The invention, provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

At least one embodiment relates to a focusing arrangement for focusing particles or cells in a flow. The arrangement includes at least one channel for guiding the flow. The channel includes (i) at least one particle confinement structure having particle flow boundaries and (ii) at least one acoustic confinement structure having acoustic field boundaries adapted for confining acoustic fields. The acoustic field boundaries may be different from the particle flow boundaries, and the at least one acoustic confinement structure may be arranged with regard to the channel to at least partially confine acoustic fields in the channel.

A method for determining a flow rate and/or a concentration of particles of a fluid flowing in a chamber, which includes the steps of: producing an ultrasound beam of a given frequency with a first transducer such that all fluid components traveling through an intersection region between the ultrasound beam and the chamber are insonated by the first transducer; receiving Doppler-shifted ultrasound signals generated by the fluid components in the insonated region of the chamber with a second transducer; acquiring the ultrasound signals received by the second transducer during an acquisition time; obtaining a Doppler Power Spectrum of the acquired ultrasound signals; and determining the flow rate and/or the concentration of particles of the fluid by adjustment between, on the one hand, the obtained Doppler Power Spectrum and, on the other hand, a model of the Doppler Power Spectrum.

The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

An acoustic wave with an acoustic field with a large number of multi-directional gradients can provide an edge effect that be used to form an interface region relative to the acoustic wave. The interface region can block material with certain characteristics related to the nature of the interface region. Other material that is less influenced by the acoustic properties of the interface region can pass through the acoustic wave. This technique permits separation of materials using the edge effect and interface region.

Acoustophoretic devices are disclosed. The devices include a flow chamber, an ultrasonic transducer, a reflector, an inlet, a filtrate outlet, a concentrate outlet, and optionally a lipid collection trap. The ultrasonic transducer and reflector create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber that traps and separates red blood cells and/or lipids from blood. Concentrated red blood cells can be recovered via the concentrate outlet, the lipids can be recovered via the lipid collection trap, and the remaining blood can be recovered via the filtrate outlet. Methods for separating blood components (e.g., red blood cells, lipids, platelets, white blood cells) from blood are also disclosed. The red blood cells can undergo washing with a solvent to remove undesired admixtures. Cryoprotectants can be added or removed from the blood.

A system for changing a concentration of at least one group of particles in a fluid, which includes a first container and a second container; a first transfer device and a second transfer device, and an element for keeping the volume of fluid in the first and second containers constant. The first container is fluidly connected to an inlet of the first transfer device, and the second container is fluidly connected to an inlet of the second transfer device. The first and second transfer devices include a chamber associated with at least one acoustic wave generator for generating acoustic waves within the chamber; at least two outlets including a first outlet for fluid enriched with the particles and a second outlet for fluid depleted of the particles; the first outlet being fluidly connected to the first container and the second outlet being fluidly connected to the second container.

The present invention comprises methods and systems that use acoustic radiation pressure.

Systems and methods for cleansing blood are disclosed herein. The methods include acoustically separating target particles from elements of whole blood. The whole blood and capture particles are flowed through a microfluidic separation channel formed in a thermoplastic. At least one bulk acoustic transducer is attached to the microfluidic separation channel. A standing acoustic wave, imparted on the channel and its contents by the bulk acoustic transducer, drives the formed elements of the blood and target particles to specific aggregation axes.

Multi-stage acoustophoretic devices for continuously separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid are disclosed. Methods of operating the multi-stage acoustophoretic devices are also disclosed. The systems may include multiple acoustophoretic devices fluidly connected to one another in series, each acoustophoretic device comprising a flow chamber, an ultrasonic transducer capable of creating a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave, and a reflector. The systems can further include pumps and flowmeters.