03-CA-191 Microfluidic device and method of locally concentrating electrically charged substances in a microfluidic device
First Claim
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1. ) A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a) a microfluidic circuit having an axis; and
b) an electric field generating means arranged to establish an electric field transverse to said axis within at least a section of said microfluidic circuit;
wherein said electric field generating means comprises;
i) a first semiconductor region having a first type of conductivity and a second semiconductor region having an opposite type of conductivity; and
ii) a voltage source for supplying a bias voltage between said first and said second semiconductor regions; and
iii) wherein at least said section of said microfluidic circuit is surrounded partly by said first semiconductor region and partly by said second semiconductor region.
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Abstract
A microfluidic device includes a microfluidic circuit, having an axis, and an electric field generator, arranged to establish an electric field (E) within at least a section of the microfluidic circuit, the electric field (E) being oriented transversally to the axis. The electric field is used to locally concentrate charged molecules, thus increasing the reaction rate.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. ) A microfluidic device, comprising:
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a) a microfluidic circuit having an axis; and
b) an electric field generating means arranged to establish an electric field transverse to said axis within at least a section of said microfluidic circuit;
wherein said electric field generating means comprises;
i) a first semiconductor region having a first type of conductivity and a second semiconductor region having an opposite type of conductivity; and
ii) a voltage source for supplying a bias voltage between said first and said second semiconductor regions; and
iii) wherein at least said section of said microfluidic circuit is surrounded partly by said first semiconductor region and partly by said second semiconductor region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. ) A method for increasing the concentration of electrically charged substances in a microfluidic device, comprising the steps of:
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a) applying an electrically charged substance to a microfluidic circuit of a microfluidic device, said microfluidic circuit having an axis wherein a first semiconductor region having a first type of conductivity and a second semiconductor region having an opposite type of conductivity partly surround said microfluidic circuit;
b) providing a bias voltage between said first and second semiconductor regions;
c) thereby establishing an electric field within at least a section of said microfluidic circuit, said electric field being oriented transversally to said axis, and thereby concentrating said electrically charged substance. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification