Punctuated microgradients for improved separations of molecules and particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10022728-B2
Application number	US-201414764875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2014
Priority date	Feb 1, 2013
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides devices and methods to separate and concentrate target species. In some embodiments, a punctuated continuous microchannel or parallel processing (array-based) separations are provided, the microchannel having a plurality of sequential, constrictive insulating features to form a plurality of reservoirs including a first, second and third reservoir, and a plurality of constricted passageways including a first constricted passageway that connects the first reservoir to the second reservoir and a second constricted passageway that connects the second reservoir to the third reservoir. A voltage is applied to the microchannel to create different electrical fields and/or different dielectrophoresis (DEP) gradients at each of the plurality of constricted passageways in order to separate species that have differing ratios of electrokinetic mobility to dielectrophoretic mobility.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a punctuated microgradient device that includes:
a substrate having a first continuous microchannel that is patterned with a plurality of sequential features to form a plurality of reservoirs including a first, second and third reservoir, and a plurality of constricted passageways including a first constricted passageway that connects the first reservoir to the second reservoir and a second constricted passageway that connects the second reservoir to the third reservoir, wherein the microchannel has walls that are electrically insulative; and
a first electrode and a second electrode both operatively coupled to the first microchannel and configured to establish an electric field E within the microchannel, wherein the first electrode is fabricated on a first end of the first constricted passageway, wherein the first end of the first constricted passageway is in the first reservoir.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical field E includes a first local electrical field E 1 in the first constricted passageway and a second local electrical field E 2 in the second constricted passageway, and wherein a magnitude of the first local electrical field E 1 is greater than the second local electrical field E 2 .

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second constricted passageway has a smaller cross-sectional area than the first constricted passageway.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second constricted passageway has a shorter length than the first constricted passageway.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first continuous microchannel has a saw-tooth-shaped cross-section.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first continuous microchannel has a cross-sectional shape that establishes a first local dielectrophoresis (DEP) gradient, (d∇|E| 2 /dX 1 ) local at the first constricted passageway and a different second local dielectrophoresis (DEP) gradient, (d∇|E| 2 /dx 2 ) local at the second constricted passageway, wherein x 1 is a length parameter of the first constricted passageway, x 2 is a length parameter of the second constricted passageway.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first continuous microchannel has a cross-sectional shape that establishes a first local dielectrophoresis (DEP) gradient, (d∇|E| 2 /dx 1 ) local at the first constricted passageway and a different second local dielectrophoresis (DEP) gradient, (d∇|E| 2 /dx 2 ) local at the second constricted passageway and a global DEP gradient

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wherein x 1 is a length parameter of the first constricted passageway, x 2 is a length parameter of the second constricted passageway, and Δx is a parameter of distance between the first constricted passageway and the second constricted passageway.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first continuous microchannel has a cross-sectional shape that establishes a first local electrical field E 1 in the first constricted passageway, a second local electrical field E 2 in the second constricted passageway, and wherein a magnitude of the first local electrical field E 1 is greater than the second local electrical field E 2 , a first local dielectrophoresis (DEP) gradient, (d∇|E| 2 /dx 1 ) local at the first constricted passageway, and a different second local dielectrophoresis (DEP) gradient, (d∇|E| 2 /dx 2 ) local at the second constricted passageway, and a global DEP gradient

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Assignees

• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Hayes Mark
• Jones Paul
• Kenyon Stacy
• Keebaugh Michael
• Taylor Thomas
• Mahanti Prasun
• Staton Sarah
• Weiss Noah

Classifications

• G06F30/23

  using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM] · CPC title

• B01L2400/0424

  Dielectrophoretic forces · CPC title

• B03C2201/26

  for use in medical or biological applications · CPC title

• B01L2200/12

  Specific details about manufacturing devices · CPC title

• G01N30/0005

  Field flow fractionation · CPC title