Programmable electromagnetic array for molecule transport

• US 8,105,848 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Su, Xing, Wang, Liming, Yamakawa, Mineo, Schwartz, Kenneth, Schwartz, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Reifsnyder, David A
• Application Number:
  US12/900,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20110065140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 210/695, 210/748.01, 210/748.05, 210/222, 210/243, 204/155, 204/556, 204/557, 204/664, 436/164, 436/526, 422/50, 422/68.1
• US Class Current: 436/526
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0647 Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0673 Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0424 Dielectrophoretic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0638 membrane valves, flap valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/086 using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
• 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: B01L 3/502784 specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics automatic analysis using a stream of discrete samples in a tube system G01N35/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/4044 by chemical techniques; Digestion; Chemical decomposition
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/0038 Investigating nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/0092 Monitoring flocculation or agglomeration
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0098 involving analyte bound to insoluble magnetic carrier, e.g. using magnetic separation magnetic particles used in immunoassays G01N33/54326; magnetic separation in general B03C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/08 using a stream of discrete samples flowing along a tube system, e.g. flow injection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2007/068 using printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/20 without armatures cores H01F3/00; coils H01F5/00 ; shaping metal by applying magnetic forces B21D26/14; electromagnets specially adapted for NMR applications G01R33/381
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/206 Electromagnets for lifting, handling or transporting of magnetic pieces or material electromagnets for guidance of vehicles, workpieces B65G21/2009; for magnetic suspension or levitation H02N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/805 Optical property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/806 Electrical property or magnetic property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 : including sample preparation

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention relates to a device comprising (1) an array of electromagnetic elements comprising coils, metal cores, and metal core heads, and (2) a controller that is adapted to control a current for one or more coils individually, to vary the current for said one or more coils individually, to reverse the current for one or more coils individually, and to generate a specific magnetic flux distribution and gradient across two or more coils; wherein the metal core head is at one end of the coil and the metal core head has a geometry to create a desired magnetic flux, intensity and gradient, in a region of interest between two adjacent coils; further wherein the device is functionally coupled to a fluidic device to concentrate and transport magnetic particles in a fluid without fluidic movement of the fluid.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least two electromagnetic elements each comprising a coil and a metallic core, wherein the metallic core is located at least partially within the coil,

a controller that is adapted to control currents delivered to the two or more coils,

wherein the device is capable of creating a magnetic field between adjacent electromagnetic elements wherein the magnetic field is capable of moving a magnetic particle in a fluid from the proximity of a first electromagnetic element to the proximity of a second adjacent electromagnetic element through the application of a current to at least one of the two adjacent electromagnetic elements, and

an optical detector system capable of detecting a particle complex comprising a magnetic particle that is located in proximity to one of the two electromagnetic elements.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the metal core is comprised of a magentizable material.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the optical detector system comprises a photomultiplier tube, an avalanche photodetector, or a charge-coupled device.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the optical detector system comprises a laser.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is capable of being functionally coupled to a fluidic device that is capable of housing a fluid and magnetic particles.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the device comprises an array of electromagnetic elements.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the metallic cores have heads located at an end of the metallic core and the heads have a circular shape.