Microfluidic device for the assembly and transport of microparticles
AssigneeSandia Corporation
InventorsConrad D. James, Anil Kumar, Boris Khusid, Andreas Acrivos
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microfluidic device comprising independently addressable arrays of interdigitated electrodes can be used to assembly and transport large-scale microparticle structures. The device and method uses collective phenomena in a negatively polarized suspension exposed to a high-gradient strong ac electric field to assemble the particles into predetermined locations and then transport them collectively to a work area for final assembly by sequentially energizing the electrode arrays.
Claims15
A microfluidic device for assembling and transporting microparticles, comprising:
- a channel formed on a substrate for flow of a fluid therein, the fluid comprising a negatively polarizable suspension of microparticles in a liquid;
- at least two arrays of independently addressable electrodes disposed successively in the channel;
- means for applying ac voltages of different magnitudes to the at least two arrays of independently addressable electrodes to generate a high-gradient electric field within the channel, thereby causing the microparticles to concentrate in regions of low field strength in the channel;
- and
- means for moving the high-gradient electric field within the channel by sequencing the application of the ac voltages of different magnitudes to the at least two arrays of independently addressable electrodes.
A method for assembling and transporting microparticles, comprising:
- providing a microfluidic device for assembling and transporting microparticles, wherein the microfluidic device comprises:
- a channel formed on a substrate for flow of a fluid therein, the fluid comprising a negatively polarizable suspension of microparticles in a liquid;
- at least two arrays of independently addressable electrodes disposed in the channel wherein the electrodes of the at least two arrays are configured successively in the channel;
- and
- means for applying ac voltages of different magnitudes to the at least two arrays of independently addressable electrodes to generate a high-gradient electric field within the channel;
- applying different voltages to the at least two arrays thereby causing the microparticles to assemble in regions of low field strength in the channel;
- and
- sequencing the application of the ac voltages of different magnitudes to the at least two arrays, thereby causing the microparticles to be transported to sequenced regions of low field strength in the channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.