Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090205963 | Method And Apparatus For The Manipulation And/Or The Detection Of Particles - Method and apparatus for the manipulation and/or control of the position of particles by means of time-variable fields of force. The fields of force can be of dielectrophoresis (positive or negative), electrophoresis, electrohydrodynamic or electrowetting on dielectric, characterized by a set of stable points of equilibrium for the particles. | 08-20-2009 |
20090218221 | Method And Apparatus For The Manipulation Of Particles In Conductive Solutions - The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manipulation and/or control of the position of particles by means of fields of force of an electrical nature in electrically conductive solutions. The fields of force can be of (positive or negative) dielectrophoresis, electrophoresis, electrohydrodynamics or electrowetting on dielectric, characterized by a set of points of stable equilibrium for the particles. Each point of equilibrium can trap one or more particles within the attraction basin. Said forces dissipate by the Joule effect an amount of power proportional to the square of the voltages applied, causing in a short time the death of the biological particles contained in the specimen. According to the present invention, the dissipated power can be removed through at least one of the substrates in order to maintain the temperature in the liquid suspension constant or reduce it during the entire step of application of the forces. According to the present invention, the amount of heat to be extracted can be controlled by means of a temperature sensor internal to the microchamber or external thereto, which supplies information on the temperature of the system in order to establish a feedback control on the heat pump. In a second embodiment of the method, a flow constantly replaces the buffer, transporting by convection the heat outside the microchamber. Forming the subject of the present invention is likewise a method for minimizing the dissipated power given the same levels of performance by dividing the forces into classes, falling within one of which classes are the forces used for controlling particles in a static way whilst falling within a further class are the forces necessary for displacement of the particles. This can occur in a practical way by increasing the number of potentials that supply the electrodes of the device or else by appropriately modulating the amplitudes of the applied phases or by means of a timed management of the phases. Forming the subject of the present invention are likewise some practical implementations of the method that leads to an apparatus for manipulation of particles in conductive solutions. Said apparatus requires the use of a heat pump, which can be obtained by means of a Peltier-effect device or by means of the convective transport of the flow of heat absorbed by the substrate. Said convective flow uses a liquid or a gas. Forming the subject of the present invention is likewise an apparatus that exploits the gas law for reducing the temperature by varying the pressure of the gas having the function of performing the convective transport or by means of a change of phase from vapour to liquid or vice versa. | 09-03-2009 |
20090218223 | Method And Apparatus For Characterizing And Counting Particles, In Particular, Biological Particles - The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the characterization and/or the counting of particles by means of non uniform, time variable force fields and integrated optical or impedance meter sensors. The force fields can be of positive or negative dielectrophoresis, electrophoresis or electro-hydrodynamic motions, characterized by a set of stable equilibrium points for the particles (solid, liquid or gaseous); the same method is suitable for the manipulation of droplets (liquid particles) by exploiting effects known to the international scientific community with the name of Electro-wetting on dielectric. The aim of the present invention is to act on the control of the position of each particle which is present in the sample, for the purpose of displacing such particles in a deterministic or statistical way, in order to detect their presence with the integrated optical or impedance meter sensors and/or characterize their type, for the purpose of counting or manipulating them in an efficient way. | 09-03-2009 |
20090220974 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR THE SELECTION AND/OR PROCESSING OF PARTICLES, IN PARTICULAR FOR THE SELECTIVE AND/OR OPTIMISED LYSIS OF CELLS - Methods and apparatus for the selection or processing of particles sensitive to the application of an external stimulus, in which is produced, by applying the external stimulus, the rupture/lysis of at least one selected particle or the fusion of first and second selected particles, by means of the organisation of the particles using a first field of force by selectively energising electrodes of an array of selectable electrodes having dimensions comparable to or smaller than those of the particles, applying to the electrodes a first configuration of stresses; and by applying to the electrodes a second configuration of stresses, so as to create a second field of force, located substantially close to at least one selected particle to be lysated or to a pair of first and second particles to be fused and such as to produce the application of a stimulus suited to produce their lysis or fusion. | 09-03-2009 |
