Microfluidic devices and methods based on measurements of electrical admittance
First Claim
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1. A method of measuring the flow rate of a conducting fluid in a microchannel, comprising:
- a) applying a voltage across a pair of electrodes placed in the microchannel;
b) determining the current flowing across the electrodes;
c) comparing the current determined in Step B to a base current with no flow between the electrodes; and
d) determining the flow-induced electrical admittance at different frequencies by calculating the change in flow rate as a function of the change in current.
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Abstract
Microfluidic devices and methods that use electrical admittance as the basis for measuring flow rate of fluids and/or for distinguishing (e.g., characterizing, sorting, separation, etc.) different particles, chemical compositions or biospecies (e.g., different cells, cells containing different substances, different particles, different chemical compositions, etc.).
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of measuring the flow rate of a conducting fluid in a microchannel, comprising:
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a) applying a voltage across a pair of electrodes placed in the microchannel; b) determining the current flowing across the electrodes; c) comparing the current determined in Step B to a base current with no flow between the electrodes; and d) determining the flow-induced electrical admittance at different frequencies by calculating the change in flow rate as a function of the change in current. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A transducer or other device for measuring the flow rate of a conducting fluid in a microchannel, comprising:
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a) electrodes positioned substantially parallel to the line of flow; b) means for applying a voltage across the electrodes; and c) means for measuring the current across the electrodes and for determining electrical admittance at different frequencies based on measurement of current across the electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for characterizing or distinguishing between different types of particles, different chemical compositions or different biospecies, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a device for measuring flow-induced electrical admittance spectra of the different types of flowing particles or different biospecies; b) using the device to measure the flow-induced electrical admittance spectra of the different types of particles or different biospecies; and c) characterizing different flowing particles or different biospecies on the basis of differences in their respective flow-induced electrical admittance spectra. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method according to clam 18 wherein the different particles, compositions or biospecies comprise different microorganisms.
- 27. A method according to clam 18 wherein the different particles, compositions or biospecies comprise cells containing different contents or substances.
Specification