Patents by Inventor Alexandre Brolo

Alexandre Brolo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9274053
    Abstract: The present invention presents a device and methods of use thereof in combined electrohydrodynamic concentration and plasmonic detection of a charged species of interest using a flow-through nanohole array. The device comprises microchannels, which are linked to a substrate with arrays of through nanoholes, wherein the substrate comprises two layers, wherein one of the layers is made of insulator material and one of the layers is made of metal, whereby induction of an electric field across the nanohole array results in the species of interest concentrating inside the nanoholes and in the vicinity of the nanohole arrays. The induction of an electric field is achieved by means of an external electric field source, which is applied to the fluid containing the species of interest, resulting in electroosmotic (EO) flow. An additional pressure driven fluid flow in the microchannels, co-directional to the EO flow is applied by external means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: UVic Industry Partnerships Inc.
    Inventors: Carlos Escobedo, David A. Sinton, Reuven Gordon, Alexandre Brolo
  • Publication number: 20120292496
    Abstract: The present invention presents a device and methods of use thereof in combined electrohydrodynamic concentration and plasmonic detection of a charged species of interest using a flow-through nanohole array. The device comprises microchannels, which are linked to a substrate with arrays of through nanoholes, wherein the substrate comprises two layers, wherein one of the layers is made of insulator material and one of the layers is made of metal, whereby induction of an electric field across the nanohole array results in the species of interest concentrating inside the nanoholes and in the vicinity of the nanohole arrays. The induction of an electric field is achieved by means of an external electric field source, which is applied to the fluid containing the species of interest, resulting in electroosmotic (EO) flow. An additional pressure driven fluid flow in the microchannels, co-directional to the EO flow is applied by external means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Carlos Escobedo, David A. Sinton, Reuven Gordon, Alexandre Brolo