20100068780 | METHOD FOR THE SELECTION AND/OR THE PROCESSING OF PARTICLES, IN PARTICULAR CELLS - Method for the selection or the processing of first particles sensitive to the application of an external stimulus including the step of producing, through the application of the external stimulus, the permeabilization of at least a selected first particle, consisting in the organization of the first particles through a first force field, to generate a second force field substantially placed in proximity of at least a selected first particle to be permeabilized. | 03-18-2010 |
20100196897 | Method and Device for Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis - Method for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis comprising the following steps: a. obtain a sample of an organic fluid having a high probability of containing foetal cells from a pregnant woman; b. enrich said sample of organic fluid in at least one population of cells comprising at least one type of foetal nucleated cells; c. isolate at least one cell from among said at least one type of foetal nucleated cells; d. perform a genetic analysis on said at least one cell isolated from among said at least one type of foetal nucleated cells in order to highlight at least one genetic characteristic of said at least one foetal nucleated cell suitable for permitting said diagnosis; wherein the step of isolating at least one cell from among said at least one type of foetal nucleated cells is performed by individually selecting single cells in a microfluidic device designed for said purpose. | 08-05-2010 |
20100248285 | Method And Apparatus For The Processing And/Or Analysis And/Or Selection Of Particles, In Particular Biological Particles - Methods and apparatus are described for the processing (for example washing, incubation, etc.) of particles in which the particles suspended in a first fluid are introduced under laminar flow conditions into at least one first microchamber or first region of the same, in which a second fluid is introduced under laminar flow conditions into at least one second region of the microchamber or of a second microchamber, in such a way as not to mix with the first fluid, and in which at least one field of force acting on the particles is activated in the microchamber(s), to provoke a shift of the particles alone in a predetermined direction and to transfer the same in suspension into the second fluid; an apparatus is preferably used including at least three microchambers n microchambers arranged in sequence with each other in one direction and each connected with the microchamber immediately before it and after it with two orifices offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of sequence of the microchambers. | 09-30-2010 |
20110050200 | Apparatus and Method for Counting and Identifying Particles of Interest in a Fluid - The invention relates to an apparatus for counting particles in a fluid comprising a substrate having a first surface; a lid having a second surface facing the first; at least one spacer element interposed between the substrate and the lid so as to maintain the first and second surface spaced from one another; a partition with a plurality of through-openings having nanometric size, the partition being interposed between the spacer element and the lid so as to define at least one first chamber between the partition and the lid and at least one second chamber between the partition and the substrate, the chambers being fluidically connected with one another through at least one of the openings. According to the invention, the substrate has at least one first electrode on the first surface and the lid has a second electrode, each first electrode being configured so as to detect an electric signal associated to the passage of one of said particles through one of the through-openings of the partition. The invention further relates to a corresponding method for counting particles in a fluid. | 03-03-2011 |
20120273356 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE SEPARATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF PARTICLES - The invention pertains to a method and apparatus to separate and quantify particles using time-variable force fields. The force fields can be for dielectrophoresis (positive or negative), electrophoresis or electrohydrodynamic. In a first aspect of the method, the fields are translated and/or modified in space at a speed substantially comparable to the speed of translation of the fastest particles in the sample so that only these follow by changing position, while the slowest particles are not affected. According to the invention the translation and/or modification of the force field can also occur with varying speed, which is especially useful when this happens with periodic law on a field with spatial periodicity. In one aspect of the method, a force field with spatial periodicity is translated and/or modified in a first direction at high speed, for such a period of time as to cause a movement equal to the spatial period of the field, and at low speed in a second direction, opposite to the first one, for such a period of time as to cancel the overall movement of the field, causing the translation of the slowest particles in the second direction and no movement of the fastest particles. In an additional aspect of the method, the field is translated and/or modified in a first direction at high speed, for such a period of time as to cause a movement equal to the spatial period of the field minus a quantity corresponding to the period of the electrodes generating it, causing the translation of the fastest particles in the first direction and of the slowest particles in the opposite direction. In another aspect of the method, the quantity or size of the particles is determined by an indirect measurement of the speed of movement after varying the force field by means of a relationship between the speed of movement and the volume of the particles. This invention also pertains to an apparatus to produce appropriate field configurations that are necessary for the selective movement of particles | 11-01-2012 |
