A patterned optoelectronic tweezers (p-OET) device is provided. The p-OET device includes a top and a bottom electrode arranged in a parallel spaced apart relationship. A patterned photoconductor layer is provided on the bottom electrode, and forms a pattern comprising at least one raised region where the bottom electrode is coated by a photoconductor material and at least one hollow region where the bottom electrode is exposed. The pattern includes one or more boundaries between the raised and hollow regions. In some implementations, the boundaries of the patterned photoconductive layer define a permanent trap feature.

In one embodiment, a method for isolating and detection one or more biomarkers of interest on a dielectrophoresis device includes receiving a first biological sample containing one or more biomarkers of interest onto a dielectrophoresis (DEP) electrode array, applying a DEP force through particular electrodes of the DEP electrode array, wherein a strength, direction, and period of time of the DEP force is specific to the one or more biomarkers of interest of the first biological sample, and determining, via a digital sensor, a quantity of the one or more biomarkers of interest of the first biological sample.

A fluid entrained particle separator may include an inlet passage to direct particles entrained in a fluid, a first separation passage branching from the inlet passage, a second separation passage branching from the inlet passage and electrodes to create electric field exerting a dielectrophoretic force on the particles to direct the particles to the first separation passage or the second separation passage, wherein the first separation passage, the second separation passage, the electric field and the dielectrophoretic force extend in a plane.

A method for dielectrophoresis includes applying an electric field across a micro-fluidic chamber with an alternating current (AC), trapping the target particles on the at least one carrier particle, transporting the target particles from a first location in the chamber to a second location in the chamber distanced from the first location with the at least one carrier particle and dynamically controlling the trapping and the transporting based on remotely applying forces on the at least one carrier particle. The trapping is based on localized gradients of the electric field induced by the carrier particle. The applied electric field is uniform absent a carrier particle present in the micro-fluidic chamber. The micro-fluidic chamber contains an electrolyte-solution with suspended target particles and at least one carrier particle freely floating on or in the electrolyte-solution.

A separation device is a separation device that separates dielectric particles. The separation device includes a flow channel (20), a plurality of three-dimensionally shaped electrodes (31, 32), a power supply (40), and a controller. The flow channel (20) feeds a suspension containing the dielectric particles. The plurality of three-dimensionally shaped electrodes (31, 32) is arranged in the flow channel (20) and extends in a height direction of the flow channel (20). The power supply (40) applies an AC voltage with a predetermined frequency to the plurality of electrodes (31, 32) so as to generate dielectrophoresis of the dielectric particles. The controller controls the power supply.

A microfluidic device may, in an example, include at least one microfluidic channel, a dielectrophoresis separator to separate a plurality of cells passing within the at least one microfluidic channel, and a thermal resistor to eject at least one cell from the microfluidic device. A cassette may, in an example, include a die coupled to a substrate of the cassette, the die including at least one microfluidic channel, a dielectrophoresis separator along the microfluidic channel to separate a plurality of cells passing within the microfluidic channel, and an ejection device to eject at least one of the plurality of cells into an assay well.

Techniques for separating particles of interest from whole blood are disclosed. An example particle separation chip includes a first inlet on the particle separation chip for receiving whole blood and a second inlet on the particle separation chip for receiving a lysis buffer. The particle separation chip also includes a mixer to mix the whole blood with the lysis buffer to provide lysis of red blood cells in the whole blood. The particle separation chip also includes a buffer exchanger to exchange the lysis buffer for a dielectrophoresis buffer to produce a solution that enables dielectrophoretic separation of particles of interest. The particle separation chip also includes a separator coupled to an output of the buffer exchanger to separate the particles of interest from other particles in the solution via dielectrophoretic separation and deliver the particles of interest to an outlet on the particle separation chip.

A dielectrophoresis-based in-droplet cell concentrator is disclosed herein. The concentrator can include a concentration microchannel having an input port and two or more outlet ports. The input port introduces cell-encapsulated droplets or particle-encapsulated droplets into the microchannel; a first outlet port receives droplets including most of the cells or particles and a second output port receives droplets including few cells or particles. The concentrator also can include a pair of electrodes. When voltage is applied, the electrodes will create an electric field across the microchannel. The concentrator adds new capabilities to droplet microfluidics operations, such as adjusting concentrations of cells in droplets, separating cells of different properties from inside droplets, and solution exchange.

There is provided a microchip including a plurality of substrate layers having a flow path in which a liquid containing microparticles flows in at least one of the substrate layers, the microchip at least including: an optical radiation region in which light is radiated to microparticles contained in a fluid flowing in the flow path from a side surface of the substrate layers.

The present invention discloses a nanoparticle control and detection system and operating method thereof. The present invention controls and detects the nanoparticles in the same device. The device comprises a first transparent electrode, a photoconductive layer, a spacer which is deposed on the edge of the photoconductive layer and a second transparent electrode. The aforementioned device controls and detects the nanoparticles by applying AC/DC bias and AC/DC light source to the transparent electrode.