Patent ID: 8329015

Claim:
A device for retaining polarizable target particles from a fluid suspension of target particles, said device comprising: (i) a substantially vertically oriented chamber having two opposed vertical side walls, a top and a bottom, an outlet opening at the top and, at or near said two opposed vertical side walls, an array of interdigitated electrodes, wherein: a channel is formed between said arrays of electrodes within said vertically oriented chamber, said chamber having a slanted bottom wall extending at an angle from horizontal, an inlet opening near the bottom of said chamber and a separate outlet opening in said slanted bottom wall, and said inlet opening being above said separate outlet opening, and whereby fluid entering at said inlet opening near the bottom of the chamber when in use travels in a vertical direction in the channel between the two arrays of electrodes, and out said outlet opening at the top, and target particles within the fluid exit through said separate outlet opening, below said inlet opening, in said slanted bottom wall of said chamber; (ii) a pump for pumping fluid into said inlet opening, through said channel of said chamber, and out said outlet opening at the top of said chamber; and (iii) a provider of electrical energy for providing electrical energy to said arrays of electrodes so as to generate an alternating electric field across said channel.