Rapid flow fractionation of particles combining liquid and particulate dielectrophoresis
First Claim
1. A method for selective separation of particles which are suspended in a liquid medium and which differ in regard to a characteristic, the method comprising:
- (a) applying the liquid medium to a pair of electrodes;
(b) applying a voltage to the pair of electrodes to generate a non-uniform electric field in the liquid medium, the voltage comprising an alternating-current voltage with a frequency sufficiently high for the electric field to penetrate through the liquid medium; and
(c) performing step (b) for a sufficient time that the liquid sample travels along the electrodes, with the particles which differ in regard to the characteristic having different spatial distributions along the electrodes.
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Abstract
Rapid, size-based, deposition of particles from liquid suspension is accomplished using a nonuniform electric field created by coplanar microelectrode strips patterned on an insulating substrate. The scheme uses the dielectrophoretic force both to distribute aqueous liquid containing particles and, simultaneously, to separate the particles. Size-based separation is found within nanoliter droplets formed along the structure after voltage removal. Bioparticles or macromolecules of similar size can also be separated based on subtle differences in dielectric property, by controlling the frequency of the AC current supplied to the electrodes.
17 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for selective separation of particles which are suspended in a liquid medium and which differ in regard to a characteristic, the method comprising:
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(a) applying the liquid medium to a pair of electrodes;
(b) applying a voltage to the pair of electrodes to generate a non-uniform electric field in the liquid medium, the voltage comprising an alternating-current voltage with a frequency sufficiently high for the electric field to penetrate through the liquid medium; and
(c) performing step (b) for a sufficient time that the liquid sample travels along the electrodes, with the particles which differ in regard to the characteristic having different spatial distributions along the electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification