APPARATUS WITH ELECTRODE ARRAYS FOR CARRYING OUT CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL OR PHYSICO-CHEMCAL REACTIONS

摘要

1. Apparatus for carrying out chemical, physical or physico-chemical reactions between particles suspended in a liquid medium, which apparatus comprises a generally planar substrate, means defining on the substrate a plurality of inter-connected fluid channels, and a plurality of electrode arrays associated with the channels and/or with junctions between the channels, and means for applying electrical signals to the electrode arrays to cause movement of particles suspended in liquid within the channels by one or more electromotive phenomena, wherein at least one junction of the channels is provided with a pair of partially overlapping each other electrode arrays, the means for applying electrical signals is adapted to transmit different signals to each pair of the electrode arrays to cause different movement of suspended particles by travelling wave dielectrophoresis. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the interconnected fluid channels constitute a single planar array. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the channels are made by photo lithography and/or laser machining. 4. Apparatus according to any one of claim 1 to 3 wherein the width of the channels is at least twice the average particle size of the particles to be reacted. 5. Apparatus according to any one of claim 1 to 4 wherein the electrode arrays and means for applying electrical signals to them are adapted to move particles by dielectrophoresis and/or electro-rotation and/or travelling wave dielectrophoresis. 6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least some of the electrode arrays are arranged when appropriate electrical signals are applied thereto to act as particle traps from which particles may be subsequently released by applying different electrical signals thereto. 7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one of the electrode arrays is adapted to constitute with its associated fluid channels an electro-rotation analysis chamber. 8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including an inlet channel and two outlet channels and wherein the electrode arrays associated with the inlet and both outlet channels and the means for applying electrical signals to the electrode arrays are adapted to sort particles of different properties entering from the inlet channel into the two outlet channels.