Hydrodynamic enhanced dielectrophoretic particle trapping
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorRobin R. Miles
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Hydrodynamic enhanced dielectrophoretic particle trapping carried out by introducing a side stream into the main stream to squeeze the fluid containing particles close to the electrodes producing the dielelectrophoretic forces. The region of most effective or the strongest forces in the manipulating fields of the electrodes producing the dielectrophoretic forces is close to the electrodes, within 100 μm from the electrodes. The particle trapping arrangement uses a series of electrodes with an AC field placed between pairs of electrodes, which causes trapping of particles along the edges of the electrodes. By forcing an incoming flow stream containing cells and DNA, for example, close to the electrodes using another flow stream improves the efficiency of the DNA trapping.
Claims16
In a sample preparation system using a fluidic channel and dielectrophoretic forces, the improvement comprising:
- hydrodynamic enhanced dielectrophoretic particle trapping.
In a system having at least one fluidic channel through which particle containing fluid is adapted to flow and having at least one pair of electrodes located adjacent surfaces of the fluidic channel for producing dielectrophoretic forces, the improvement comprising:
- means for forcing the particle containing fluid close to the electrodes.
A system for hydrodynamic enhanced dielectrophoretic trapping, comprising:
- a sample preparation apparatus having at least one fluid channel,
- at least one pair of spaced electrodes being located along a length of said at least one fluid channel, means for producing an electric field between said at least one pair of spaced electrodes,
- said at least one fluid channel having at least a pair of fluid inlets, one of said pair of fluid inlets being located downstream and in spaced relation to another of said pair of fluid inlets, and
- a side stream fluid adapted to be directed through said downstream fluid inlet and against an associated particle carrying fluid adapted to pass through said fluid channel such that such an associated particle carrying fluid is squeezed toward said pair of spaced electrodes, whereby particles in such an associated particle carrying fluid are trapped against one of said pair of electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.