Patent ID: 8900434

Claim:
A dielectrophoresis method for separating particles from a sample fluid containing the particles, comprising the steps of: providing a dielectrophoresis body providing a dielectrophoresis channel in said dielectrophoresis body, said dielectrophoresis channel having a central axis, a bottom, a top above said bottom, a first side, and a second side; providing a first mesa projecting into said dielectrophoresis channel from said bottom and extending from said first side across said dielectrophoresis channel to said second side, said first mesa extending at an angle to said central axis of said dielectrophoresis channel; providing a first electrode extending along said first mesa; providing a second mesa projecting from said top into said dielectrophoresis channel and extending from said first side across said dielectrophoresis channel to said second side, said second mesa parallel to said first mesa; providing a second electrode extending along said second mesa; providing a space between at least one of said first mesa and said second side or said second mesa and said second side; and providing a gap between said first electrode and said second electrode: providing a recovery fluid; pumping the sample fluid containing the particles into said dielectrophoresis channel so that the sample fluid containing the particles flows through said gap between said first electrode and said second electrode; pumping said recovery fluid into said dielectrophoresis channel along side the sample fluid containing the particles so that said recovery fluid flows through said gap between said first electrode and said second electrode and at least a portion of said recovery fluid flows into said space between at least one of said first mesa and said second side or said second mesa and said second side; and energizing said first electrode and said second electrode creating a dielectrophoresis on the particles causing the particles to move from the sample fluid to said recovery fluid thereby separating the particles from the sample fluid.