Patent ID: 7676122

Claim:
A system for particle sorting, selecting, manipulating, or analyzing using optical waveguides comprising: (a) a microfluidic particle sorting, selecting, manipulating, or analyzing apparatus, the apparatus including: i. at least one microfluidic main channel for receiving a microfluidic stream of particles; ii. at least one microfluidic transverse channel communicating with the main channel for receiving target particles having defined characteristics from the stream of particles, the transverse channel being disposed generally transverse of the main channel; and iii. at least one optical waveguide disposed adjacent to the at least one transverse channel, and aligned with the transverse channel so as to deliver an optical beam that deflects the target particles into the transverse channel; and (b) a means of tuning the system based on the characteristics, and deflecting the target particles to the transverse channel, thereby enabling sorting, selecting, manipulation, or analysis of the target particles, the system being tunable to deflect target particles based on specific characteristics and the system enabling (a) adjustment of the speed at which the particle suspension travels through the apparatus, and (b) correlating characteristics of the optical beam to the speed, so as to deflect only target particles below a desired inertia threshold.