Patent ID: 9638661
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: G01N,Y10T

Claim:
1. A device, comprising: a vessel for carrying a liquid medium having a plurality of particles; a substrate having a through-hole; a heater element embedded at least in part in the substrate, wherein the heater element is proximal to the through-hole and that facilitates generation of heat in the through-hole, wherein the heater element can be selectively heated by electromagnetic radiation; a first conductor located above the through-hole; a second conductor located below the through-hole, wherein the first and second conductors are coupled to a first source to cause an electric field between the first and second conductors, and wherein the electric field induces a flow of the plurality of particles through the through-hole; and a second source that facilitates generation of the electromagnetic radiation that causes the heater element to be heated, thereby resulting in a temperature gradient in the through-hole to cause an adjustable thermodynamic force that modifies the flow of the plurality of particles through the through-hole.