APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR MANIPULATING DROPLETS

• US 20100025242A1
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke University, Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Duke University
• Inventors: Pamula, Vamsee K., Pollack, Michael G., Fair, Richard B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,388,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/450
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3021 the components to be mixed being combined in a single independent droplet, e.g. these droplets being divided by a non-miscible fluid or consisting of independent droplets
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3031 using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0673 Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0645 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0663 Whole sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0424 Dielectrophoretic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/058 Microfluidics not provided for in B81B2201/051 - B81B2201/054
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0021 : Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00119 : Arrangement of basic structures like cavities or channels, e.g. suitable for microfluidic systems
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6846 : Common amplification features
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/447 : using electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44769 : Continuous electrophoresis, i.e. the sample being continuously introduced, e.g. free flow electrophoresis [FFE]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44791 : Microapparatus sample containers with integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0694 : by action on throttling means or flow sources of very small size, e.g. microfluidics microvalves F16K99/0001; microstructural devices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 : Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for manipulating droplets are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for manipulating droplets is provided, the apparatus including a substrate, multiple arrays of electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal, and a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate first side surface and patterned to cover the electrodes.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manipulating droplets, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a substrate;

(b) multiple arrays of electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal; and

(c) a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate first side surface and patterned to cover the electrodes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a hydrophobic layer disposed on the dielectric layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an electrode selector configured for dynamically creating a sequence of array electrode activation, whereby a droplet disposed on the substrate is electrically manipulated.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a top plate arranged in a parallel orientation relative to the substrate and separated therefrom to define a gap between the top plate and the substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a droplet in disposed in the gap and arranged to be manipulated using electrodes in the electrode arrays.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the gap comprises a liquid which is immiscible with the droplet.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising droplets disposed in the gap, wherein the droplets are arranged synchronously transported on the multiple arrays using a fixed number of control signals.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the gap comprises a liquid which is immiscible with the droplet.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the arrays of electrodes comprise multiple copies of a single linear array of electrodes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each copy of the array is connected to the same electrical signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a printed circuit board.

12. An apparatus for manipulating droplets, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a substrate;

(b) a top plate arranged in a parallel orientation relative to the substrate and separated therefrom to define a gap between the top plate and the substrate;

(c) multiple arrays of electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal; and

(d) a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate first side surface and patterned to cover the electrodes.

13. A method of manipulating a droplet, the method comprising:

(a) providing an apparatus comprising;

(i) a substrate;

(ii) multiple arrays of electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal; and

(iii) a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate first side surface and patterned to cover the electrodes;

(b) providing a droplet on the substrate; and

(c) activating electrodes of the multiple arrays of electrodes to cause the droplet to be manipulated.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the apparatus further comprises a hydrophobic layer disposed on the dielectric layer.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising using an electrode selector to dynamically create a sequence of array electrode activation, thereby causing the droplet to be electrically manipulated.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the apparatus further comprises a top plate arranged in a parallel orientation relative to the substrate and separated therefrom to define a gap between the top plate and the substrate.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the gap comprises a liquid which is immiscible with the droplet.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the arrays of electrodes comprise multiple copies of a single linear array of electrodes.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising using a common set of electrical signals to control each copy of the array.

20. An apparatus for manipulating droplets, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a substrate;

(b) a top plate arranged in a parallel orientation relative to the substrate and separated therefrom to define a gap between the top plate and the substrate;

(c) multiple arrays of electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal; and

(d) a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate first side surface and patterned to cover the electrodes.