Devices and Methods for Optoelectronic Manipulation of Small Particles

Abstract

A method for sorting cells in a biological sample comprising a first type of cells and a second type of cells may comprise introducing the biological sample into a chamber comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is associated with a transparent electrode and the second surface is associated with a photoconductive portion of an electrode. The method may further comprise moving incident light and the photoconductive portion relative to one another so as to illuminate regions of the photoconductive portion and modulate an electric field in the chamber in proximity to the illuminated regions. The method may further comprise separating the first type of cells from the second type of cells in the chamber via dielectrophoretic movement of the first type of cells and the second type of cells caused by the modulated electric field, wherein a dielectrophoretic characteristic of at least one of the first type of cells and the second type of cells has been modified.

1 . A method for sorting cells in a biological sample comprising a first type of cells and a second type of cells, the method comprising: 
 introducing the biological sample into a chamber comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is associated with a transparent electrode and the second surface is associated with a photoconductive portion of an electrode;    moving incident light and the photoconductive portion relative to one another so as to illuminate regions of the photoconductive portion and modulate an electric field in the chamber in proximity to the illuminated regions; and    separating the first type of cells from the second type of cells in the chamber via dielectrophoretic movement of the first type of cells and the second type of cells caused by the modulated electric field,    wherein a dielectrophoretic characteristic of at least one of the first type of cells and the second type of cells has been modified.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a speed of relative movement between the incident light and the photoconductive portion based on dielectrophoretic movement characteristics of at least one of the first type of cells and the second type of cells.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein selecting the speed comprises selecting the speed based on predetermined dielectrophoretic movement characteristics of at least one of the first type of cells and the second type of cells.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein selecting the speed comprises selecting the speed based on dielectrophoretic movement characteristics of at least one of the first type of cells and the second type of cells observed from the separating step.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein moving the incident light and the photoconductive portion relative to one another comprises moving the incident light and the photoconductive portion relative to one another in a substantially continuous loop pattern.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing information regarding the dielectrophoretic movement characteristics of at least one of the first type of cells and the second type of cells.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying at least one of the first type of cells and the second type of cells from other types of cells based on observing the dielectrophoretic movement characteristics of at least one of the first type of cells and the second type of cells.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising moving the first type of cells and the second type of cells to differing locations outside of the chamber, wherein the moving comprises moving at least one of the first type of cells and the second type of cells via dielectrophoretic movement.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying an electrical potential generated via at least one of a DC power source and an AC power source across the transparent electrode and the electrode having a photoconductive portion so as to generate an electric field.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring the dielectrophoretic movement of each of the first type of cells and the second type of cells.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising measuring a dielectrophoretic displacement of each of the first type of cells and the second type of cells after separating the first type of cells and the second type of cells.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising moving at least one of the first type of cells and the second type of cells via electrophoresis.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising altering an intensity of the incident light so as to modulate the electric field.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein altering the intensity of the incident light comprises altering the intensity based on a position of the incident light relative to the photoconductive portion.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the moving step so as to achieve a desired separating of the first type of cells and the second type of cells.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein repeating the moving step comprises moving incident light of differing intensities relative to the photoconductive portion.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the moving step comprises selectively applying current to an array of electroluminescent material.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the moving step comprises generating an array of interdigitated virtual electrodes at illuminated regions of the photoconductive portion.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein separating the first type of cells from the second type of cells comprises separating tumor cells from nontumor cells.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein introducing the biological sample into the chamber comprises introducing the biological sample into a chamber comprising a second patternless surface associated with a photoconductive portion of an electrode.  
     
     
         21 . A method for sorting cells in a biological sample comprising a first type of cells and a second type of cells, the method comprising: 
 introducing the biological sample into a chamber comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is associated with a transparent electrode and the second surface is associated with a photoconductive portion of an electrode;    receiving information that indicates dielectrophoretic movement characteristics of the first type of cells and the second type of cells; and    selectively illuminating the second surface via incident light based on the information so as to modulate an electric field within the chamber and separate the first type of cells and the second type of cells from each other.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein receiving the information comprises receiving information corresponding to dielectrophoretic displacement of each of the first type of cells and the second type of cells in response to the incident light illuminating the surface.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein selectively illuminating the surface comprises altering a speed of relative motion between the incident light and the surface.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein receiving the information comprises at least one of receiving stored information and receiving information obtained from an image of the biological sample in the chamber.  
     
     
         25 . A device for manipulating cells in a biological sample, the device comprising: 
 a chamber comprising a transparent electrode and a photoconductive portion, wherein the chamber is configured to receive the biological sample,    wherein the transparent electrode comprises a PEGylated transparent electrode, and    wherein, upon illumination of the photoconductive portion with a light source, an electric field is modulated within the chamber to move the cells via dielectrophoresis.    
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the photoconductive portion comprises a PEGylated photoconductive portion.  
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the photoconductive portion comprises a SiO 2  PEGylated photoconductive portion.  
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the transparent electrode comprises a transparent gold electrode.  
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the transparent electrode is configured to transmit from about 40% to about 80% of incident light.  
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 25 , further comprising an additional electrode, wherein the photoconductive portion is in electrical contact with the additional electrode.  
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 30 , wherein the additional electrode comprises a metal electrode chosen from one of gold, indium tin oxide, and aluminum.  
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 25 , further comprising a power source configured to apply an electric potential to the chamber.  
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 25 , further comprising a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein the first substrate is provided with the transparent electrode and the second substrate is provided with the photoconductive surface.  
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 33 , wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are made of glass.  
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 25 , further comprising a light source configured to scan the chamber so as to simultaneously illuminate differing regions of the photoconductive portion, the differing regions being illuminated at differing intensities.  
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 35 , wherein the light source comprises an electroluminescent material.  
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 25 , further comprising a base structure, wherein the base structure and the chamber form a disposable cartridge assembly.  
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 37 , further comprising a fluid interface mechanism configured to interface the disposable cartridge assembly with fluid handling instrumentation to supply fluid to the chamber.  
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the device is configured to be an accessory to a microscope.  
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 39 , further comprising a scanning mirror for illuminating the photoconductive portion with light reflected from the light source.  
     
     
         41 . A device for separating cells in a biological sample containing a first type of cells and a second type of cells, the device comprising: 
 a chamber comprising a means for generating an electric field in the chamber, the chamber containing the biological sample; and    means for illuminating regions of the chamber by imparting relative motion between incident light and the chamber; and    means for modulating the electric field in the chamber at locations corresponding to the illuminated regions so as to separate the first type of cells and second type of cells from each other by dielectrophoretic movement of the cells.    
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 41 , wherein the means for illuminating is configured so as to scan incident light relative to the chamber.  
     
     
         43 . The device of  claim 41 , wherein the means for modulating comprises a photoconductive element.  
     
     
         44 . The device of  claim 43 , wherein the photoconductive element comprises a plurality of noncontiguous photoconductive elements.  
     
     
         45 . The device of  claim 41 , further comprising a means for measuring information relating to dielectrophoretic movement of the first type of cells and the second type of cells.