Manipulating micron scale items

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 7338636
APP PUB NO 20040259377A1
SERIAL NO

10770347

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Abstract

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Micron scale dielectric items are manipulated by methods and apparatus taking advantage of spatially non-uniform field. Such fields give rise to a force on dielectric items, directing them generally toward regions of more concentrated field. The electrode may be elongated, either unitary, with a generally planar counter electrode, or dual, such as parallel pins, loops or plates. If dual, particles are generally attracted to regions of high field concentration, including tips, edges and spaces between electrode conductors. Items can be granular, threadlike, or sheets, and microelectronic parts and other shapes. Items can also be collected directly into a recess of a pharmaceutical material delivery microchip, with a conductive membrane of the microchip acting as a manipulating electrode. Items are attracted without regard to their surface charge, or the polarity of the field, which can be AC or DC. Charging, or knowing the charge of items to be manipulated is not necessary. The amount of material collected can be precisely controlled by varying parameters of collection, such as distance between the electrode and the items, distance between dual conductors, size (diameter, length) of the conductors, any dielectric sheathing thereof, and voltage. Elongated electrodes can be used to manipulate items into and from recesses, such as wells of microtitre trays, microchips, and semiconductor chips.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYCAMBRIDGE MA 02139

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Chopinaud, Marjorie E Feytiat, FR 2 14
Cima, Michael J Winchester, MA 151 10097
Tupper, Malinda M Cambridge, MA 6 50

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