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Assignees
Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc
Member
DraperDraper is an independent nonprofit engineering innovation company with a legacy spanning over 90 years, dedicated to delivering transformative solutions for national security, prosperity, and global challenges. Renowned for its pioneering work in guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) systems, Draper partners with government, industry, and academia to engineer advanced technologies in space, defense, biotechnology, and electronic systems. The company leverages multidisciplinary expertise, digital engineering, and a collaborative approach to provide field-ready prototypes, mission-critical systems, and innovative research. Draper’s mission is to ensure the nation's security and prosperity by delivering sustainable, cutting-edge solutions that address the toughest problems of today and tomorrow, while fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce. Draper also invests in the next generation of innovators through robust educational programs, including internships, co-ops, and the Draper Scholars Program, integrating academic research with real-world problem-solving.
Draper is an independent nonprofit engineering innovation company with a legacy spanning over 90 years, dedicated to delivering transformative solutions for national security, prosperity, and global challenges. Renowned for its pioneering work in guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) systems, Draper partners with government, industry, and academia to engineer advanced technologies in space, defense, biotechnology, and electronic systems. The company leverages multidisciplinary expertise, digital engineering, and a collaborative approach to provide field-ready prototypes, mission-critical systems, and innovative research. Draper’s mission is to ensure the nation's security and prosperity by delivering sustainable, cutting-edge solutions that address the toughest problems of today and tomorrow, while fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce. Draper also invests in the next generation of innovators through robust educational programs, including internships, co-ops, and the Draper Scholars Program, integrating academic research with real-world problem-solving.
Publication Number
US-12265077-B2
Publication Date
2025-04-01
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method for separating particles in a biofluid includes pretreating the biofluid by introducing an additive, flowing the pretreated biofluid through a microfluidic separation channel, and applying acoustic energy to the microfluidic separation channel. A system for microfluidic separation, capable of separating target particles from non-target particles in a biofluid includes at least one microfluidic separation channel, a source of biofluid, a source of additive, and at least one acoustic transducer coupled to the microfluidic separation channel. A kit for microfluidic particle separation includes a microfluidic separation channel connected to an acoustic transducer, a source of an additive, and instructions for use.
Core Innovation
The invention provides methods, systems, and a kit for separating target particles from non-target particles in a biofluid by pretreating the biofluid with an additive, flowing the pretreated biofluid through a microfluidic separation channel, and applying acoustic energy to the microfluidic separation channel so that target particles accumulate within at least one primary stream and non-target particles accumulate within at least one secondary stream. The disclosure describes that pretreating may comprise introducing an additive to alter at least one of size, compressibility, aggregation potential, or density of the biofluid, the target particles, or the non-target particles, and that the acoustic energy may be applied transverse to a direction of fluid flow to establish pressure nodes and anti-nodes that drive differential particle migration.
The background identifies a need to remove foreign particles introduced into biofluids for therapeutic treatment prior to delivering a processed fluid to a patient, noting limitations of prior approaches such as centrifugation and membrane filtration. The disclosure frames the invention as addressing those limitations by providing continuous acoustic separation that can separate particles by multiple physical properties, be scaled to different sample volumes, and achieve a high degree of purification with physiologically acceptable additives.
Claims Coverage
This patent includes two independent claims from which seven main inventive features are extracted.
Providing biofluid with unbound target particles
Providing the biofluid comprising the target particles and the non-target particles, the target particles being unbound.
Introducing additive to regulate biofluid density to match target particles
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 pretreated biofluid into a microfluidic separation channel
Flowing the pretreated biofluid into an inlet of a microfluidic separation channel.
Applying acoustic energy to produce peripheral primary and central secondary streams
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.
Continuing flow of primary and secondary streams to an outlet along the same axis
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.
Microfluidic channel configured to maintain primary and secondary streams
Flowing the pretreated biofluid into an inlet of a microfluidic separation channel configured to maintain at least one primary stream and at least one secondary stream therewithin.
Accumulation and flow of particles within maintained streams under acoustic energy
Applying acoustic energy to the pretreated biofluid within the microfluidic separation channel, such that the target particles accumulate within and flow through the at least one primary stream and the non-target particles accumulate within and flow through the at least one secondary stream, the separation occurring within the microfluidic separation channel.
The independent claims center on (1) providing a biofluid with unbound target particles, (2) pretreating the biofluid with an additive to regulate density to substantially match target particle density, (3) flowing the pretreated biofluid through a microfluidic separation channel configured to maintain primary and secondary streams, and (4) applying acoustic energy so that target and non-target particles accumulate and flow in distinct streams to an outlet.
Stated Advantages
Removal of particles can be performed continuously.
Separation by both size and density to enhance particle separation.
Processes may be readily scaled to small or large sample volumes.
A high degree of purification can be achieved with the addition of physiologically acceptable additives.
Improved selective separation of target particles from biofluid suspensions compared to prior methods limited to a single separation property.
Documented Applications
Processing of cells for cell therapy, including separation of synthetic cell capture particles from a blood sample.
Removal of magnetic paramagnetic capture particles from a final therapeutic product.
Large scale bioprocessing, including separation of carrier particles from cell culture suspensions such as cultured mesenchymal stem cells.
Diagnostic or environmental monitoring assays.
Tissue engineering and in vitro models.
Biomanufacturing systems, including for energy applications.
In-line donor-to-recipient biofluid processing workflows, including obtaining biofluid from a donor subject and delivering post-treated, target-particle-depleted fluid to a recipient subject.
Processing of biofluids including blood buffy coat, leukapheresis product, peripheral blood, whole blood, lymph fluid, synovial fluid, spinal fluid, bone marrow, and ascites fluid.
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