Automated detection and repositioning of micro-objects in microfluidic devices

1. A method of re-positioning micro-objects in a microfluidic device, the method comprising:

identifying a set of micro-objects disposed within a specified spatial region of the microfluidic device;

calculating a set of vertices that divide the specified spatial region into sub-regions, each of which contains one or more micro-object(s) of the set of micro-objects;

generating a modified first light cage for at least one micro-object of the set of micro-objects based on the calculated set of vertices; and

moving the modified first light cage relative to the specified spatial region of the microfluidic device to re-position the at least one micro-object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating said set of vertices that divide the specified spatial region into sub-regions comprises calculating a set of vertices that maximize the distance between a subset of the calculated set of vertices that are adjacent to each micro-object of the set of micro-objects and the micro-object.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating said set of vertices comprises calculating a set of vertices that divide the specified spatial region into sub-regions, wherein at least a subset of the sub-regions contains a single micro-object of the set of micro-objects.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein calculating the set of vertices comprises:

calculating a Delaunay triangulation of the set of micro-objects;

generating a Voronoi diagram based on the Delaunay triangulation of the set of micro-objects; and

identifying the set of vertices based on the Voronoi diagram.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the modified first light cage comprises:

computing, for a first micro-object of the set of micro-objects, a first light cage;

computing an intersection between the first light cage and the set of vertices; and

generating the modified first light cage based on the intersection between the first light cage and the set of vertices.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

computing, for a second micro-object of the set of micro-objects, a second light cage;

computing the intersection between the second light cage and the set of vertices; and

generating a modified second light cage based on the intersection between the second light cage and the set of vertices, wherein the modified second light cage does not intersect with the modified first light cage.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising moving both the modified first light cage and the modified second light cage relative to the specified spatial region of the microfluidic device to physically separate the first micro-object and the second micro-object.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first micro-object and the second micro-object are initially located in adjacent sub-regions of the specified spatial region.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one micro-object is re-positioned from a first location in the microfluidic device to a second location.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first location is within a microfluidic channel of the microfluidic device and the second location is within a sequestration pen of the microfluidic device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sequestration pen comprises an isolation region and a connection region which connects the isolation region to the microfluidic channel.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the modified first light cage moves the at least one micro-object from the microfluidic channel, through the connection region, and into in the isolation region of the sequestration pen.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first location is within a sequestration pen of the microfluidic device and the second location is within a microfluidic channel of the microfluidic device.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first location is within a first sequestration pen of the microfluidic device and the second location is within a second sequestration pen of the microfluidic device.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein re-positioning the at least one micro-object of the set of micro-objects comprises accelerating each of the at least one micro-objects from an initial velocity to a traveling velocity over a first time period.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein re-positioning the at least one micro-object of the set of micro-objects comprises decelerating each of the at least one micro-objects from the traveling velocity to a final velocity over a second time period.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the set of micro-objects comprises using machine learning techniques.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one micro-object is a cell.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the cell is a mammalian cell.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microfluidic device comprises a dielectrophoresis (DEP) configuration.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the modified first light cage activates DEP electrodes in the microfluidic device, thereby generating DEP forces that move the at least one micro-object.

22. A method of re-positioning a micro-object in a microfluidic device, the method comprising:

identifying a set of micro-objects disposed within a specified spatial region of the microfluidic device;

generating a modified first light cage to encompass at least one micro-object of the set of micro-objects; and

moving the modified light cage to re-position the at least one micro-object and separate it the at least one micro-object from the set of micro-objects.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the at least one micro-object is re-positioned from a first location in the microfluidic device to a second location.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first location is within a microfluidic channel of the microfluidic device and the second location is within a sequestration pen of the microfluidic device.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the sequestration pen comprises an isolation region and a connection region which connects the isolation region to the microfluidic channel.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the modified first light cage moves the at least one micro-object from the microfluidic channel, through the connection region, and into in the isolation region of the sequestration pen.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first location is within a sequestration pen of the microfluidic device and the second location is within a microfluidic channel of the microfluidic device.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first location is within a first sequestration pen of the microfluidic device and the second location is within a second sequestration pen of the microfluidic device.

29. The method of claim 22 , wherein re-positioning the at least one micro-object of the set of micro-objects comprises accelerating each of the at least one micro-objects from an initial velocity to a traveling velocity over a first time period.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein re-positioning the at least one micro-object of the set of micro-objects comprises decelerating each of the at least one micro-objects from the traveling velocity to a final velocity over a second time period.

31. The method of claim 22 , wherein identifying the set of micro-objects comprises using machine learning techniques.

32. The method of claim 22 , wherein the at least one micro-object is a cell.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the cell is a mammalian cell.

34. The method of claim 22 , wherein the microfluidic device comprises a dielectrophoresis (DEP) configuration.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the modified first light cage activates DEP electrodes in the microfluidic device, thereby generating DEP forces that move the at least one micro-object.