IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,453,814
Granted Patent B2
US 12,453,814 · App. 17/612,391 · Granted Oct 28, 2025

Apparatus and methods for medical applications of laser driven microfluid pumps

Inventors: Jiming Bao (Pearland, TX); Wei-Kan Chu (Houston, TX); Feng Lin (Houston, TX); Shuai Yue (Pearland, TX); Di Chen (Houston, TX); Dennis McWilliams (Austin, TX)
Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM
A61M5/14212A61B17/3203A61B17/32037F04F7/00A61M2205/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,453,814
App. No.
17/612,391
Granted
Oct 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for drug delivery is presented in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The apparatus includes a laser-driven photoacoustic microfluid pump (LDMP), an open tube capillary including a first end and a second end; the first end disposed on the LDMP, the open tube capillary configured to store a drug. The LDMP is configured to generate a fluidic jet from the drug and deliver the drug.

Claims (4)

1. A method for manipulating a cell, comprising: grasping a cell by using a fluid tweezer, the fluid tweezer including: a two directional laser-driven photoacoustic microfluid pump (LDMP) including an optical fiber light bending unit including a first end and a second end; thermally expanding and contracting a layer of photoacoustic material disposed on the second end of the optical fiber in response to the laser beam striking the layer of photoacoustic material; and generating two directional fluidic jets in a medium.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer of photoacoustic material being configured to generate a directional ultrasound wave is in response to a laser beam impinging on the layer of photoacoustic material.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the layer of photoacoustic material includes nanoparticles.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the medium includes a cell to be manipulated by the fluid tweezer.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Apr 14, 2025
From: UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
To: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 070837/0917 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 28, 2021
From: BAO, JIMING; CHU, WEI-KAN; LIN, FENG; YUE, SHUAI; CHEN, DI; MCWILLIAMS, DENNIS
To: UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM
Reel/Frame 058487/0004 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62852485 · May 24, 2019
Related Publication 20220218896A1 · Jul 14, 2022
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