Blood separation by microfluidic acoustic focusing
Inventors
Fiering, Jason O. • Sundaram, Shivshanker • Meuller, Andrew
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12447256-B2
Publication Date
2025-10-21
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods for cleansing blood are disclosed herein. The methods include acoustically separating undesirable particles bound to capture particles from formed elements of whole blood. After introducing the capture particles to whole blood containing undesirable particles, the whole blood and capture particles are flowed through a microfluidic separation channel. At least one bulk acoustic transducer is attached to the microfluidic separation channel. A standing acoustic wave, imparted on the channel and its contents by the bulk acoustic transducer, drives the formed elements and undesirable particles bound to capture particles to specific aggregation axes. After aggregating the particles, the formed elements exit the separation channel through a first outlet and are returned to the patient. The undesirable particles, bound to the capture particles, exit through a second outlet and can be discarded to saved for later study.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to cleansing blood by flowing whole blood, including plasma, a plurality of formed elements, and a plurality of undesirable particles, into an inlet of a microfluidic separation channel defined in a thermoplastic. The method includes selecting a wavelength of a standing acoustic wave such that a predetermined width of the microfluidic separation channel is between 30% and 45% of the wavelength, and applying the standing acoustic wave transverse to a direction of flow so that the plurality of formed elements aggregate toward the axial center of the microfluidic separation channel.
The invention further includes using acoustics to route and aggregate different blood components within a microfluidic separation channel by imposing transverse standing acoustic waves. In representative refinements, geometry and acoustic relationships are constrained, including that the channel wall thickness is between 35% and 45% of the wavelength of the standing acoustic wave, and the channel width is between 30% and 35% of the wavelength.
The invention also includes introducing a plurality of lipid-based capture particles to bind undesirable particles present in whole blood. The disclosure provides capture particle structures and compositions that include affinity molecules and lipid-based capture particles formed as liposomes by injecting a mixture through a nozzle, and aggregated lipid-based capture particles are collected using a second downstream outlet positioned adjacent to a wall where the particles aggregate.
Claims Coverage
The document explicitly describes one independent claim covering a microfluidic, thermoplastic blood-cleansing method using a transverse standing acoustic wave tuned to a channel-width-to-wavelength constraint, producing axial-center aggregation of formed elements. Dependent claim features further constrain channel dimensions relative to standing-wave wavelength and optionally add lipid-based capture particles for binding undesirable particles with downstream outlet collection of aggregated capture particles.
Thermoplastic microfluidic channel with transverse standing acoustic wave for axial-center aggregation
Flowing whole blood into an inlet of a microfluidic separation channel defined in a thermoplastic, selecting a wavelength of a standing acoustic wave such that a predetermined width of the microfluidic separation channel is between 30% and 45% of the wavelength, and applying the standing acoustic wave transverse to a direction of flow so that the plurality of formed elements aggregate toward the axial center of the microfluidic separation channel.
Channel width constrained to 30% to 35% of standing-wave wavelength
Configuring the microfluidic separation channel such that the predetermined width is between 30% and 35% of the wavelength of the standing acoustic wave.
Channel wall thickness constrained to 35% to 45% of standing-wave wavelength
Configuring the microfluidic separation channel such that a thickness of a wall of the microfluidic separation channel is between 35% and 45% of the wavelength of the standing acoustic wave.
Lipid-based capture particles to bind undesirable particles
Introducing a plurality of lipid-based capture particles into the whole blood to bind the plurality of undesirable particles.
Downstream outlet collection of aggregated lipid-based capture particles
Collecting aggregated lipid-based capture particles from a microfluidic separation channel using a second downstream outlet positioned adjacent to a wall where the particles aggregate.
Liposome-based formation of lipid-based capture particles by nozzle injection
Forming a plurality of lipid-based capture particles by injecting a mixture containing an affinity molecule, a lipid, and a fluid through a nozzle to form liposomes around parts of the fluid.
Overall, the claim coverage centers on applying a transverse standing acoustic wave in a thermoplastic microfluidic separation channel with a specified 30% to 45% channel-width-to-wavelength relationship to drive formed elements to aggregate toward the axial center, with further geometry constraints on wall thickness and optional use of lipid-based capture particles, including liposome formation and downstream outlet collection of aggregated capture particles.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
Cleansing blood by flowing whole blood through a microfluidic separation channel in thermoplastic while applying a transverse standing acoustic wave to aggregate formed elements and, where included, binding undesirable particles with lipid-based capture particles.
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