Optical peristaltic pumping with optical traps
AssigneeThe University of Chicago
InventorsDavid G. Grier, Sven Holger Behrens
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Abstract
A method of use for holographic optical traps or gradients in which repetitive cycling of a small number of appropriately designed arrays of traps are used for general and very complex manipulations of particles and volumes of matter. Material transport results from a process resembling peristaltic pumping, with the sequence of holographically-defined trapping or holding manifolds resembling the states of a physical peristaltic pump.
Claims34
A method of transferring a particle between manifolds of optical traps, comprising the steps of:
- providing a beam of laser light;
- dividing the beam of laser light into a plurality of additional beams of laser light;
- focusing the additional beams of laser light to establish a plurality of optical traps;
- providing first, second, and third patterns including a plurality of sequentially spaced manifolds, each manifold comprising at least one optical trap from the beams of laser light with the first, second, and third patterns arranged such that the manifolds comprising each pattern are separated by a manifold of each of the other patterns;
- and
- sequentially illuminating and extinguishing each of the patterns using the beams of laser light at intervals close enough after the extinguishing of the previous pattern to capture and transfer the particle from one manifold to the a adjacent manifold, wherein the capture and transfer of the particle causes the particle to travel from the one manifold on the one pattern to the next adjacent manifold on the same pattern.
A method of manipulating a plurality of particles using a beam of laser light, comprising the steps of:
- providing a beam of laser light;
- dividing the beam of laser light into a plurality of additional beams of laser light;
- focusing the additional beams of laser light to establish a plurality of optical traps;
- providing a plurality of interwoven patterns each comprising at least one manifold, each manifold including at least one optical trap with the beams of laser light and located adjacent to manifolds of other patterns;
- sequentially illuminating and extinguishing each pattern using the beams of light at intervals close enough after the extinguishing of the previous pattern to capture a particle in the plurality of particles, wherein the particle travels from a manifold on one pattern to the next adjacent manifold.
An apparatus for manipulating a plurality of particles, comprising:
- a beam of laser light divided into a plurality of additional beams of laser light, the additional beams of laser light establishing a plurality of optical traps;
- first, second, and third patterns including a plurality of sequentially spaced manifolds, each of the manifolds comprising an optical trap formed from the beams of laser light, the first, second, and third patterns arranged such that the manifolds of each of the patterns are separated by a manifold of each of the other patterns;
- and
- means for sequentially illuminating and extinguishing each pattern using the beams of light at intervals close enough after the extinguishing of the previous pattern captures and transfers a particle from one manifold to the next adjacent manifold, and wherein the capture and transfer of the particle causes the particle to travel from the one manifold on the first pattern to the next manifold of the same pattern.
A method of transferring a plurality of particles between manifolds of deterministic optical gradients, comprising the steps of:
- providing a beam of laser light;
- focusing the laser light to establish a plurality of deterministic optical gradients;
- providing first, second, and third patterns including a plurality of sequentially spaced manifolds, each manifold comprising at least one optical gradient from the laser light with the first, second, and third patterns arranged such that the manifolds comprising each pattern are separated by a manifold of each of the other patterns;
- and
- sequentially illuminating and extinguishing each of the patterns using the laser light at intervals close enough after the extinguishing of the previous pattern to capture and transfer individual particles from one manifold to the adjacent manifold, wherein the capture and transfer of each particle causes each particle to travel from the one manifold on the one pattern to the next adjacent manifold on the same pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.