Patent · US Expired

Non-contact micromanipulation method and apparatus

US6055859A · kind A · utility

102Cited by
8References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 26, 1997
Grant dateMay 2, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 26, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB01J2219/00932
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method of non-contact micromanipulation using ultrasound includes disposing in a liquid medium in which micro particles are distributed, an ultrasound transducer comprising a transducer plate, a surface electrode wholly covering a first principal surface of the transducer plate and a reverse surface electrode on a second principal surface of the transducer plate comprising a plurality of short electrode strips arranged in parallel, and a reflector set in parallel opposition to the first principal surface of the transducer plate from which the reflector is spaced apart by a prescribed distance, applying a voltage to at least one electrode strip selected from the plurality of electrode strips to radiate ultrasound to form a standing wave field between the ultrasound transducer and the reflector to trap micro particles, and electrically switching the voltage being applied to the selected electrode strip to an adjacent electrode strip to move the standing wave field by moving a position of ultrasound radiated by the ultrasound transducer to thereby move the trapped micro particles in a direction in which the electrode strips are arrayed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.