Patent ID: 7704395
Filing Date: 2010-04-27
Classification: A61M,B01L,B03C,G01N,G03H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for separating a fluid mixture into constituent, non-motile components, the apparatus comprising: a first separation region having a first inlet and a second inlet, said first inlet introducing a first flow and said second inlet introducing a second flow into said first separation region; means for providing said first flow and said second flow as non-turbulent, laminar flows into said first separation region; wherein a first component of a plurality of components in said first flow sediment into said second flow to form an enriched second flow and depleted first flow to purify said first flow, while concurrently maintaining a second component of the plurality of components in said first flow; wherein said first separation region has a first outlet through which said depleted first flow exits to a third inlet of a second separation region, and second outlet into which said enriched second flow is deposited; wherein said second separation region is an optically transparent sorting region, and includes a fourth inlet through which a third flow enters and a third outlet and a fourth outlet; a holographic optical trap system coupled to the second separation region, the holographic optical trap system which generates a holographic optical trap to select and move said second component from said depleted first flow into said third flow to form an enriched third flow and a further depleted first flow, said enriched third flow exiting through said third outlet; wherein said further depleted first flow continues to said fourth outlet, connected to said fourth inlet in first recirculation loop, to recirculate into said second separation region as said third flow, and receives a fourth flow from a fifth inlet downstream form said fourth outlet, connected to said second inlet in second recirculation loop, to recirculate into said first separation region as said second flow.