Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines

The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

University System of Maryland

David W M Marr

John Oakey

Keith Benjamin Neeves

Jeff A Squier

Robert Applegate

Tor Vestad

Charles D Eggleton

Tieying Gong

Tonguc Onur Tasci

Tobias Sawetzki

Kevin B Roth

Justin Chichester

David Wu

Alexander V Terray

The invention relates to a magnetic-field driven colloidal microbot that employs wall-based propulsion, method of forming the microbot and a method of using the microbot. The microbot can be formed in situ with the use of magnetic fields, and the magnetic fields can be used to translate the microbot to a specified location in a patient. The microbot does not depend on 'swimming' or flow currents within a patient to move, but instead can propel itself along a surface using a magnetic field. Once the magnetic field is removed, the microbot disassembles into colloidal particles.

Magnetic-field driven colloidal microbots, methods for forming and using the same

The present invention generally relates to a method for determining the dynamic viscoelastic properties of cells, more particularly to a method for rapidly determining the dynamic viscoelastic properties of healthy and unhealthy cells by determining the phase shift be the application of a modulating force to the cells and the cells' response to the modulating force.

Dynamic viscoelasticity as a rapid single-cell biomarker

The direct integration of light and optical control into microfluidic systems presents a significant hurdle to the development of portable optical trapping-based devices. A simple, inexpensive fiber-based approach is provided that allows for easy implementation of diode-bars for optical particle separations within flowing microfluidic systems. Models have also been developed that demonstrate the advantages of manipulating particles within flow using linear geometries as opposed to individually focused point traps as traditionally employed in optical-trapping micromanipulation.

Fiber-focused diode-bar optical trapping for microfluidic manipulation

A microfluidic system, device, and method are disclosed. The microfluidic system may include a first microfluidic channel and a second microfluidic channel, each of which are carrying one or more objects. There is an intersection between the first and second microfluidic channels where one or more objects from the first microfluidic channel impact one or more objects from the second microfluidic channel under hydrodynamic forces. The impact causes the objects to deform and the deformation of objects can be analyzed to determine properties of the object.

Optical alignment deformation spectroscopy

A system, method, and device for re-orienting and/or deforming cells and other objects is provided. The system, method, and device may include a high-throughput setup that facilitates the ability to orient, deform, analyze, measure, and/or tag objects at a substantially higher rate than was previously possible. A relatively large number of cells and other objects can be deformed, by optical forces for example, as the cells and other objects a flowed through the system.

Optical-based cell deformability

The methods provided use external fields such as light and electricity as a means of directing the crystallization of concentrated colloidal systems. Not only can nucleation be directed, crystal melting can be carefully controlled and light-induced crystal diffraction used as a means of directing light propagation. A number of factors play a significant role on the crystallization rate and location, including the intensity of the light field, the magnitude of the electric field, the colloid concentration, the colloid size, and the colloid composition. In varying these parameters, kinetics in these processes are extremely fast when compared to traditional colloidal crystallization approaches.

Colloidal crystallization via applied fields

A system, method and apparatus employing the laminar nature of fluid flows in microfluidic flow devices in separating, sorting or filtering colloidal and/or cellular particles from a suspension in a microfluidic flow device is disclosed. The microfluidic flow device provides for separating a particle within a suspension flow in a microfluidic flow chamber. The chamber includes a microfluidic channel comprising at least one inlet port for receiving a suspension flow under laminar conditions, a first outlet port and a second outlet port. The chamber further includes an interface for translating a particle within the channel. The first outlet port receives a first portion of the suspension exiting the said channel and the second outlet port receives the particle in a second portion of the suspension exiting the channel.

Cell sorting device and method of manufacturing the same

Laminar flow-based separations of colloidal and cellular particles

The present invention provides microfluidic optical waveguides and waveguide switches providing capability for multiple outlet paths for the fluid waveguides and optical signals contained therein. A microfluidic structure comprises a core inlet channel, one or more cladding fluid inlet channels intersecting with the core inlet channel downstream of a core inlet, and at least two outlet channels coupled to the core inlet channel and downstream of the cladding fluid channel. An optical source providing an optical signal is aligned with the core inlet channel. A waveguiding fluid is supplied to the core inlet channel and a cladding fluid supplied to each of the cladding channels. The waveguiding fluid and cladding fluid form an optical waveguide operable to transmit the optical signal. The flow rate of the cladding fluid is selectable to switch the optical waveguide between at least the first and second outlet channels.

Switchable microfluidic optical waveguides

The present invention relates to the use colloidal particles to realize photonic and microfluidic devices. In particular embodiments, colloidal particles are used to realize microfluidic a two-way valve, three-way valve, check valve, three-dimensional valve, peristalsis pump, rotary pump, vane pump, and two-lobe gear pump. In certain embodiments, actuation of an active element in the microfluidic structure is accomplished by electrophoresis, the use of an optical trap or &ldquo;tweezer&rdquo;, or the application of an electric field or magnetic field. In other embodiments, the application of an electrical field to colloidal particles that are substantially constrained to two dimensional movement is used to realize wave guides, filters and switches for optical signals.

Growing community of inventors

Golden, CO, United States of America

David W M Marr