Selective Particle Capture Device with Variable Fluidic Channel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies for detecting and capturing micro-particles in fluids face issues such as inaccurate detection of undesired particles, loss of target particles, and changes in biochemical characteristics during the detection process, primarily due to reliance on biochemical or physical characteristics alone.
Innovation Solution
A particle processing device utilizing a fluidic chamber with bidirectional flow and a capturing structure featuring changeable sectional shapes and auxiliary structures to selectively capture and collect particles, preventing undesired particles from entering the fluidic channel based on deformability and stiffness, and employing biochemical material layers or surface treatments to enhance adhesive strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If biochemical or physical characteristics are used for particle detection, then detection capability is improved, but accuracy deteriorates due to inaccurate detection of undesired particles
Solution Approach 1:
The detection process is segmented into multiple stages: initial particle capture based on physical characteristics (size, deformability) followed by secondary verification. The fluidic channel is divided into a capture region with larger opening and a verification region with smaller opening, allowing staged filtering to improve accuracy while maintaining detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts detection criteria by using bidirectional flow to reversibly capture and release particles. During forward flow, particles are captured based on physical characteristics; during backward flow, captured particles are released for verification, enabling dynamic adjustment of detection accuracy without sacrificing detection capability.
2Productivity
If biochemical surface processes are used to increase adhesive strength, then particle capture efficiency is improved, but target particle loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic bidirectional flow to reversibly capture particles. During forward flow, particles are captured with high efficiency; during backward flow, the flow direction reverses and releases captured particles, preventing permanent loss and allowing verification before final collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes flow parameters (direction, velocity) to control particle capture and release. By adjusting flow rate and direction, the adhesive strength is temporarily overcome during backward flow to release particles for verification, reducing loss of false positives while maintaining high capture efficiency during forward flow.
3Productivity
If biochemical surface processes are used for particle capture, then capture efficiency is improved, but biochemical characteristics of target particles change
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses physical characteristics (size, deformability) as intermediaries for particle capture instead of direct biochemical interactions. The fluidic channel structure acts as a mediator that captures particles based on physical properties, avoiding biochemical surface processes that would alter particle characteristics while maintaining capture efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces biochemical surface processes with a mechanical filtering mechanism. The fluidic channel uses physical barriers and flow dynamics to capture particles based on size and deformability, substituting mechanical action for biochemical adhesion to preserve particle integrity and biochemical characteristics.
4Device complexity
If a fixed-size opening is used in the fluidic channel, then device simplicity is improved, but particle separation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fluidic channel incorporates a variable opening size that changes dynamically along the flow direction. The opening is larger in the capture region to allow efficient particle entry, then becomes smaller in the verification region to enable size-based separation, providing adaptability without requiring multiple separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds the dimension of spatial variation in opening size along the flow path. Instead of using a single fixed opening, the channel width varies continuously from larger to smaller dimensions, enabling multi-stage particle separation within a single simple structure rather than requiring multiple discrete components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device efficiently captures and collects particles while minimizing the loss of target particles and maintaining their viability, enabling real-time quantitative analysis and effective separation based on multiple particle characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
The second size of the second opening may be smaller than the minimum size of the particle that is deformed under a local pressure due to the physical characteristics of the particle such as deformability or stiffness.
Implementation Method 2
a biochemical material layer may be formed on at least one of the capturing structure and the auxiliary structure or surface treatment may be performed on the at least one of the capturing structure and the auxiliary structure to change surface characteristics, in order to increase or decrease the adhesive strench with the particle.
Data Source
AI summary
A particle processing device includes a chamber and at least one capturing structure. The chamber is connected to a first port and a second port to provide a space between the first and second ports for flowing of a fluid having a particle. The capturing structure is provided in the chamber to form a fluidic channel, wherein the fluidic channel has a first opening and a second opening and a capturing region is formed between the first and second openings such that the capturing region has a changeable sectional shape for capturing the particle in the fluid flowing from the first port to the second port.