Device and method for controlling electrical field

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11059052-B2
Application number	US-201716306916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2017
Priority date	Jun 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A method for dielectrophoresis includes applying an electric field across a micro-fluidic chamber with an alternating current (AC), trapping the target particles on the at least one carrier particle, transporting the target particles from a first location in the chamber to a second location in the chamber distanced from the first location with the at least one carrier particle and dynamically controlling the trapping and the transporting based on remotely applying forces on the at least one carrier particle. The trapping is based on localized gradients of the electric field induced by the carrier particle. The applied electric field is uniform absent a carrier particle present in the micro-fluidic chamber. The micro-fluidic chamber contains an electrolyte-solution with suspended target particles and at least one carrier particle freely floating on or in the electrolyte-solution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for dielectrophoresis (DEP), the method comprising:
by an alternating current (AC) source applying an electric field across a micro-fluidic chamber with an AC, wherein the micro-fluidic chamber contains an electrolyte-solution with suspended target particles and at least one carrier particle freely floating on or in the electrolyte-solution, wherein the electric field is uniform absent said at least one carrier particle present in the micro-fluidic chamber, and wherein said at least one carrier particle induces a gradient to said electric field;
by a controller:
selectively trapping the target particles on the at least one carrier particle based on localized gradients of the electric field induced by the carrier particle;
transporting the target particles from a first location in the micro-fluidic chamber to a second location in the micro-fluidic chamber distanced from the first location with the at least one carrier particle; and
dynamically controlling the trapping and the transporting by dynamically selecting a frequency of the AC.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising, by said controller, dynamically controlling release of said trapped target particles from said at least one carrier particle, based on said dynamic selection of said frequency of the AC.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trapping and the transporting are dynamically controlled based on selection of amplitude of the AC.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein dynamically controlling the transporting is based on selecting on demand a first pre-defined frequency configured to induce self DEP (s-DEP) on the at least one carrier particle.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the trapping is dynamically controlled based on selection of a frequency of the AC electric field and the transporting is dynamically controlled based on an externally applied magnetic field.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one carrier particle includes magnetic functionalization.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the magnetic functionalization is based on magnetic material coated on the carrier particle or a magnetic core of the carrier particle.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the trapping is dynamically controlled based on selection of a frequency of the AC electric field and the transporting is dynamically controlled based on an externally applied optical force.

9. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one carrier particle is a homogenous particle.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one carrier particle is a symmetry broken particle.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one carrier particle is a Janus particle.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the localized gradient induced is based on proximity of the particle to a conducting wall of the micro-fluidic chamber.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the transporting is in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the electric field.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one carrier particle is at least one of a particle doublet, a cluster and a particle with non-spherical shape, and wherein the localized gradients induced is based on the geometric characteristics of the target particle.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one carrier particle is functionalized with molecular biological probes.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein dynamically controlling the trapping is based on selecting on demand a pre-defined frequency configured to induce positive DEP (p-DEP) on the target particles.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein dynamically controlling the trapping or release is based on selecting on demand a pre-defined frequency configured to induce negative DEP (n-DEP) on the target particles.

18. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
applying a first electric field defined by a first pre-defined frequency for a first pre-defined time period, wherein the first pre-defined frequency is configured to induce p-DEP on the target particles;
applying a second electric field defined by a second pre-defined frequency for a second pre-defined time period subsequent to the first pre-defined time period, wherein the second pre-defined frequency is configured to induce n-DEP of any contaminants attached to the carrier; and
applying a third electric field defined by a third pre-defined frequency for a third pre-defined time period subsequent to the second pre-defined time period, wherein the third pre-defined frequency is configured to induce transporting of the target particles trapped on the at least one carrier particle.

19. A device for dielectrophoresis comprising:
a micro-fluidic chamber comprising:
an electrolyte-solution with suspended target particles;
at least one carrier particle freely floating on or in the electrolyte-solution;
a first electrode and second electrode, each abutting a floor or a ceiling of the micro-fluidic chamber;
an AC source applying AC on the first and second electrode, wherein the AC induces an electric field across the micro-fluidic chamber, wherein the electric field is uniform absent said at least one carrier particle present in the micro-fluidic chamber, and wherein said at least one carrier particle induces a gradient to said electric field; and
controller configured to dynamically control selective trapping of the target particles by said at least one carrier particle, and transporting trapped target particles from a first location in the chamber to a second location in the chamber distanced from the first location in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the electric field, by dynamically selecting a frequency of the AC.

20. The device according to claim 19 , wherein said controller is also configured to dynamically control release of said trapped target particles from said at least one carrier particle, based on said dynamic selection of said frequency of the AC.

21. The device according to claim 20 , wherein the controller is configured to select on demand a first pre-defined frequency configured to induce s-DEP of the at least one carrier particle.

22. The device according to claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to dynamically control trapping based on selection of a frequency of the AC and is configured to dynamically control transporting based on an externally applied magnetic field.

23. The device according to claim 22 , wherein the at least one carrier particle includes magnetic functionalization.

24. The device according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one carrier particle is a homogenous particle.

25. The device according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one carrier particle is a symmetry broken particle.

26. The device according to claim 25 , wherein the at least one carrier particle is a Janus particle.

27. The device according to claim 25 , wherein the at least one carrier particle is at least one of a particle doublet, a cluster and a particle with a non-spherical shape.

28. The device according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one carrier particle is functionalized with molecular biological probes.

29. The device according to claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to select on demand a pre-defined frequ

Assignees

• Technion Res & Dev Foundation

Inventors

• Yossifon Gilad
• Boymelgreen Alicia

Classifications

• B03C5/005 Primary

  Dielectrophoresis, i.e. dielectric particles migrating towards the region of highest field strength · CPC title

• B03C5/028

  using travelling electric fields, i.e. travelling wave dielectrophoresis [TWD] · CPC title

• B03C5/026

  using open-gradient differential dielectric separation, i.e. using electrodes of special shapes for non-uniform field creation, e.g. Fluid Integrated Circuit [FIC] · CPC title

• B03C2201/26

  for use in medical or biological applications · CPC title