Patent ID: 8778158

Claim:
A method for the manipulation of particles comprising: a step of generating at least one field of force configuration using at least an array of first and second main electrodes, said at least one field of force configuration creating, in at least one first spatial point in the vicinity of which at least one particle of said particles is located, at least one point of stable equilibrium that traps said at least one particle, said at least one field of force configuration being configured such that: the at least one point of stable equilibrium is generated at a first field minimum localized at said first main electrodes of said array, and second field minima are generated in at least one group of second spatial points located in the vicinity of said at least one point of stable equilibrium and at regions arranged between two adjacent second main electrodes; and a step of generating a localised increase in the intensity of said field of force at said second field minima using an array of first and second auxiliary electrodes each arranged in a gap between adjacent first and second main electrodes.