University of Pittsburgh

Samuel J Dickerson

Donald M Chiarulli

Steven P Levitan

Systems, devices, and methods are presented that facilitate electronic manipulation and detection of submicron particles. Time-multiplexed dielectrophoresis can be employed by cycling between two or more disparate electric fields during separate portions of a duty cycle. By cycling between these two or more disparate electric fields, two or more disparate particle types can be separated from one another based on differences in electrical properties of the two or more disparate particle types.

Separation of particles using multiplexed dielectrophoresis

Systems, devices, and methods are presented that facilitate electronic manipulation and detection of submicron particles. A particle manipulation device contains a plurality of electrodes formed on an active semiconductor layer of an integrated circuit chip, where the electrodes and gap spacing between adjacent electrodes is submicron in size. The chip is oriented with its substrate face up, and at least a portion of the substrate is removed from the chip so the electrodes are in close proximity to a fluid chamber(s) placed over the chip, to facilitate manipulation of particles, contained in a buffer solution in the fluid chamber(s), to form a defined pattern. Innovative macro-scale optical detection is employed to detect the submicron particles, where a light beam is applied to the defined pattern, and interaction of the defined pattern with the light beam is detected and evaluated to facilitate detecting the particles.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Samuel J Dickerson