Abstract: The invention provides an alternating current electrospray technology that can generate micron sized droplets in oil at very high throughput for emulsion or digital PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). This technology outperforms the throughput of the current gold standard in droplet generation using flow-focusing technology by at least a factor of 100. The design is simple and can generate a billion to a trillion monodispersed droplets in about one hour. This is much faster than flow-focusing which is limited to a few million droplets per hour. The droplet size and generation rate can also be easily adjusted by changing the voltage of the AC electric field. The range of produced droplet sizes is about 1-100 microns, wherein the droplets are monodispersed in size.

Abstract: Exosomes carry microRNA biomarkers, occur in higher abundance in cancerous patients than in healthy ones, and because they are present in most biofluids, including blood and urine, can be obtained non-invasively. Standard laboratory techniques to isolate exosomes are expensive, time-consuming, provide poor purity, and recover on the order of 25% of the available exosomes. We present a new microfluidic technique to simultaneously isolate exosomes and preconcentrate them by electrophoresis using a high transverse local electric field generated by ion-depleting ion-selective membrane. We use pressure-driven flow to deliver an exosome sample to a microfluidic chip such that the transverse electric field forces them out of the cross flow and into an agarose gel which filters out unwanted cellular debris while the ion-selective membrane concentrates the exosomes through an enrichment effect. We efficiently isolated exosomes from 1×PBS buffer, cell culture media and blood serum.

Abstract: Various apparatus and methods for the atomization of fluid are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an apparatus for atomization of fluid includes a piezoelectric transformer comprising an electrode which is in communication a source of alternating current (AC) voltage at a proximate end of the piezoelectric transformer. A wick which is capable of absorbing a liquid is in contact with the piezoelectric transformer at the distal end, and the piezoelectric transformer is capable of inducing an electrospray of the liquid at the distal end.

Abstract: Various apparatus and methods for the atomization of fluid are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an apparatus for atomization of fluid includes a piezoelectric transformer comprising an electrode which is in communication a source of alternating current (AC) voltage at a proximate end of the piezoelectric transformer. A wick which is capable of absorbing a liquid is in contact with the piezoelectric transformer at the distal end, and the piezoelectric transformer is capable of inducing an electrospray of the liquid at the distal end.

Abstract: The invention provides an alternating current electrospray technology that can generate micron sized droplets in oil at very high throughput for emulsion or digital PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). This technology outperforms the throughput of the current gold standard in droplet generation using flow-focusing technology by at least a factor of 100. The design is simple and can generate a billion to a trillion monodispersed droplets in about one hour. This is much faster than flow-focusing which is limited to a few million droplets per hour. The droplet size and generation rate can also be easily adjusted by changing the voltage of the AC electric field. The range of produced droplet sizes is about 1-100 microns, wherein the droplets are monodispersed in size.

Abstract: Exosomes carry microRNA biomarkers, occur in higher abundance in cancerous patients than in healthy ones, and because they are present in most biofluids, including blood and urine, can be obtained non-invasively. Standard laboratory techniques to isolate exosomes are expensive, time-consuming, provide poor purity, and recover on the order of 25% of the available exosomes. We present a new microfluidic technique to simultaneously isolate exosomes and preconcentrate them by electrophoresis using a high transverse local electric field generated by ion-depleting ion-selective membrane. We use pressure-driven flow to deliver an exosome sample to a microfluidic chip such that the transverse electric field forces them out of the cross flow and into an agarose gel which filters out unwanted cellular debris while the ion-selective membrane concentrates the exosomes through an enrichment effect. We efficiently isolated exosomes from 1×PBS buffer, cell culture media and blood serum.

Abstract: The combined capillary electrophoresis electrospray mass spectrometry apparatus has a circuit to handle excess current allows separations under a wide range of electrophoretic conditions. The apparatus includes an electrospray with an emitter and an electrospray interface connected with a separation capillary configured to transport a sample with an injection end and a distal end. The injection end of the separation capillary is inserted into a reservoir containing a background electrolyte and the distal end is threaded within the electrospray interface and sized and shaped to mate with the electrospray interface. A power supply is electrically connected to the injection end and an amplifier at least one first diode positioned between the amplifier and the distal end allows current to flow to the distal end only. A second diode positioned between the distal end and a ground configured to allow current flow to the ground.

Abstract: A flow tube apparatus may include a flow tube having a first opening and a second opening, a corona electrode provided in the flow tube, a collecting electrode provided in the flow tube, and at least one focusing electrode provided in the flow tube to guide ions and thereby provide an ionic wind. In at least one embodiment, the flow tube apparatus may be provided in an electronic apparatus to provide an air flow.

Abstract: A flow tube apparatus may include a flow tube having a first opening and a second opening, a corona electrode provided in the flow tube, a collecting electrode provided in the flow tube, and at least one focusing electrode provided in the flow tube to guide ions and thereby provide an ionic wind. In at least one embodiment, the flow tube apparatus may be provided in an electronic apparatus to provide an air flow.