Method and apparatus for programmable fluidic processing
AssigneeBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsFrederick F. Becker, Peter Gascoyne, Xiaobo Wang, Jody Valentine Vykoukal, Giovanni De Gasperis
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for microfluidic processing by programmably manipulating a packet. A material is introduced onto a reaction surface and compartmentalized to form a packet. A position of the packet is sensed with a position sensor. A programmable manipulation force is applied to the packet at the position. The programmable manipulation force is adjustable according to packet position by a controller. The packet is programmably moved according to the programmable manipulation force along arbitrarily chosen paths.
Claims37
An apparatus for programmably manipulating a plurality of packets, said apparatus comprising:
- a reaction surface configured to provide an interaction site for said packets;
- an inlet port coupled to said reaction surface and configured to introduce said packets onto said reaction surface;
- means for generating programmable manipulation forces upon said packets, said forces selected from the group consisting of dielectrophoretic and electrophoretic forces, the forces capable of programmably moving said packets about said reaction surface along arbitrarily chosen paths;
- a position sensor coupled to said reaction surface and configured to track positions of individual packets on said reaction surface;
- and
- a controller coupled to said means for generating programmable manipulation forces and to said position sensor, said controller configured to adjust said programmable manipulation forces according to said positions so that said packets move along said arbitrarily chosen paths.
An apparatus for microfluidic processing by programmably manipulating packets, said apparatus comprising:
- a reaction surface configured to provide an interaction site for said packets;
- an inlet port coupled to said reaction surface and configured to introduce said packets onto said reaction surface;
- an array of driving electrodes coupled to said reaction surface and configured to generate programmable manipulation forces upon said packets to direct said microfluidic processing by moving said packets along arbitrarily chosen paths;
- and
- an array of impedance sensing electrodes coupled to said reaction surface and configured to track positions of individual packets during said microfluidic processing.
An apparatus for processing packets in a partitioning medium, said apparatus comprising:
- a chamber configured to contain said packets and said partitioning medium;
- a programmable dielectrophoretic array coupled to said chamber and configured to generate a programmable dielectrophoretic force to direct processing of said packets;
- and
- an impedance sensing array of electrodes integral with said programmable dielectrophoretic array, said impedance sensing array of electrodes configured to track positions of individual packets within said chamber.
A method for manipulating a plurality of packets, comprising:
- providing a reaction surface, an inlet port coupled to said reaction surface, means for generating programmable manipulation forces upon said packets, a position sensor coupled to said reaction surface, and a controller coupled to said means for generating programmable manipulation forces and to said position sensor;
- introducing one or more materials onto said reaction surface with said inlet port;
- compartmentalizing said one or more materials to form said packets;
- tracking positions of individual packets with said position sensor;
- applying programmable manipulation forces on one or more of said packets with said means for generating programmable manipulation forces, said programmable manipulation forces selected from the group consisting of dielectrophoretic and electrophoretic forces and being adjustable according to said positions by said controller;
- and
- programmably moving one or more of said packets according to said programmable manipulation forces along arbitrarily chosen paths.
A method of fluidic processing, said method comprising:
- providing a reaction surface, an inlet port coupled to said reaction surface, an array of driving electrodes coupled to said reaction surface, and an array of impedance sensing electrodes coupled to said reaction surface;
- introducing one or more materials onto said reaction surface with said inlet port;
- compartmentalizing said one or more materials to form a plurality of packets;
- applying a sensing signal to one or more of said impedance sensing electrodes to determine a position of one or more of said plurality of packets;
- and
- applying a driving signal to one or more of said driving electrodes to generate a programmable manipulation force on one or more of said plurality of packets at said position;
- and
- interacting one or more of said plurality of packets according to said programmable manipulation force.
A method for manipulating one or more packets on a reaction surface, comprising:
- providing a programmable dielectrophoretic array coupled to said reaction surface and an impedance sensing array of electrodes integral with said programmable dielectrophoretic array;
- introducing a material onto said reaction surface;
- compartmentalizing said material to form said one or more packets;
- specifying a path upon said reaction surface;
- applying a programmable manipulation force with said programmable dielectrophoretic array on said one or more packets to move said one or more packets along said path;
- sensing a position of said one or more packets with said impedance sensing array of electrodes;
- monitoring whether said position corresponds to said path;
- and
- interacting said one or more packets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.