Fluidics apparatus for surface acoustic wave manipulation of fluid samples, use of fluidics apparatus and process for the manufacture of fluidics apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9410873-B2
Application number	US-201214000958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2012
Priority date	Feb 24, 2011
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A fluidics apparatus for manipulation of at least one fluid sample is disclosed. A manipulation surface locates the fluid sample. A surface acoustic wave (SAW) generation material layer is provided. This is a polycrystalline material, textured polycrystalline material, biaxially textured polycrystalline material, microcrystalline material, nanocrystalline material, amorphous material or composite material. A transducer electrode structure arranged at the SAW generation material layer provides SAWs at the manipulation surface for interaction with the fluid sample. The manipulation surface has a phononic structure, for affecting the transmission, distribution and/or behavior of SAWs at the manipulation surface. The apparatus is typically manufactured by reel-to-reel processes, to reduce the unit cost to a level at which the apparatus can be considered to be disposable after a single use.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluidics apparatus for manipulation of at least one fluid sample, the apparatus including: a manipulation surface for location of the fluid sample; a surface acoustic wave (SAW) generation material layer, wherein either: the material of the SAW generation material layer is selected from the group consisting of: polycrystalline material, textured polycrystalline material, biaxially textured polycrystalline material, microcrystalline material, nanocrystalline material, amorphous material and composite material, or the SAW generation material layer is not in the form of a single crystal layer; and a transducer electrode structure arranged at the SAW generation material layer to provide SAWs at the manipulation surface for interaction with the fluid sample, wherein the manipulation surface comprises a plurality of surface acoustic wave (SAW) scattering elements for affecting the transmission, distribution and/or behaviour of SAWs at the manipulation surface, said plurality of surface acoustic wave (SAW) scattering elements comprising a two dimensional periodic arrangement, and wherein the plurality of SAW scattering elements extends at least partially into the SAW generation material layer and intersects with the surface of the SAW generation material layer.

2. The fluidics apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the SAW generation material layer is formed from a ferroelectric material, pyroelectric material, piezoelectric material or magnetostrictive material.

3. The fluidics apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the transducer electrode structure is at least partially embedded in the SAW generation material layer.

4. The fluidics apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the transducer is tunable, such that the lateral position of a SAW emission train is movable.

5. The fluidics apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the manipulation surface is a surface of the SAW generation material layer, optionally covered with a surface-passivation film.

6. The fluidics apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one additional SAW scattering element is provided, said additional SAW scattering element including a linearly extending change in the profile of the manipulation surface.

7. The fluidics apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes at least one enclosed channel for the fluid sample, the channel being bounded on at least one side by the manipulation surface.

8. The fluidics apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the opposing side of the channel is bounded by a passive encapsulation surface.

9. The fluidics apparatus according to claim 7 wherein two or more sides of the channel may be bounded by a manipulation surface, each manipulation surface being adapted to be provided with SAWs for interaction with the fluid sample in the channel, and wherein each manipulation surface optionally has at least one SAW scattering element for affecting the transmission, distribution and/or behaviour of SAWs at the manipulation surface.

10. The fluidics apparatus according claim 1 having:
a first SAW generation material layer and associated transducer electrode structure;
a first manipulation surface at which SAWs are provided from the first SAW generation material layer;
a second SAW generation material layer and associated transducer electrode structure; and
a second manipulation surface at which SAWs are provided from the second SAW generation material layer,
wherein the first and second manipulation surfaces define between them a channel for the fluid sample.

11. The fluidics apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus further includes at least one reservoir.

12. The fluidics apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus further includes at least one aperture.

13. A method of using a fluidics apparatus to manipulate at least one fluid sample comprising: providing a fluidics apparatus comprising: a manipulation surface at which the fluid sample is located; a surface acoustic wave (SAW) generation material layer, wherein either: the material of the SAW generation material layer is selected from the group consisting of: polycrystalline material, textured polycrystalline material, biaxially textured polycrystalline material, microcrystalline material, nanocrystalline material, amorphous material and composite material, or the SAW generation material layer is not in the form of a single crystal layer, a transducer electrode structure arranged at the SAW generation material layer; wherein the apparatus is operated to provide SAWs at the manipulation surface for interaction with the fluid sample, and wherein the manipulation surface comprises a plurality of surface acoustic wave (SAW) scattering elements for affecting the transmission, distribution and/or behaviour of SAWs at the manipulation surface, said plurality of surface acoustic wave (SAW) scattering elements comprising a two dimensional periodic arrangement, and wherein the plurality of SAW scattering elements extends at least partially into the SAW generation material layer and intersects with the surface of the SAW generation material layer; and manipulating the fluid sample with the apparatus.

14. The method of using a fluidics apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the manipulation of the fluid sample includes one or more of: movement of the sample along the sample manipulation zone; splitting of the sample; combining two or more samples; atomisation of the sample from the sample manipulation zone; heating of the sample; concentration of species in the sample; mixing of the sample; sorting fluid samples; sorting particles or cells within fluid samples.

Assignees

• Wilson Rab
• Cooper Jonathan M
• Reboud Julien
• Univ Glasgow Court

Inventors

• Wilson Rab
• Cooper Jonathan M
• Reboud Julien

Classifications

• B01L2400/0436

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

• B01L3/50273

  characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids · CPC title

• B01L2400/0439

  ultrasonic vibrations, vibrating piezo elements · CPC title

• B01L3/502707 Primary

  characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components · CPC title

• G01N29/222

  Constructional or flow details for analysing fluids (optoacoustic fluid cells G01N29/2425) · CPC title