System for Controlling a Droplet Actuator

• US 20080006535A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke University, Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Inventors: Paik, Philip, Smith, Gregory, Pollack, Michael, Brafford, Keith, Sturmer, Ryan, Pamula, Vamsee
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/600
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/143 Quality control, feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/027 Digital display, e.g. LCD, LED
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension

Abstract

Systems for controlling a droplet microactuator are provided. According to one embodiment, a system is provided and includes a controller, a droplet microactuator electronically coupled to the controller, and a display device displaying a user interface electronically coupled to the controller, wherein the system is programmed and configured to permit a user to effect a droplet manipulation by interacting with the user interface. According to another embodiment, a system is provided and includes a processor, a display device electronically coupled to the processor, and software loaded and/or stored in a storage device electronically coupled to the controller, a memory device electronically coupled to the controller, and/or the controller and programmed to display an interactive map of a droplet microactuator. According to yet another embodiment, a system is provided and includes a controller, a droplet microactuator electronically coupled to the controller, a display device displaying a user interface electronically coupled to the controller, and software for executing a protocol loaded and/or stored in a storage device electronically coupled to the controller, a memory device electronically coupled to the controller, and/or the controller.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

(a) a controller;

(b) a droplet microactuator electronically coupled to the controller; and

(c) a display device displaying a user interface electronically coupled to the controller, wherein the system is programmed and configured to permit a user to effect a droplet manipulation by interacting with the user interface.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the display device is electronically coupled to the processor via a processor programmed to control the display device and send instructions to the controller for controlling the droplet microactuator.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface displays a map of the droplet microactuator comprising virtual components representing components of the droplet micro actuator.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the system is programmed and configured to permit a user to effect a droplet manipulation by interacting with a virtual electrode.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the system is programmed and configured to permit a user to effect a droplet manipulation by mousing over and/or selecting the virtual electrode.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein mousing over and/or selecting an electrode causes the virtual electrode to be highlighted.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the highlighting comprises one or more of the following:

a change in color, a change in brightness, a change in shading, a change in shape, appearance or disappearance of a symbol, and appearance or disappearance of an icon.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein the system is configured and programmed to permit a user to activate an unactivated electrode on the droplet microactuator by selecting the unactivated electrode and/or deactivate an activated electrode by selecting the activated electrode.

9. The system of claim 3 wherein the system is programmed to display information about map components as a result of a user interaction with the map components via the user interface.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the information comprises one or more of the following information types:

component type;

electrical connectivity information;

adjacency relationship information;

representative geometry information;

design notes;

comments;

part numbers; and

column and/or row position.

11. The system of claim 3 wherein the virtual components comprise one or more virtual reservoirs.

12. The system of claim 3 wherein the virtual components comprise one or more virtual heaters.

13. The system of claim 3 wherein the virtual components comprise one or more virtual storage arrays.

14. The system of claim 3 wherein the virtual components comprise one or more virtual detection regions.

15. The system of claim 3 wherein the virtual components comprise one or more virtual detectors.

16. The system of claim 3 programmed and configured to permit a user to transport a droplet by:

(a) sequentially selecting a series of adjacent electrodes on the droplet microactuator map;

(b) selecting a virtual on-screen droplet and dragging the droplet to a virtual electrode at a desired location on the droplet microactuator map; and

/or (c) selecting a virtual on-screen droplet, then clicking a virtual electrode at a desired location on the droplet microactuator map.

17. A system comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a display device electronically coupled to the processor; and

(c) software loaded and/or stored in a storage device electronically coupled to the controller, a memory device electronically coupled to the controller, and/or the controller and programmed to display an interactive map of a droplet microactuator.

18. The system of claim 17 programmed to permit a user to write a program for executing a protocol comprising droplet manipulation steps by interacting with the interactive map.

19. The system of claim 17 programmed to display buttons which when selected permit the user to add instructions to a subroutine defining a protocol.

20. The system of claim 17 programmed to display fields for input of parameters associated with the instructions.

21. A system comprising:

(a) a controller;

(b) a droplet microactuator electronically coupled to the controller;

(c) a display device displaying a user interface electronically coupled to the controller; and

(d) software for executing a protocol loaded and/or stored in a storage device electronically coupled to the controller, a memory device electronically coupled to the controller, and/or the controller.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising a mapped memory device and configured to load outputs from one or more components into a mapped location on the mapped memory device.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the controller is programmed to access the mapped location of the memory device in order to obtain data from the one or more components.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the one or more components comprise control electrodes and/or detectors.