Experimental development of the principle of photonic chromatography

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K04972
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Optical engineering, Photon science
• Research Institution: The University of Electro-Communications
• Principal Investigator: Shoji Satoru 電気通信大学, 大学院情報理工学研究科, 准教授 (20437370)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 光放射圧 / 光クロマトグラフィ / 光導波路 / サイズ効果

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A novel principle of particle sorting by means of optical radiation force was developed. Micrometer scale capillaries made of silica glass was fabricated by heating and pulling glass tube. Laser light was guided in the micro-capillaries filled with micro/nanoparticle aqueous suspensions. Since the laser light was scattered by the particles, the particles underwent optical radiation force and moved along the capillaries. By the difference of the optical force, caused by the size, the shape, or the optical properties of the particles, the particle moved with different speed. After continuous laser irradiation, the particles were gradually separated by the speed. With the developed system, the dependence between the optical force and the size/shape of particles was experimentally and analytically investigated.

Free Research Field

光工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本手法の鍵となるマイクロガラスチューブは、通常の光導波路としては一般的な形状ではないものの、例えば人工授精やパッチクランプ法などで生体細胞応用に用いるマイクロガラスニードルとサイズや形状がほとんど同じである。ガラスチューブを加熱延伸によって細め、その中に移動層となる溶液を満たし、一方からレーザー光を導入するだけである。導波路を長くとるだけで分離精度が比例して向上する原理は非常に簡便で効果的である。チューブが微細なため、微粒子のブラウン運動や乱流の効果を受けることが無い。サイズの差が非常に僅かなナノスケールの微粒子に対して効果的な分離抽出技術であると期待できる。