Systems and methods for transporting particles

• US 20060102525A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Moffat, Karen A., Floyd, Philip D., Noolandi, Jaan, Peeters, Eric, Volkel, Armin R., Bobrow, Daniel G., Kazmaier, Peter M., Anderson, Greg, McDougall, Maria, Biegelsen, David, Endicott, Fred
• Granted Patent: US 7,695,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/127.100
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 5/028 using travelling electric fields, i.e. travelling wave dielectrophoresis [TWD]

Abstract

Various particle transport systems and components for use in such systems are described. The systems utilize one or more traveling wave grids to selectively transport, distribute, separate, or mix different populations of particles. Numerous systems configured for use in two dimensional and three dimensional particle transport are described.

Claims

1. A traveling wave grid assembly adapted for multiple dimensional transport of particulates, the assembly comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of individually addressable electrodes disposed on the substrate; and

an electronic controller in communication with the electrodes and adapted to apply an electrical waveform to the electrodes and thereby produce a traveling wave along the substrate.

2. The traveling wave grid assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are point electrodes.

3. The traveling wave grid assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are located substantially uniformly over the substrate.

4. The traveling wave grid assembly of claim 1 wherein the substrate defines a via extending through the substrate.

5. The traveling wave grid assembly of claim 1 wherein the controller is adapted to apply an electrical waveform that produces a traveling wave that moves along the substrate in two dimensions.

6. A multi-channel traveling wave grid, the assembly comprising:

a member defining at least a first channel and a second channel, each of the first and second channels defining an entrance and an exit, the exits of each of the first and second channels providing access to a common region also defined in the member;

an electronic controller capable of providing voltage waveforms;

a first traveling wave grid extending within the first channel and in communication with the electronic controller;

a second traveling wave grid extending within the second channel and in communication with the electronic controller;

wherein upon operation of the electronic controller, at least one waveform is applied to the first and second traveling wave grids to thereby produce traveling waves along the first and second channels defined in the member.

7. The multi-channel traveling wave grid assembly of claim 6 wherein the first and second channels extend parallel to one another.

8. The multi-channel traveling wave grid assembly of claim 6 wherein the first and second channels extend non-parallel to one another.

9. The multi-channel traveling wave grid assembly of claim 6 wherein the member defines a third channel extending between an entrance and an exit, the exit providing access to the common region, the assembly further comprising:

a third traveling wave grid extending within the third channel and in communication with the electronic controller.

10. The multi-channel traveling wave grid assembly of claim 9 wherein the first, second, and third channels extend parallel to one another.

11. The multi-channel traveling wave grid of claim 9 wherein the first, second, and third channels extend radially outward from the common region defined in the member.

12. The multi-channel traveling wave grid of claim 9 wherein the member defines a fourth channel, the grid further comprising:

a fourth traveling wave grid extending within the fourth channel and in communication with the electronic controller.

13. The multi-channel traveling wave grid of claim 6 further comprising:

a central traveling wave grid extending within the common region, the central traveling wave grid being in communication with the electronic controller.

14. A multi-layer traveling wave grid assembly, the assembly comprising:

a first planar layer including a first traveling wave grid;

a second planar layer spaced from the first layer, the second layer including a second traveling wave grid;

wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer defines a via extending through the layer and the layer defining the via further including an electrode adapted to provide electrical communication across the layer.

15. The multi-layer assembly of claim 14 further comprising:

a third traveling wave grid for providing electrical communication between the first planar layer to the second planar layer.

16. The multi-layer assembly of claim 14 wherein the first layer defines a first aperture and the second layer defines a second aperture disposed in-line with the first aperture.

17. The multi-layer assembly of claim 14 further comprising at least one spacer extending between the first layer and the second layer.

18. The multi-layer assembly of claim 14 further comprising:

a third planar layer including a third traveling wave grid.

19. A method for selectively directing a particulate sample along one or more branches of a multi-branch traveling wave grid assembly, the method comprising:

providing a multi-branch traveling wave grid assembly including (i) a substrate, (ii) a common electrode region disposed on the substrate, (iii) a plurality of traveling wave electrode grid branches extending from the common electrode region, and (iv) at least one electronic controller in electrical communication with the common electrode region and the plurality of traveling wave electrode grid branches and adapted to induce traveling waves on the common electrode region and the plurality of traveling wave electrode grid branches;

applying a particulate sample on at least one of the common electrode region and one or more branches of the plurality of traveling wave electrode grid branches;

operating the at least one electronic controller to induce traveling waves upon selected regions of the common electrode region and one or more branches of the traveling wave electrode grid branches;

whereby at least a portion of the particulate sample is selectively directed along one or more branches of the multi-branch traveling wave grid assembly.

20. The method of claim 19 whereby the particulate sample is continuously directed from a first branch of the plurality of traveling wave electrode grid branches, to the common electrode region, the method further comprising:

diverting a portion of the particulate sample disposed in the common electrode region to a second branch of the plurality of traveling wave electrode grid branches.

21. A method for mixing different populations of particles in a multi-channel traveling wave grid assembly, the assembly including (i) a mixing region, (ii) a plurality of feed channels providing flow communication between a plurality of feed sources of different particle populations, each of the feed channels extending between the mixing region and a respective feed source and including a traveling wave grid, and (iii) an exit channel including a traveling wave grid, and (iv) an electronic controller in electrical communication with the traveling wave grids of the feed channel and the exit channel, the method comprising:

introducing a first population of particles to a first feed channel;

introducing a second population of particles to a second feed channel;

operating the electronic controller to thereby induce (i) an electrostatic traveling wave along the traveling wave grid of the first feed channel, and (ii) an electrostatic traveling wave along the traveling wave grid of the second feed channel, to thereby transport the first population of particles and the second population of particles to the mixing region at which the first and second populations of particles are mixed.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the mixing region includes a traveling wave grid, the method further comprising:

operating the electronic controller to thereby induce electrostatic traveling waves in the traveling wave grid of the mixing region and transport the mixed first and second populations of particles to the exit channel.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

operating the electronic controller to thereby induce electrostatic traveling waves in the traveling wave grid of the exit channel and transport the mixed first and second populations of particles through the exit channel.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the operating step is performed such that electrostatic traveling wave grids are concurrently induced in both the first feed channel and the second feed channel.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the operating step is performed such that the electrostatic traveling wave grids are sequentially induced in both the first feed channel and the second feed channel.

26. A method for displacing a localized group of particulates across a region of an electrode grid, the grid including (i) a substrate, (ii) a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate, and (iii) an electrical controller in operative communication with the plurality of electrodes and adapted to actuate one or more select electrodes, the method comprising:

depositing a group of particulates on the plurality of electrodes;

identifying a set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes adjacent the group of particulates; and

actuating the set of electrodes with the electrical controller to thereby displace the group of particulates.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the actuating step displaces the group of particulates to a first location on the plurality of electrodes, the method further comprising:

identifying a second set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes adjacent the group of particulates at the-first location; and

actuating the second set of electrodes with the electrical controller to thereby displace the group of particulates to a second location.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

depositing a second group of particulates on the plurality of electrodes;

identifying a set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes adjacent the second group of particulates; and

actuating the set of electrodes adjacent the second group of particulates with the electrical controller to thereby displace the second group of particulates.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the groups of particulates are displaced simultaneously.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the groups of particulates are displaced sequentially.