US 12,265,077 B2
Acoustic separation of particles for bioprocessing
Jason O. Fiering, Boston, MA (US); and Kenneth T. Kotz, Newton, MA (US)
Assigned to The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed by THE CHARLES STARK DRAPER LABORATORY, INC., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed on Oct. 23, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/661,845.
Application 16/661,845 is a division of application No. 15/965,368, filed on Apr. 27, 2018, granted, now 10,914,723.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/492,044, filed on Apr. 28, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0057045 A1, Feb. 20, 2020
Int. Cl. G01N 33/49 (2006.01); A61M 1/36 (2006.01); B01D 21/28 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B03B 1/04 (2006.01); G01N 15/02 (2024.01); G01N 15/06 (2024.01); G01N 15/01 (2024.01); G01N 15/10 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 33/491 (2013.01) [A61M 1/3678 (2014.02); A61M 1/3693 (2013.01); B01D 21/283 (2013.01); B01L 3/502753 (2013.01); B03B 1/04 (2013.01); G01N 15/02 (2013.01); G01N 15/06 (2013.01); B01D 2221/10 (2013.01); B01L 3/502761 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0652 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0436 (2013.01); G01N 15/01 (2024.01); G01N 2015/0288 (2013.01); G01N 2015/0681 (2013.01); G01N 2015/0687 (2013.01); G01N 2015/1006 (2013.01); G01N 2015/1028 (2024.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of separating target particles from non-target particles in a biofluid, the method comprising:
providing the biofluid comprising the target particles and the non-target particles, the target particles being unbound;
introducing into the biofluid an additive to regulate the density of the biofluid while preserving the integrity of the particles, wherein the density of the biofluid is regulated to substantially match a density of the target particles;
flowing the pretreated biofluid into an inlet of a microfluidic separation channel; and
applying acoustic energy to the pretreated biofluid within the microfluidic separation channel, such that the target particles accumulate within at least one primary stream along a peripheral region of the microfluidic separation channel and the non-target particles accumulate within at least one secondary stream along a central region of the microfluidic separation channel to separate the target-particles and the non-target particles, the separation occurring within the microfluidic separation channel; and
continue flowing the at least one primary stream and at least one secondary stream within the microfluidic separation channel along a same axis towards an outlet opposite the inlet.