Method and apparatus for sorting particles using asymmetrical particle shifting
OwnerSteven H. Reichenbachinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method disperse particles suspended in a fluid with an obstacle field in the flow path of the fluid. The particles may be dispersed after an interaction with obstacles in the obstacle field. The obstacle-particle interactions may result in an asymmetrical particle shift in which the particles are dispersed in an asymmetrical manner relative to the obstacle and the fluid flow. The obstacle field may have a configuration that causes the particles suspended in the fluid to disperse in a differential manner in a direction perpendicular to the fluid flow.
Claims22
An apparatus for dispersing particles suspended in a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
- an obstacle field disposed in at least a portion of a flow field, wherein the obstacle field comprises obstacles that cause the particles suspended in the fluid to disperse in a differential manner with a direction deviating from the local fluid flow, further wherein the dispersion of the particles is caused by a localized asymmetrical interaction between the particles and individual obstacles that result in particles being shifted to one side of an obstacle or another, wherein the shift is substantially normal to the obstacle surface, and a magnitude of shift is asymmetrical with respect to the side of the obstacle from which the particle is being shifted, wherein the particle shifting is based on a property of at least some of the obstacles that cause the localized asymmetrical interaction.
A method for dispersing particles suspended in a fluid, the method comprising:
- providing a conduit including an inlet, an outlet, and an inner lumen extending from the inlet to the outlet;
- providing an obstacle field in at least a portion of the conduit, the obstacle field comprising at least some individual obstacles having a property that results in an asymmetrical interaction with individual particles;
- and
- injecting the fluid having the particles suspended therein into the inlet of the conduit, wherein the particles are asymmetrically dispersed by the obstacles in the obstacle field.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.