Multiple laminar flow-based particle and cellular separation with laser steering
The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.
1. A system for separation of a plurality of components from a fluid mixture, the system comprising:
a flow plate having a plurality of inlets for a first flow and a second flow and having a plurality of outlets for the first flow and the second flow, the flow plate further having at least one separation region in which the first flow and the second flow are substantially laminar;
a plurality of pumps to control the flow rates of the first flow and the second flow;
a temperature control to control the temperature of the first flow and the second flow; and
a computer adapted to provide user input for control of the separation of the plurality of components from the fluid mixture in the separation region.