Method for the manipulation of a fluid sample
First Claim
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1. A method for separating target material from other material in a fluid sample, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) forcing the fluid sample to flow through a separation device, the separation device comprising a substrate and a plurality of structures on the substrate, each of the structures being coated with an electrical insulator film;
b) applying a voltage to the structures while the sample flows through the device, thereby attracting the target material to the insulator film while the other material passes through the device; and
c) eluting the target material from the device, wherein the step of eluting the target material is preceded by the step of forcing a wash fluid to flow through the device while maintaining the application of the voltage.
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Abstract
The invention provides a device and method for the manipulation of materials (e.g., particles, cells, macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids or other moieties) in a fluid sample. The device comprises a substrate having a plurality of microstructures and an insulator film on the structures. Application of a voltage to the structures induces separation of materials in the sample. The device and method are useful for a wide variety of applications such as dielectrophoresis (DEP) or the separation of a target material from other material in a fluid sample.
235 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for separating target material from other material in a fluid sample, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) forcing the fluid sample to flow through a separation device, the separation device comprising a substrate and a plurality of structures on the substrate, each of the structures being coated with an electrical insulator film; b) applying a voltage to the structures while the sample flows through the device, thereby attracting the target material to the insulator film while the other material passes through the device; and c) eluting the target material from the device, wherein the step of eluting the target material is preceded by the step of forcing a wash fluid to flow through the device while maintaining the application of the voltage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for separating materials in a fluid sample, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) introducing the fluid sample into a device having an array of three-dimensional structures, each of the structures having a height of at least 20 μ
m;b) forcing the fluid sample to flow between the structures while applying a voltage to the structures, thereby inducing separation of materials in the fluid sample as the sample flows between the structures, wherein the materials in the fluid sample are separated by retaining target material in the device while other material in the fluid sample passes out of the device; c) forcing a wash fluid to flow through the device while maintaining the application of the voltage; and d) eluting the target material from the device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for separating target material from other material in a fluid sample, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) contacting the sample with an electronic extractor having an insulator film and an underlying conductor in contact therewith, the insulator film having a thickness in the range of 0.01 to 10 μ
m;b) applying a voltage to the conductor, thereby inducing movement of the target material in the fluid sample to or from the surface of the insulator film, wherein the materials in the fluid sample are separated by retaining the target material in the extractor while the other material in the fluid sample passes out of the extractor; c) forcing a wash fluid to flow through the extractor while maintaining the application of the voltage; and d) eluting the target material from the extractor. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification