Acoustophoretic Device for Angled Wave Particle Deflection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017267992-A1
Application number	US-201715613790-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 5, 2017
Priority date	Apr 29, 2015
Publication date	Sep 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Devices for separating materials from a host fluid are disclosed. The devices include a flow chamber, an ultrasonic transducer, and a reflector. The ultrasonic transducer and reflector create an angled acoustic standing wave oriented at an angle relative to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber. The angled acoustic standing wave results in an acoustic radiation force having an axial force component that deflects the materials, so that the materials and the host fluid can thus be separated. The angled acoustic standing wave can be oriented at an angle of about 20° to about 70° relative to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber to deflect, collect, differentiate, or fractionate the materials from the fluid flowing through the device at flow rates of about 400 mL/min up to about 700 mL/min.

First claim

1 . An acoustophoresis device, comprising:
a flow chamber through which is flowed an initial mixture of a host fluid and at least one of a second fluid, a cell, or a particulate, the flow chamber defining a direction of mean flow; at least one ultrasonic transducer located on a wall of the flow chamber, the transducer including a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create an angled acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber oriented at an acute angle relative to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber; and a reflector located on a wall on an opposite side of the flow chamber from the at least one ultrasonic transducer.

2 . The acoustophoresis device of claim 1 , wherein the angled acoustic standing wave is oriented at an angle of about 20° to about 70° relative to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber.

3 . The acoustophoresis device of claim 1 , further comprising an inlet at a first end of the flow chamber and a clarified fluid outlet at a second end of the flow chamber opposite the first end.

4 . The acoustophoresis device of claim 3 , further comprising a concentrate outlet at the second end of the flow chamber.

5 . The acoustophoresis device of claim 3 , further comprising a deflection wall below the clarified fluid outlet, the deflection wall extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber.

6 . The acoustophoresis device of claim 5 , further comprising a concentrate outlet at a lower end of the deflection wall.

7 . The acoustophoresis device of claim 6 , wherein the angled acoustic standing wave is a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave that results in an acoustic radiation force having an axial force component that deflects the second fluid, cell, or particulate into the deflection wall.

8 . The acoustophoresis device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in series, each transducer including a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create an angled acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber oriented at an angle of about 20° to about 70° relative to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber.

9 . The acoustophoresis device of claim 8 , wherein each transducer is oriented at the same angle relative to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber.

10 . The acoustophoresis device of claim 1 , wherein the angled acoustic standing wave is a three-dimensional acoustic standing wave.

11 . The acoustophoresis device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an upper inlet duct through which the initial mixture of the host fluid and at least one of the second fluid, cell, or particulate flows into the acoustophoresis device; a lower inlet duct through which a cell wash flows into the acoustophoresis device; an upper duct exit through which the host fluid of the initial mixture flows out of the acoustophoresis device; a middle duct exit through which the wash fluid flows out of the acoustophoresis device; and a lower duct exit where the second fluid, cell, or particulate concentrates after passing from the flow of the initial mixture through the upper inlet duct through the cell wash flow.

12 . A method of separating a second fluid, a cell, or a particulate from a host fluid, the method comprising:
flowing an initial mixture of the host fluid and at least one of the second fluid, cell, or particulate through an acoustophoresis device, the acoustophoresis device comprising:
a flow chamber through which is flowed the initial mixture of the host fluid and at least one of the second fluid, the cell, or the particulate, the flow chamber defining a direction of mean flow;
at least one ultrasonic transducer located on a wall of the flow chamber, the transducer including a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create an angled acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber oriented at an acute angle relative to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber; and
a reflector located on a wall on an opposite side of the flow chamber from the at least one ultrasonic transducer; and
sending a voltage signal to drive the at least one ultrasonic transducer to create the angled acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber to deflect the second fluid, cell, or particulate; and collecting the second fluid, cell, or particulate from the acoustophoresis device.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the angled acoustic standing wave is oriented at an angle of about 20° to about 70° relative to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the acoustophoresis device further comprises an inlet at a first end of the flow chamber and a clarified fluid outlet at a second end of the flow chamber opposite the first end.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the acoustophoresis device further comprises a concentrate outlet at the second end of the flow chamber.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the acoustophoresis device further comprises a deflection wall below the clarified fluid outlet, the deflection wall extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the acoustophoresis device further comprises a concentrate outlet at a lower end of the deflection wall.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the angled acoustic standing wave is a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave that results in an acoustic radiation force having an axial force component that deflects the second fluid, cell, or particulate into the deflection wall.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the second fluid, cell, or particulate is collected from the acoustophoresis device via the concentrate outlet after deflection into the deflection wall.

20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the second fluid, cell, or particulate is collected from the acoustophoresis device at a draw rate of about 200 to about 350 milliliters per minute.

21 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the mixture of the host fluid and at least one of the second fluid, cell, or particulate is flowed through the acoustophoresis device at a flow rate of about 400 to about 700 milliliters per minute.

22 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the voltage signal sent to the at least one ultrasonic transducer is from about 5 V to about 200 V.

23 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer is operated at a frequency of about 0.2 MHz to about 20 MHz.

24 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in series, each transducer including a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create an angled acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber oriented at an angle of about 20° to about 70° relative to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein each transducer is oriented at the same angle relative to the direction of mean flow through the flow chamber.

26 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the angled acoustic standing wave is a three-dimensional acoustic standing wave.

27 . The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the angled acoustic standing wave results in an acoustic radiation force on the second fluid, cell, or particulate; the flow of the mixture

Assignees

• Flodesign Sonics Inc

Inventors

• Lipkens Bart
• Presz Jr Walter M
• Chitale Kedar
• Kennedy Iii Thomas J
• Ross-Johnsrud Ben

Classifications

• G01N2015/1006

  for cytology · CPC title

• G01N15/1484

  microstructural devices · CPC title

• B01L2400/0439

  ultrasonic vibrations, vibrating piezo elements · CPC title

• C12N13/00 Primary

  Treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy, e.g. magnetism, sonic waves · CPC title

• B01L2400/0436

  acoustic forces, e.g. surface acoustic waves [SAW] · CPC title