Particle manipulation and trapping in microfluidic devices using two-dimensional material

US10386331B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Jaione Tirapu Azpiroz · Rio de Janeiro, BR
• Michael Engel · Karlsruhe, DE
• Mathias B. Steiner · Rio de Janeiro, BR

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 8, 2016
• Grant date: Aug 20, 2019
• Expiry date: Nov 14, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2015/0053
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Method, apparatus, and computer program product for a microfluidic channel having a cover opposite its bottom and having electrodes with patterned two-dimensional conducting materials, such as graphene sheets integrated into the top of its bottom. Using the two-dimensional conducting materials, once a fluid sample is applied into the channel, highly localized modulated electric field distributions are generated inside the channel and the fluid sample. This generated field causes the inducing of dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces. These DEP forces are the same or greater than DEP forces that would result using metallic electrodes because of the sharp edges enabled by the two-dimension geometry of the two-dimensional conducting materials. Because of the induced forces, micro/nano-particles in the fluid sample are separated into particles that respond to a negative DEP force and particles that respond to a positive DEP. Microfluidic chips with microfluidic channels can be made using standard semiconductor manufacturing technology.