SYSTEM AND METHOD TO SEPARATE CELLS AND/OR PARTICLES

• US 20140231315A1
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AcouSort AB
• Original Assignee: AcouSort AB
• Inventors: Laurell, Thomas, Augustsson, Per, Grenvall, Carl, Magnusson, Cecilia
• Granted Patent: US 9,656,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/18
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0652 Sorting or classification of particles or molecules
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0436 acoustic forces, e.g. surface acoustic waves [SAW]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 7/00 Combinations of wet processes or apparatus with other processes or apparatus, e.g. for dressing ores or garbage
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/4077 by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/4094 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/0053 in liquids, e.g. trouble
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5005 involving human or animal cells immunoassay G01N33/56966; immunoassays of protozoa G01N33/56905; protozoa in screening assays C12Q1/025
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54313 the carrier being characterised by its particulate form
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/574 for cancer

Abstract

The disclosure related to a method and system to separate a subgroup of objects from a mixture of objects present in a suspension wherein said suspension if exposed to acoustic forces acting in one or two dimensions, which forces said objects to separate from each other into groups which have similar properties in connection with size and/or mass density and/or compressibility.

Claims

1. A micro scaled method for separating a subgroup of cells and/or particles from a mixture of different types of cells and/or particles in a suspension, comprising the steps of;

i) subjecting a suspension to pressure, wherein said pressure forces said suspension into one inlet and into at least one pre-alignment channel present on a microfluid chip,

ii) subjecting said suspension to a two dimensional acoustic force directed perpendicular to the length direction of the pre-alignment channel,

iii) forcing said mixture of cells and/or particles and infusing cell free buffer solution through a second inlet simultaneously into at least one separation channel, wherein said mixture of cells and/or particles are forced towards the walls of the channel,

iv) subjecting said cells and/or particles to a one dimensional acoustic force directed perpendicular to the length direction of the separation channel and

v) collecting cells and/or particles having the same size and/or mass density and/or compressibility from said second channel present on the microfluid chip through at least two outlets.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the two dimensional acoustic force in step ii) consists of ½

wavelength and 1 wavelength perpendicular to each other.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one dimensional acoustic force in step iv) consists of 1/2 wavelength.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said two dimensional acoustic force is caused by a frequency of from 1 to 10 MHz.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is maintained at a constant temperature.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the height or the width of channel is from 75 um to 800 um.

7. The method according claim 1, wherein said cells and/or particles have a size of from 1-50 μ

m.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cells are cancer cells and said suspension is blood.

9. A micro system for separating a subgroup of cells and/or particles from a mixture of different types of cells and/or particles in a suspension, comprising;

i) a micro chip having at least one pre-alignment channel and at least one separation channel, with at least two inlets and at least two outlets,

ii) means for providing pressure, wherein said pressure, forces said suspension into the first inlet,

iii) means for providing a two dimensional acoustic force, wherein said two dimensional acoustic force is directed perpendicular to said pre-alignment channel

iv) means for infusing cell free buffer in said second inlet,

v) means for providing a one dimensional acoustic force, wherein said one dimensional acoustic force is directed perpendicular to said separation channel and

vi) means for collecting cells and particles, having the same size and/or mass density and/or compressibility, from said channel.