Device for Moving and Treating Volumes of Liquid

• US 20080302431A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Marchand, Gilles, Fouillet, Yves, Clementz, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 8,864,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/803
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0645 Electrodes
• 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 2300/165 Specific details about hydrophobic, oleophobic surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1816 using induction heating
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/206 Flow affected by fluid contact, energy field or coanda effect [e.g., pure fluid device or system]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2185 To vary frequency of pulses or oscillations

Abstract

A device for displacing a small volume of liquid under the effect of an electric control, including a first substrate with a hydrophobic surface provided with a first electrical conductor, a second electrical conductor positioned facing the first conductor, and a third conductor, forming with the second conductor, a mechanism for analyzing or heating a volume of liquid.

Claims

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A device for displacing a small volume of liquid under effect of an electric control, comprising:

a first substrate with a hydrophobic surface including first electrically conducting means;

second electrically conducting means positioned facing the first conducting means; and

third conducting means forming, with the second conducting means, analysis means or reaction inducing means or heating means for a volume of liquid.

38. The device according to claim 37, the second conducting means including a catenary or a wire, substantially parallel to the hydrophobic surface.

39. The device according to claim 38, the catenary or the wire being non-buried in the first substrate, at a non-zero distance from the hydrophobic surface.

40. The device according to claim 39, the non-zero distance being between 1 μ

m and 100 μ

m or 500 μ

m.

41. The device according to claim 38, the third conducting means also including a catenary or a conducting wire.

42. The device according to claim 41, the catenary or the wire being non-buried in the first substrate, at a non-zero distance from the hydrophobic surface.

43. The device according to claim 42, the non-zero distance being between 1 μ

m and 100 μ

m or 500 μ

m.

44. The device according to claim 41, both catenaries or wires being parallel to each other and to the hydrophobic surface.

45. The device according to claim 41, both catenaries or wires not being parallel to each other, but being parallel to the hydrophobic surface.

46. The device according to claim 38, one of the catenaries being buried under the hydrophobic surface.

47. The device according to claim 46, the catenaries being directed substantially parallel to each other.

48. The device according to claim 38, the third conducting means including a planar conductor buried under the hydrophobic surface.

49. The device according to claim 37, the second conducting means including a catenary or a buried wire under the hydrophobic surface.

50. The device according to claim 49, the third conducting means also including a catenary or a buried wire, both buried catenaries being directed substantially parallel to each other.

51. The device according to claim 37, the third conducting means including a planar electrode buried under the hydrophobic surface.

52. The device according to claim 37, the second conducting means including a buried planar electrode.

53. The device according to claim 52, the third conducting means including a buried conductor with a planar or wire shape.

54. The device according to claim 37, the third conducting means including a catenary or a wire directed perpendicularly to the catenary or wire of the second conducting means.

55. The device according to claim 37, further including a second substrate with a hydrophobic surface, the second substrate giving a confined structure to the whole.

56. The device according to claim 37, further including a second substrate with a hydrophobic surface, the second substrate giving a confined structure to the device, the third conductor being buried in the second substrate, under its hydrophobic surface.

57. The device according to claim 56, the third conductor either being in a form of a catenary or a buried wire, or in a form of a buried planar conductor.

58. The device according to claim 56, the surface of the second substrate being locally apertured to form a contact area between a drop of liquid positioned between both substrates and the third conductor.

59. The device according to claim 55, the second substrate being positioned at a distance from the first substrate, between 10 μ

m and 100 μ

m or 500 μ

m.

60. The device according to claim 37, further including a second substrate with a hydrophobic surface, the second substrate giving a confined structure to the device, the second and third conductors being buried in the second substrate, under its hydrophobic surface.

61. The device according to claim 60, the second and third conductors each being in a form of a catenary or wire.

62. The device according to claim 37, the hydrophobic surface of the first substrate and/or of the second substrate being in Teflon.

63. A method for treating a drop of liquid by an electrochemical reaction comprising:

putting a drop of liquid into contact with the electrodes of a device according to claim 37; and

applying a potential difference between the first and second conducting means.

64. A method for treating a drop of liquid by electrophoresis comprising:

putting a drop of liquid into contact with the electrodes of a device according to claim 37; and

applying a potential difference between the first and second conducting means.

65. A method for treating a cell by cell lysis comprising:

putting a cell into contact with the electrodes of the device according to claim 37; and

applying a potential difference between the first and second conducting means.

66. A method for heating a drop of conducting liquid by Joule effect comprising:

putting a drop of liquid into contact with the conducting means of a device according to claim 37; and

applying a potential difference between the first and second conducting means.

67. A method for controlling or calibrating the size of a drop comprising:

putting a drop of liquid into contact with the second and third conducting means of a device according to claim 37;

having a current flow between the second and third conducting means; and

evaporating the drop until the current no longer flows between the second and the third conducting means.

68. The method according to claim 67, further comprising displacing the drop by electrowetting during evaporation.

69. A method for treating a cell by electroporation comprising:

putting a cell into contact with the electrodes of a device according to claim 37; and

applying a potential difference between the first and second conducting means.

70. A device for calibrating a drop of liquid comprising:

a device according to claim 37; and

means for controlling a current flowing between the second and the third conducting means.

71. The device according to claim 70, the second and the third conducting means each including a catenary, both catenaries being positioned at different heights relatively to the hydrophobic surface.

72. The device according to claim 71, further including at least an additional catenary, positioned at a distance from the hydrophobic surface, different from the distance between the surface and the two previous catenaries.