Method and apparatus for rapid particle manipulation and characterization

A method for rapid particle transportation, separation, focusing, characterization, and or release comprising:

• providing a continuous conducting wire;
• providing a medium in contact with said continuous conducting wire that is less conductive than said wire;
• providing a fluid in contact with said continuous conducting wire and said medium;
• and
• applying an alternating current across said continuous conducting wire with via a source electrically connected to the continuous conducting wire by at least two leads with a frequency between approximately 100 hertz and approximately 10 megahertz, inclusive and an RMS voltage between 0.1 volts and 3000 volts, inclusive so that said continuous conducting wire creates an electric field for transporting, separating, focusing, characterizing and/or releasing particles contained in said medium wherein the source is not connected to any other conductive material.

A method for focusing a first subset of particles within a mixture of particles, comprising:

• providing a continuous conducting wire;
• providing a medium in contact with said continuous conducting wire that is less conductive than said wire;
• providing a fluid in contact with said continuous conducting wire and said medium;
• and
• a first focusing step comprising:
• applying an alternating current across said continuous conducting wire via a source electrically connected to the continuous conducting wire by at least two leads with a frequency between approximately 100 hertz and approximately 10 megahertz and a RMS voltage between approximately 0.1 volts and approximately 3000 volts so that said continuous conducting wire creates an electric field that focuses a first subset of particles within a first region of said fluid wherein the source is not connected to any other conductive material.