Drop Dispenser Device

• US 20080142376A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Jary, Dorothee, Fouillet, Yves
• Granted Patent: US 7,922,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/775
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0605 Metering of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0241 Drop counters; Drop formers making arrays for combinatorial libraries B01J19/0046; automation of dispensing for analysis G01N35/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence

Abstract

A liquid dispensing device includes first and second substrates, with the first substrate including an opening for introduction of a fluid, and the second substrate including a multiplicity of electrodes. The device includes a transfer electrode, located at least partially opposite to the opening, at least two drop-forming electrodes, and a reservoir electrode, located between the transfer electrode and the drop-forming electrodes, and with an area that is at least equal to three times the area of each drop-forming electrode.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A liquid dispensing device comprising:

first and second substrates, wherein the first substrate includes an opening for introduction of a fluid, and the second substrate includes a multiplicity of electrodes that include;

at least one transfer electrode, located at least partially opposite to the opening,

at least two drop-forming electrodes, and

at least one reservoir electrode, associated with the transfer electrode and with the drop-forming electrodes, and with an area that is at least equal to three times the area of each drop-forming electrode, wherein the reservoir electrode can be activated without activation of the transfer electrode, and vice versa.

27. A device according to claim 26, further comprising at least one second reservoir electrode, and at least one second transfer electrode located between, or associated with, two neighbouring reservoir electrodes, with at least two drop forming electrodes being associated with each reservoir electrode.

28. A device according to claim 26, further comprising at least one second reservoir electrode, and at least one second transfer electrode located at least partially opposite to the opening and at least drop-forming electrodes that are associated with the second reservoir electrode.

29. A device according to claim 27, at least one second reservoir electrode having an area that is at least equal to three times the area of each drop-forming electrode of the drop-forming electrodes that are associated with it.

30. A device according to claim 28, at least one second reservoir electrode having an area that is at least equal to three times the area of each drop-forming electrode of the drop-forming electrodes that are associated with it.

31. A device according to claim 26, at least one of the reservoir electrodes having an area that is at least equal to ten times the area of each drop-forming electrode of the drop-forming electrodes that are associated with it.

32. A device according to claim 26, at least one of the reservoir electrodes having a comb or pointed shape.

33. A device according to claim 32, the comb having tapered teeth on the side of the transfer electrode, or the point being tapered on the side of the transfer electrode.

34. A device according to claim 26, at least one of the reservoir electrodes being star shaped.

35. A device according to claim 26, further comprising a containment wall between at least one reservoir electrode and the opening.

36. A device according to claim 26, further comprising at least one containment wall around at least one reservoir electrode.

37. A device according to claim 26, at least one of the drop-forming electrodes having a rounded shape on one side and pointed on the other.

38. A device according to claim 26, the first substrate including conducting means.

39. A device according to claim 26, the first substrate having a hydrophobic surface.

40. A device according to claim 26, the second substrate having a hydrophobic surface.

41. A device according to claim 40, the second substrate having a dielectric layer under the hydrophobic surface.

48. A liquid drop dispensing process that uses a device according to claim 26, comprising:

forming a liquid reservoir opposite to the reservoir electrode;

ejecting a drop of liquid by activation of n drop-forming electrodes, wherein n>

2; and

then de-activating at least one of the electrodes from among the n−

1 electrodes that are closest to the reservoir electrode.

42. A liquid dispensing device comprising:

first and second substrates, wherein the first substrate includes an opening for introduction of a fluid, and the second substrate includes a multiplicity of electrodes that include;

at least one located at least partially opposite to the opening,

at least two drop-forming electrodes, and

at least one reservoir electrode, associated with the transfer electrode and with the drop-forming electrodes, and with an area that is at least equal to three times the area of each drop-forming electrode, wherein the reservoir electrode can be activated without activation of the transfer electrode, and vice versa; and

means for movement of drops by electro-wetting, the means forming a loop.

43. A device according to claim 42, further comprising one or more secondary reservoirs arranged around the loop.

44. A device according to claim 43, each secondary reservoir being connected to the loop by one or more transfer electrodes.

49. A liquid drop dispensing process that employs a device according to claim 42.

50. A process according to claim 49, in which a formed drop is transported along a trajectory in a shape of a loop.

51. A process according to claim 50, in which a formed drop is mixed with one or more drops from reservoirs arranged around the loop.

45. A process for formation of a liquid reservoir, from a liquid well, comprising:

firstly transferring the liquid from the well to reservoir electrode, with aid of a transfer electrode located at least partially opposite to the well, with pressure in the liquid reservoir being independent of pressure of the liquid in the well; and

de-activating the transfer electrode.

46. A liquid drop dispensing process that includes a process for formation of a liquid reservoir, comprising:

firstly transferring the liquid from a well to a reservoir electrode, with aid of a transfer electrode located at least partially opposite to the well, with pressure in the liquid reservoir being independent of pressure of the liquid in the well;

de-activating of the transfer electrode; and

forming a drop of liquid by activation of at least n drop-forming electrodes, where n>

2, and then de-activating at least one of the electrodes from among the n−

1 electrodes that are closest to the reservoir electrode, to pinch off a liquid finger.

47. A process according to claim 46, the reservoir electrode having an area that is at least equal to three times the area of each drop-forming electrode.