Patent ID: 8268151
Filing Date: 2012-09-18
Classification: B03C

Abstract:
1. A method for the manipulation of particles comprising generating a succession of a plurality of different field of force configurations over a time interval, wherein effects of the plurality of different field of force configurations overlap to result effectively in a single field of force acting on the at least one particle, wherein a resulting effect of the field of force on said at least one particle is different from the effect of each configuration of said plurality of different field of force configurations taken individually, the resulting effect of the field of force trapping the at least one particle at approximately the same point during the time interval and wherein the generating the succession of the plurality of different field of force configurations comprises creating at least one point of stable equilibrium trapping said at least one particle by generating said succession over time of a plurality of different field of force configurations where each taken individually is not necessarily suitable for creating said point of stable equilibrium, but the resulting effect of which is the creation of at least one said point of stable equilibrium suitable for trapping at least one said particle, wherein generating the succession of the plurality of different field of force configurations comprises generating a succession over time of different configurations of electric potentials applied to a first electrode of an array of electrodes and to second electrodes of said array adjacent to the first, said succession being chosen so as to form substantially a said point of stable equilibrium at said first electrode as a resulting effect and, simultaneously, prevent the same phase from being applied to adjacent electrodes of said electrode array in each field of force configuration of said succession over time of configurations with the consequent possible creation of undesired points of stable equilibrium.