Particle manipulation in an ultrasonic field
AssigneePublic Health Laboratory Service Board
InventorGlenn Whitworth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ultrasonic field is used to manipulate biological cells or other particles in fluid suspension. A cavity is bounded by a thin plastics wall and excitation is confined to a single acoustic mode to displace the cells radially. The resulting column of cells can be transported more easily than the radially diffuse bands produced in earlier apparatus.
Claims23
Apparatus adapted for manipulation of particles in an ultrasonic field, comprising a chamber containing the particles in fluid suspension, the chamber being at least in part defined by a cylindrical pressure-release wall acoustic transducer means adapted to generate an acoustic wave, with an acoustic wavelength, along the cylindrical axis through excitation of a single acoustic mode;
- and transducer drive means, the arrangement being such that on excitation, the particles are radially displaced symmetrically of the cylindrical axis wherein the mean dimension of the cylindrical wall perpendicular to the cylindrical axis is greater than five times said acoustic wavelength.
Apparatus adapted for manipulation of particles in an ultrasonic field, comprising a chamber for containing the particles in fluid suspension, the chamber being at least in part defined by a cylindrical pressure release wall provided by a tube of plastics or rubber having a wall thickness of 1 mm or less;
- acoustic transducer means adapted to generate an acoustic wave along the cylindrical axis through excitation of a single acoustic mode:
- and transducer drive means, the arrangement being such that on excitation the particles are radially displaced symmetrically of the cylindrical axis.
Apparatus adapted for manipulation of particles in an ultrasonic field, comprising a chamber for containing the particles in fluid suspension, the chamber being at least in part defined by a cylindrical pressure release wall provided by a plastics membrane of wall thickness of 100 .mu.m or less;
- acoustic transducer means adapted to generate an acoustic wave along the cylindrical axis through excitation of a single acoustic mode:
- and transducer drive means, the arrangement being such that on excitation the particles are radially displaced symmetrically of the cylindrical axis.
Apparatus adapted for manipulation of particles in an ultrasonic field, comprising a chamber for containing the particles in fluid suspension, the chamber being at least in part defined by a cylindrical pressure release wall provided by a cylindrical cavity within a body of closed cell foam;
- acoustic transducer means adapted to generate an acoustic wave along the cylindrical axis through excitation of a single acoustic mode;
- and transducer drive means, the arrangement being such that on excitation the particles are radially displaced symmetrically of the cylindrical axis.
A method for the manipulation of particles in an ultrasonic field, comprising the steps of positioning the particles in fluid suspension within a cylindrical pressure-release wall;
- and generating an acoustic wave along the cylindrical axis through excitation of a single acoustic mode, such that the particles are radially displaced symmetrically of the cylindrical axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.