20130037139 | Micro-Fluidic System - A micro-fluidic system comprising a micro-fluidic channel, which has a wall provided with a hole; a closing element, which is partially housed within the hole and has a membrane portion adapted to deform and a side portion sealingly connected with the above mentioned wall; and a partition arranged within the micro-fluidic channel between a first and a second segment; the closing element is deformable between a locked configuration in contact with the partition and an open configuration spaced from the partition; the closing element may be deformed by suction or by a rod or a piston. | 02-14-2013 |
20130043133 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE MANIPULATION OF PARTICLES BY OVERLAPPING FIELDS OF FORCE - Methods and related devices are illustrated for generating time-variable electric fields suitable for determining the creation of closed dielectrophoretic cages able to trap inside even single particles without the cages being necessarily positioned at relative minimum points of the electric field. | 02-21-2013 |
20130045144 | Micro-Fluidic System - A micro-fluidic system comprising a micro-fluidic channel, which has a wall provided with a hole, within which a closing portion of a closing element extends; when the closing portion is arranged within the micro-fluidic channel, the passage of the liquid along the channel is interrupted; by deforming the closing element by suction the closing portion may be lifted and therefore allow the passage of liquid along the micro-fluidic channel. | 02-21-2013 |
20130343966 | Microfluidic Device for the Manipulation of Particles - A microfluidic device for isolating particles of at least one given type of a sample; the device is designed to be connected to an apparatus through a plurality of electrical connectors and comprises a system of microfluidic channels and a flash memory, which contains information on the structure (arrangement and geometry of the various components) of the system of microfluidic channels, a map of non-functioning parts of the device, the maximum number of uses and the maximum time of use of the device; the memory has portions allocated for storing the number of times and the time of use of the device. | 12-26-2013 |
20140131207 | Method and Apparatus for the Manipulation and/or the Detection of Particles - Method and apparatus for the manipulation and/or control of the position of particles using time-variable fields of force; the fields of force can be of dielectrophoresis (positive or negative), electrophoresis, electrohydrodynamic or electrowetting on dielectric, possessing a set of stable points of equilibrium for the particles. | 05-15-2014 |
20140246320 | Method and Apparatus for the Characterizing and Counting Particles, in Particular, Biological Particles - The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the characterization and/or the counting of particles by means of non uniform, time variable force fields and integrated optical or impedance meter sensors. The force fields can be of positive or negative dielectrophoresis, electrophoresis or electro-hydrodynamic motions, characterized by a set of stable equilibrium points for the particles (solid, liquid or gaseous); the same method is suitable for the manipulation of droplets (liquid particles) by exploiting effects known to the international scientific community with the name of Electro-wetting on dielectric. The aim of the present invention is to act on the control of the position of each particle which is present in the sample, for the purpose of displacing such particles in a deterministic or statistical way, in order to detect their presence with the integrated optical or impedance meter sensors and/or characterize their type, for the purpose of counting or manipulating them in an efficient way. | 09-04-2014 |
20140302490 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPTICAL ANALYSIS OF PARTICLES AT LOW TEMPERATURES - Method and device ( | 10-09-2014 |
20140315236 | Method and Apparatus for the Processing and/or Analysis and/or Selection of Particles, in Particular, Biological Particles - Methods and apparatus are described for the processing (for example washing, incubation, etc.) of particles in which the particles suspended in a first fluid are introduced under laminar flow conditions into at least one first microchamber or first region of the same, in which a second fluid is introduced under laminar flow conditions into at least one second region of the microchamber or of a second microchamber, in such a way as not to mix with the first fluid, and in which at least one field of force acting on the particles is activated in the microchamber(s), to provoke a shift of the particles alone in a predetermined direction and to transfer the same in suspension into the second fluid; an apparatus is preferably used including at least three microchambers n microchambers arranged in sequence with each other in one direction and each connected with the microchamber immediately before it and after it with two orifices offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of sequence of the microchambers. | 10-23-2014 |
20150031040 | Devices, Apparatus, Kit and Method for Treating a Biological Sample - Method for the treatment of a biological sample comprising at least one cell and a liquid component; according to the method, a force is applied to the sample inserted in an inner chamber of a hollow device towards a filter which has pores with diameters from 2 nm to 1 μm, so that at least part of the liquid component passes through the filter and the cell remains in the inner chamber, thus obtaining a concentrated sample; the filter has a surface facing the inner chamber of less than 12.6 mm | 01-29-2015 |