Apparatus and method for continuous particle separation
First Claim
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1. A continuous flow fluidic particle separation device, comprising:
- a sample input;
a carrier fluid input;
a plurality of separation areas in fluid connection with the sample input, adapted to separate particles having a size equal to or greater than a critical size from particles having a size less than the critical size in a fluid sample, wherein the critical size for each separation area is different, and wherein particles having a size less than the critical size and particles having at least the critical size in a separation area move in different directions;
at least one non-clogging pathway in fluid connection with the carrier fluid input, adapted to accept separated particles from at least one of the separation areas;
a sample output in fluid connection with the separation areas; and
at least one alternate output in fluid connection with the non-clogging pathway, wherein when a heterogeneous fluid sample containing particles to be separated by size is introduced into the device through the sample input, and a carrier fluid is introduced into the device through the carrier fluid input;
the fluid sample passes through the separation areas;
the carrier fluid passes through the non-clogging pathway in contact with the fluid sample in the separation areas;
no mixing other than diffusion occurs between the liquids; and
particles separated in the separation areas pass into the carrier fluid.
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Abstract
The invention is directed to an apparatus and a method of separating particles, such as cells, from a heterogeneous fluid, such as blood, where the particles have a large range of sizes.
105 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A continuous flow fluidic particle separation device, comprising:
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a sample input;
a carrier fluid input;
a plurality of separation areas in fluid connection with the sample input, adapted to separate particles having a size equal to or greater than a critical size from particles having a size less than the critical size in a fluid sample, wherein the critical size for each separation area is different, and wherein particles having a size less than the critical size and particles having at least the critical size in a separation area move in different directions;
at least one non-clogging pathway in fluid connection with the carrier fluid input, adapted to accept separated particles from at least one of the separation areas;
a sample output in fluid connection with the separation areas; and
at least one alternate output in fluid connection with the non-clogging pathway, wherein when a heterogeneous fluid sample containing particles to be separated by size is introduced into the device through the sample input, and a carrier fluid is introduced into the device through the carrier fluid input;
the fluid sample passes through the separation areas;
the carrier fluid passes through the non-clogging pathway in contact with the fluid sample in the separation areas;
no mixing other than diffusion occurs between the liquids; and
particles separated in the separation areas pass into the carrier fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of separating particles by size in a continuous fluid flow, the method comprising:
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introducing a heterogeneous fluid sample into a sample input of a continuous flow fluidic particle separation device, and a carrier fluid into a carrier fluid input of the device, thereby providing a sample flow through a plurality of separation areas and a carrier flow parallel to and in contact with the sample flow, wherein each of the flows has a sufficiently low Reynolds number that there substantially no turbulence, and mixing of the fluids in the flow occurs only through diffusion;
separating particles having a size at least that of a predetermined critical size from particles having a size less than the critical size, wherein each separation area has a different critical size; and
passing the separated particles into the carrier fluid. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification