Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080285099 | Method and apparatus for forming multi-dimensional colloidal structures using holographic optical tweezers - Holographic optical tweezers are used to position charge stabilized colloidal particles within a flow cell. Once the particles are positioned, fixation is accomplished by pumping an electrolyte solution or pH adjusted solution (or a combination of the two) into the sample cell. In the former, the Debye length is reduced and aggregation caused by the van der Waals attraction takes place. In the latter, the surface charge density of the suspension is reduced and aggregation caused by the van der Waals attraction takes place. This technique can be applied multiple times, and allows for the formation of two and three dimensional structures composed of multi-colloid types to be formed on or away from a substrate. The technique relies upon forces acting on virtually all colloidal dispersions making it applicable to a wide variety of colloid types and compositions, such as formation of photonic crystals, colloidal electronics, and bioengineered materials. | 11-20-2008 |
20090002790 | System and method for manipulating and processing materials using holographic optical trapping - An apparatus for manipulating particles (micro, nano, and pico) having one or more characteristics with an optical trap formed by modulating a laser beam with a Diffractive Optical Element (DOE). At least one characteristic of the material is selected; and a laser beam having a selected wavelength corresponding to the at least one selected characteristic of the material is generated. Values of the DOE are calculated corresponding to the at least one selected characteristic of the material. The beam and the DOE are modulated to produce a holographic optical trap having properties corresponding to the at least one selected characteristic; the trap is focused to a beam focus or selected spot size; and the beam focus is located near a particle location for trapping the particle therein. | 01-01-2009 |
20090032449 | Multiple laminar flow-based particle and cellular separation with laser steering - The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage. | 02-05-2009 |
20090108190 | System and method for manipulating and processing materials using holographic optical trapping - A method for manipulating particles (micro, nano, and pico) having one or more characteristics with an optical trap formed by modulating a laser beam with a Diffractive Optical Element (DOE). At least one characteristic of the material is selected; and a laser beam having a selected wavelength corresponding to the at least one selected characteristic of the material is generated. Values of the DOE are calculated corresponding to the at least one selected characteristic of the material. The beam and the DOE are modulated to produce a holographic optical trap having properties corresponding to the at least one selected characteristic; the trap is focused to a beam focus or selected spot size; and the beam focus is located near a particle location for trapping the particle therein. | 04-30-2009 |
20100216208 | Multiple laminar flow-based particle and cellular separation with laser steering - The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage. | 08-26-2010 |
20120183947 | MULTIPLE LAMINAR FLOW-BASED PARTICLE AND CELLULAR SEPARATION WITH LASER STEERING - The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One exemplary method includes providing a first flow having a plurality of components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first cellular component of the plurality of components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second cellular component of the plurality of components in the first flow. The second flow having the first cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage. | 07-19-2012 |
20140147881 | MULTIPLE LAMINAR FLOW-BASED PARTICLE AND CELLULAR IDENTIFICATION - The present invention provides a method and apparatus to identify at least one component from a plurality of components in a fluid mixture, the apparatus including a first input channel into which a first flow containing a plurality of components is introduced; a plurality of buffer input channels, into which additional flows of buffer solution are introduced, disposed on either side of the first input channel; wherein the first flow and the additional flows have a flow direction along a length of the apparatus; a detector apparatus which detects and identifies selected components of the plurality of components; a laser which emits a laser beam which damages or kills selected components of the plurality of components; and at least one channel disposed at the another end of the apparatus which is adapted to receive the first flow and the additional flows after operation of the laser on the selected components. | 05-29-2014 |
20140302596 | MULTIPLE LAMINAR FLOW-BASED PARTICLE AND CELLULAR IDENTIFICATION - An apparatus and method to identify at least one component from a plurality of components in a fluid mixture, includes a first input channel containing the fluid mixture of components; at least one buffer input channel, into which at least one additional flow of buffer solution is introduced; a plurality of regions disposed at the other end of the apparatus, which are adapted to receive outputs of at least one selected component of the plurality of components, the selected component which is selectively removed from the first flow to one of the regions; a waste channel through which unselected components are removed from the first flow; a plurality of pumps connected to at least one reservoir, to control flow rates of the first flow and the additional flow(s); and a computer which controls a selection of one of the plurality of components from the fluid mixture. | 10-09-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100252056 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR METERING ORAL TOBACCO IN PORTIONS SUITABLE FOR CONSUMPTION - An apparatus for metering oral tobacco into portions suitable for consumption including a delivery device to hold and deliver the tobacco and a metering device to receive the tobacco from the delivery device. The metering device includes a shaping component operative to shape and press the tobacco into at least one endless tobacco rod and a slicing component operative to slice the endless tobacco rod into pre-defined tobacco portions with respect to shape and weight and to discharge the tobacco portions for subsequent processing. Further, a method for metering oral tobacco in portions suitable for consumption, includes the steps of delivering the tobacco, continuous shaping and pressing the tobacco into at least one endless tobacco rod, slicing the endless tobacco rod into pre-defined tobacco portions with respect to shape and weight, and conveying the tobacco portions to a subsequent processing station. | 10-07-2010 |
20110239591 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR METERING TOBACCO IN PORTIONS SUITABLE FOR PACKAGING - An apparatus and method for metering tobacco in portions suitable for packaging. The apparatus includes a feeding element for the tobacco and a device for forming and discharging at least one tobacco portion suitable for packaging. The device comprises a wiping element for wiping tobacco into a portioning chamber. The portioning chamber is variable in volume for compressing the tobacco and releasing the compressed tobacco portion. The portioning chamber is also displaceable relative to the wiping element for displacing from a filling position into a dispensing position and vice versa. An element for discharging the compressed tobacco portion is disposed in the area of the dispensing position. | 10-06-2011 |
20130228416 | APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING PACKAGINGS THAT ARE NOT FREELY STACKABLE, IN PARTICULAR STICKPACKS, TO A TRANSPORT CONTAINER - An apparatus is disclosed for transporting packagings from a packaging apparatus having two dropping channels to a transport container. A first transport element has compartments, the centre-to-centre distance of which corresponds to a centre-to-centre distance of the dropping channels, receives the packagings from the packaging producing apparatus. A second transport element has compartments for transporting the packagings to the transport container, wherein the centre-to-centre distance of the compartments of the second transport element corresponds to half of the centre-to-centre distance of the dropping channels. The apparatus has a transfer unit for transferring the packaging from the first transport element to the second transport element, and to which a positioning device is assigned for positioning the compartments of the first transport element relative to the compartments of the second transport element. | 09-05-2013 |