MATRIX ELECTRODE-CONTROLLING DEVICE AND DIGITAL PLATFORM USING THE SAME

• US 20110042220A1
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: WANG, Chun-Han
• Granted Patent: US 8,465,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/643
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence

Abstract

A matrix electrode-controlling device for driving a droplet according to this aspect of the present invention comprises a substrate, a dielectric layer positioned on the substrate, a plurality of control electrodes positioned in the dielectric layer in a matrix manner, and a ground electrode positioned at a predetermined position around the control electrodes without generating electromagnetic shielding effect. The control electrodes in the same row are electrically connected to form a plurality of lateral controlling rows and the control electrodes in the same column are electrically connected to form a plurality of longitudinal controlling columns, and the droplet is driven to move on or above the dielectric layer by biasing the ground electrode to the ground voltage and applying a predetermined voltage to one of the controlling rows and/or to one of the controlling columns to undergo the predetermined assaying operation.

Claims

1. A matrix electrode-controlling device for driving a droplet, comprising:

a substrate;

a dielectric layer positioned on said substrate;

a plurality of control electrodes positioned inside said dielectric layer in a matrix manner, each control electrode having a first conductive region and a second conductive region, wherein each first conductive region of the control electrodes in a same row are electrically connected to form a plurality of controlling rows, and wherein each second conductive region of the control electrodes in a same column are electrically connected to form a plurality of controlling columns; and

a ground electrode positioned at a predetermined position around the control electrodes without generating electromagnetic shielding effect;

wherein the droplet is driven to move on or above the dielectric layer by applying a predetermined voltage to one of the controlling rows and/or to one of the controlling columns.

2. The matrix electrode-controlling device for driving a droplet of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer has a rough surface.

3. The matrix electrode-controlling device for driving a droplet of claim 1, further comprising:

a hydrophobic layer positioned on said dielectric layer, said droplet being moved on a surface of said hydrophobic layer.

4. The matrix electrode-controlling device for driving a droplet of claim 1, further comprising:

a circuit layer positioned on said substrate, said circuit layer comprising a plurality of connecting wires electrically connected to the control electrodes of the controlling rows and the control electrodes of the controlling columns for applying the predetermined voltage thereto.

5. The matrix electrode-controlling device for driving a droplet of claim 4, wherein the connecting wires of the circuit layer connect the control electrodes substantially in a vertical manner.

6. The matrix electrode-controlling device for driving a droplet of claim 1, wherein each of the first conductive regions and each of the second conductive regions are positioned on the same plane.

7. The matrix electrode-controlling device for driving a droplet of claim 6, wherein each of the first conductive regions and each of the second conductive regions substantially surround one another.

8. The matrix electrode-controlling device for driving a droplet of claim 1, wherein the control electrodes have an edge of a sawtoothed or irregular shape.