Microfluidic device and method of locally concentrating electrically charged substances in a microfluidic device
First Claim
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1. A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a) a microfluidic circuit having longitudinal axis; and
b) an electric field generating means arranged to establish an electric field transverse to said longitudinal axis within at least a section of said microfluidic circuit;
wherein said electric field generating means comprises;
i) a first semiconductor region having a first type of conductivity and a second semiconductor region having an opposite type of conductivity; and
ii) a voltage source for supplying a bias voltage between said first and said second semiconductor regions in order to concentrate an electrically charged substance in a portion of the microfluidic circuit; and
iii) wherein at least said section of said microfluidic circuit is between said first semiconductor region and said second semiconductor region, and wherein said first and second semiconductor regions being arranged to form at least one P-N junction.
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Abstract
A microfluidic device includes a microfluidic circuit, having an axis, and an electric field generator, arranged to establish an electric field (E) within at least a section of the microfluidic circuit, the electric field (E) being oriented transversally to the axis. The electric field is used to locally concentrate charged molecules, thus increasing the reaction rate.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A microfluidic device, comprising:
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a) a microfluidic circuit having longitudinal axis; and b) an electric field generating means arranged to establish an electric field transverse to said longitudinal axis within at least a section of said microfluidic circuit; wherein said electric field generating means comprises; i) a first semiconductor region having a first type of conductivity and a second semiconductor region having an opposite type of conductivity; and ii) a voltage source for supplying a bias voltage between said first and said second semiconductor regions in order to concentrate an electrically charged substance in a portion of the microfluidic circuit; and iii) wherein at least said section of said microfluidic circuit is between said first semiconductor region and said second semiconductor region, and wherein said first and second semiconductor regions being arranged to form at least one P-N junction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for increasing the concentration of electrically charged substances in a microfluidic device, comprising the steps of:
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a) applying an electrically charged substance to a microfluidic circuit of a microfluidic device, said microfluidic circuit having longitudinal axis and being between a first semiconductor region having a first type of conductivity and a second semiconductor region having an opposite type of conductivity; b) providing a bias voltage between said first and second semiconductor regions; c) thereby establishing an electric field within at least a section of said microfluidic circuit, said electric field being oriented transversally to said longitudinal axis, and thereby concentrating said electrically charged substance; wherein said first and second semiconductor regions are arranged to form at least one P-N junction and providing a bias voltage comprises reverse biasing said P-N junction. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification