A method for performing contactless ODEP for separation of CTCs is provided with the steps of obtaining patients' blood with rare cell suspected CTCs; adding at least one fluorescent antibody binding to CTCs into the blood; staining the blood; injecting the stained blood with fluorescent dye into an ODEP device and then performing fluorescent image identification; trapping the CTCs with at least one fluorescent antibody in the ODEP device by creating an image pattern and then generating an ODEP force; Separating the trapped CTCs from other non-CTCs cells; absorbing the trapped CTCs; and obtaining a high purity of CTCs. An apparatus for performing contactless ODEP for separation of CTCs is also provided.

Apparatus (20) for use with a biological sample, including at least one viable sperm cell (12) having a tail (8) and a head (6), comprising: a fluid chamber (40) shaped and sized for receiving the biological sample, and at least one electrode (80) coupled to the chamber and in operable communication with an electric source for applying alternating current (AC) to drive the at least one electrode (80) to generate a dielectrophoresis (DEP) force in the chamber. In response to the DEP force: (i) the tail of the at least one viable sperm cell is attracted to the electrode and pulled into proximity to the electrode, and simultaneously (ii) the head is repelled and distanced from the electrode such that a proximity of the tail to an edge of the electrode is greater than a proximity of the head to the edge of the electrode. Other applications are also described.

An exemplary method and system is disclosed that facilitate the integration of on-chip impedance sensors and measurement circuitries, e.g., in characterizing internal microfluidic structures and/or in cell or particle cytometry, for quantifying the impedance/frequency response of microfluidic device under the same, or similar, conditions used for particle manipulation. In some embodiments, the exemplary method and system employs a circuit configured for automated determination and quantification of parasitic voltage drops during AC electrokinetic particle manipulation, without the need to use valuable biological samples or model particles. The determined impedance response can be used to assess efficacy of the microfluidic device geometry as well as to provide control signals to inform downstream cell separation decisions.

Disclosed herein are a screening method of high-efficiency biofuel-producing strains by a dielectrophoretic method using vertical nano-gap electrodes and a producing method of biofuel from the screened strains.

Sub-micrometer bioparticles are separated by size in a microfluidic channel utilizing a ratchet migration mechanism. A structure within the microfluidic channel includes an array of micro-posts arranged in laterally shifted rows. Reservoirs are disposed at each end of the microfluidic channel. A biased AC potential is applied across the channel via electrodes immersed into fluid in each of the reservoirs to induce a non-uniform electric field through the microfluidic channel. The applied potential comprises a first waveform with a first frequency that induces electro-kinetic flow of sub-micrometer bioparticles in the microfluidic channel, and an intermittent superimposed second waveform with a higher frequency. The second waveform selectively induces a dielectrophoretic trapping force to selectively impart ratchet migration based on particle size for separating the sub-micrometer bioparticles by size in the microfluidic channel.

A particle monitoring system may include a flow passage, a particle imager to image a targeted particle within the flow passage, electrodes supported proximate the flow passage, a power source connected to the electrodes and a controller to cause the power source to charge to electrodes so as to (1) apply an electric field balanced with respect to gravity so as to hold, levitate and rotate a targeted particle within the flow passage during imaging and (2) release the targeted particle following the imaging

Methods and apparatus for detecting, quantifying, enriching, and/or separating bacterial species in fluid sample are provided. The fluid sample is provided as input to a microfluidic passage of a microfluidic device, wherein the microfluidic device comprises at least one electrode disposed adjacent to the microfluidic passage. The at least one electrode is activated to capture bacteria in the sample using dielectrophoresis, wherein the capture efficiency of bacteria is at least 99%.

Methods and apparatus for detecting, quantifying, enriching, and/or separating bacterial species in fluid sample are provided. The fluid sample is provided as input to a microfluidic passage of a microfluidic device, wherein the microfluidic device comprises at least one electrode disposed adjacent to the microfluidic passage. The at least one electrode is activated to capture bacteria in the sample using dielectrophoresis, wherein the capture efficiency of bacteria is at least 99%.

Methods and apparatus for detecting, quantifying, enriching, and/or separating bacterial species in fluid sample are provided. The fluid sample is provided as input to a microfluidic passage of a microfluidic device, wherein the microfluidic device comprises at least one electrode disposed adjacent to the microfluidic passage. The at least one electrode is activated to capture bacteria in the sample using dielectrophoresis, wherein the capture efficiency of bacteria is at least 99%.

The present disclosure relates to a microorganism detection apparatus using a dielectrophoresis (DEP) force. A microorganism detection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a detection unit that detects microbial particles using a DEP force corresponding to latex particles combined with the microbial particles