Method and apparatus for the characterizing and counting particles, in particular, biological particles
US8992754B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 20, 2014 |
| Grant date | Mar 31, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 20, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC12M41/36
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.