US Patent:
20110059556, Mar 10, 2011
Inventors:
Helmut Strey - Stony Brook NY, US
Robert Kimmerling - Shirley NY, US
Tomasz Bakowski - Levittown NY, US
Assignee:
The Research Foundation of State University of New York - Albany NY
International Classification:
G01N 33/543
B01L 3/00
C12M 1/00
Abstract:
The compositions and methods described herein are designed to introduce functionalized microparticles into droplets that can be manipulated in microfluidic devices by fields, including electric (dielectrophoretic) or magnetic fields, and extracted by splitting a droplet to separate the portion of the droplet that contains the majority of the microparticles from the part that is largely devoid of the microparticles. Within the device, channels are variously configured at Y- or T junctions that facilitate continuous, serial isolation and dilution of analytes in solution. The devices can be limited in the sense that they can be designed to output purified analytes that are then further analyzed in separate machines or they can include additional channels through which purified analytes can be further processed and analyzed.