes.
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A device for sorting cells, viruses, particles, molecules or molecular complexes, said device comprising:
- a microfluidic channel comprising:
- a first region comprising a first plurality of electrodes disposed to provide dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces that are perpendicular to hydrodynamic flows along the first region of said channel;
- and
- a second region downstream from said first region comprising a second plurality of electrodes disposed to provide dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces that are perpendicular to hydrodynamic flows along the second region of said channel;
- a fluid within said channel providing said hydrodynamic flow along said channel;
- and
- wherein said device is configured to apply voltages to first plurality of electrodes to provide an electric field minimum at a first location in the cross-section of said channel and to apply voltages to said second plurality of electrodes to provide an electric field minimum at a second location in the cross-section of said channel, where said first location and said second location are different locations in the cross-section of said channel.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.