Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090220974 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR THE SELECTION AND/OR PROCESSING OF PARTICLES, IN PARTICULAR FOR THE SELECTIVE AND/OR OPTIMISED LYSIS OF CELLS - Methods and apparatus for the selection or processing of particles sensitive to the application of an external stimulus, in which is produced, by applying the external stimulus, the rupture/lysis of at least one selected particle or the fusion of first and second selected particles, by means of the organisation of the particles using a first field of force by selectively energising electrodes of an array of selectable electrodes having dimensions comparable to or smaller than those of the particles, applying to the electrodes a first configuration of stresses; and by applying to the electrodes a second configuration of stresses, so as to create a second field of force, located substantially close to at least one selected particle to be lysated or to a pair of first and second particles to be fused and such as to produce the application of a stimulus suited to produce their lysis or fusion. | 09-03-2009 |
20100068780 | METHOD FOR THE SELECTION AND/OR THE PROCESSING OF PARTICLES, IN PARTICULAR CELLS - Method for the selection or the processing of first particles sensitive to the application of an external stimulus including the step of producing, through the application of the external stimulus, the permeabilization of at least a selected first particle, consisting in the organization of the first particles through a first force field, to generate a second force field substantially placed in proximity of at least a selected first particle to be permeabilized. | 03-18-2010 |
20100196897 | Method and Device for Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis - Method for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis comprising the following steps: a. obtain a sample of an organic fluid having a high probability of containing foetal cells from a pregnant woman; b. enrich said sample of organic fluid in at least one population of cells comprising at least one type of foetal nucleated cells; c. isolate at least one cell from among said at least one type of foetal nucleated cells; d. perform a genetic analysis on said at least one cell isolated from among said at least one type of foetal nucleated cells in order to highlight at least one genetic characteristic of said at least one foetal nucleated cell suitable for permitting said diagnosis; wherein the step of isolating at least one cell from among said at least one type of foetal nucleated cells is performed by individually selecting single cells in a microfluidic device designed for said purpose. | 08-05-2010 |
20110050200 | Apparatus and Method for Counting and Identifying Particles of Interest in a Fluid - The invention relates to an apparatus for counting particles in a fluid comprising a substrate having a first surface; a lid having a second surface facing the first; at least one spacer element interposed between the substrate and the lid so as to maintain the first and second surface spaced from one another; a partition with a plurality of through-openings having nanometric size, the partition being interposed between the spacer element and the lid so as to define at least one first chamber between the partition and the lid and at least one second chamber between the partition and the substrate, the chambers being fluidically connected with one another through at least one of the openings. According to the invention, the substrate has at least one first electrode on the first surface and the lid has a second electrode, each first electrode being configured so as to detect an electric signal associated to the passage of one of said particles through one of the through-openings of the partition. The invention further relates to a corresponding method for counting particles in a fluid. | 03-03-2011 |
20120028349 | Sorting Chamber - A sorting chamber ( | 02-02-2012 |
20120071335 | Method for Identification, Selection and Analysis of Tumour Cells - The present invention relates to a method for the diagnosis of tumoural conditions and/or of the corresponding state of advance, wherein a specimen of an organic fluid taken from the patient and having a high probability of containing at least one circulating tumour cell (CTC) or a disseminated tumour cell (CTD) is enriched in a population of CTCs or CTDs. According to the invention, at least one type of CTCs or CTDs is isolated by selecting individually single cells in a microfluidic device so to constitute a diagnostic specimen having a purity of at least 90%. On the specimen thus obtained there is subsequently performed a molecular analysis such as to highlight a characteristic thereof suited to enabling diagnosis. | 03-22-2012 |
20120091001 | Method and apparatus for the separation and quantification of particles - The invention pertains to a method and apparatus to separate and quantify particles using time-variable force fields. The force fields can be for dielectrophoresis (positive or negative), electrophoresis or electrohydrodinamic. In a first aspect of the method, the fields are translated and/or modified in space at a speed substantially comparable to the speed of translation of the fastest particles in the sample so that only these follow by changing position, while the slowest particles are not affected. | 04-19-2012 |
20120184010 | Microfluidic Device for Isolation of Cells - A microfluidic system ( | 07-19-2012 |
20130037139 | Micro-Fluidic System - A micro-fluidic system comprising a micro-fluidic channel, which has a wall provided with a hole; a closing element, which is partially housed within the hole and has a membrane portion adapted to deform and a side portion sealingly connected with the above mentioned wall; and a partition arranged within the micro-fluidic channel between a first and a second segment; the closing element is deformable between a locked configuration in contact with the partition and an open configuration spaced from the partition; the closing element may be deformed by suction or by a rod or a piston. | 02-14-2013 |
20130043133 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE MANIPULATION OF PARTICLES BY OVERLAPPING FIELDS OF FORCE - Methods and related devices are illustrated for generating time-variable electric fields suitable for determining the creation of closed dielectrophoretic cages able to trap inside even single particles without the cages being necessarily positioned at relative minimum points of the electric field. | 02-21-2013 |
20130045144 | Micro-Fluidic System - A micro-fluidic system comprising a micro-fluidic channel, which has a wall provided with a hole, within which a closing portion of a closing element extends; when the closing portion is arranged within the micro-fluidic channel, the passage of the liquid along the channel is interrupted; by deforming the closing element by suction the closing portion may be lifted and therefore allow the passage of liquid along the micro-fluidic channel. | 02-21-2013 |