METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAGNETIC MIXING IN MICRON SIZE DROPLETS
First Claim
1. A method for mixing one or more substances in a droplet by inducing advective motion in said droplet, comprising the steps ofadding magnetic or magnetizable particles to said droplet, andapplying a magnetic field to said droplet so as to cause said particles to move in a manner that induces advective motion within said droplet, thereby mixing said one or more substances in said droplet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Active mixing by magnetic stirring is demonstrated inside a picoliter-size liquid droplet. Magnetic microspheres are added to the droplet, which form aligned chains under the influence of a homogeneous magnetic field. When the magnetic field is rotated, the chains also rotate synchronously. Viscous interaction between the particle-chains and the liquid induces advective motion inside the droplet thereby enhancing mixing which is otherwise diffusion-limited. The concept can be effectively used to create a lab-in-a-droplet for MEMS (Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems) and Bio-MEMS applications.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for mixing one or more substances in a droplet by inducing advective motion in said droplet, comprising the steps of
adding magnetic or magnetizable particles to said droplet, and applying a magnetic field to said droplet so as to cause said particles to move in a manner that induces advective motion within said droplet, thereby mixing said one or more substances in said droplet.
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10. A method for mixing one or more substances in a droplet, comprising the steps of:
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adding magnetic or magnetizable particles to said droplet; exposing said droplet to a magnetic field strong enough to cause said particles to form chain-like structures aligned with the magnetic field; and rotating said magnetic field so that said chain-like structures rotate synchronously with the magnetic field, thereby mixing said one or more substances in said droplet. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for mixing one or more substances in a droplet, comprising:
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means for adding magnetic or magnetizable particles to said droplet; means for exposing said droplet to a magnetic field strong enough to cause said particles to form chain-like structures aligned with the magnetic field; and means for rotating said magnetic field so that said chain-like structures rotate synchronously with the magnetic field, thereby mixing said one or more substances in said droplet. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification