Method of using unbalanced alternating electric field in microfluidic devices

Abstract

The applicant describes a new method of generating directed motion of the liquid in the microfluidic device by applying “un-balanced” AC electric field for generating electroosmosis and related hydrodynamic flow in the chamber with any symmetry of the elements, including spherical or cylindrical symmetry, and any relative position of these elements. Direction of the flow depends on the phase of the “un-balanced” electric field, which opens a simple way to operate flow and create a desirable flow pattern.

1 . Method of generating directed motion of liquid by applying un-balanced alternating electric field, which is AC electric field with a zero time averaged component and finite time averaged of the higher than one powers of the electric field strength, to the system of material objects with arbitrary symmetry for inducing electroosmotic flow on the object-liquid interfaces.  
   
   
       2 . Method of the  claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the AC electric field exceeds Warburg frequency of the several KHz for eliminating Faraday current but is lower than hydrodynamic relaxation frequency  
   
   
       3 . Method of the  claim 1 , wherein the electroosmosis generating objects have either spherical or cylindrical symmetry and size not exceeding 10 microns.  
   
   
       4 . Method of the  claim 1 , wherein the system of electroosmosis generating objects is microfluidics device with array of the metal electrodes.  
   
   
       5 . Method of the  claim 1 , wherein the system of electroosmosis generating objects is microfluidics device with array of the metal obstacles and electric field is applied by the means of external electrodes systems.