Droplet-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Apparatus and System

• US 20110100823A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke University, Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Inventors: Paik, Philip Y., Pamula, Vamsee K., Pollack, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,313,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/601
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0645 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1894 Cooling means; Cryo cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0424 Dielectrophoretic forces
• 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: 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: C12Q 1/68 involving nucleic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6869 Methods for sequencing
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2563/149 Particles, e.g. beads
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/301 Pyrophosphate (PPi)
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/629 being a microfluidic device
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44791 Microapparatus sample containers with integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a droplet-based nucleic acid amplification apparatus and system. According to one embodiment, a droplet microactuator is provided made using a first substrate including a fluorescing material and including a detection region for detecting a fluorescence signal from a droplet, which detection region is coated with a light absorbing, low fluorescence or non-fluorescing material.

Claims

1. A droplet microactuator made using a first substrate comprising a fluorescing material and comprising a detection region for detecting a fluorescence signal from a droplet, which detection region is coated with a light absorbing, low fluorescence or non-fluorescing material.

2. The droplet microactuator of claim 1 wherein the fluorescing material comprises a dielectric material.

3. The droplet microactuator of claim 1 wherein the coating comprises a metal coating.

4. The droplet microactuator of claim 1 wherein the coating comprises a copper coating.

5. The droplet microactuator of claim 1 wherein the coating comprises a black coating.

6. The droplet microactuator of claim 1 wherein the coating comprises a copper coating comprising a gold finish applied thereto.

7. The droplet microactuator of claim 1 further comprising a droplet on the substrate producing a fluorescent signal.

8. The droplet microactuator of claim 1 further comprising a dropet in the detection region, the droplet producing a fluorescent signal.

9. The droplet microactuator of claim 1 further comprising a second substrate parallel to the first substrate, where the droplet is sandwiched between.

10. The droplet microactuator of claim 9 wherein the first and/or second substrate comprise electrodes for conducting droplet operations.

11. The droplet microactuator of claim 10 wherein the electrodes comprise a path or array.

12. The droplet microactuator of claim 10 wherein the electrodes are arranged for conducting the droplet operations by electrowetting.

13. The droplet microactuator of claim 10 wherein the electrodes are arranged for conducting the droplet operations by dielectrophoresis.

14. A droplet microactuator system comprising:

(a) a droplet actuator made using a first substrate comprising a fluorescing material and comprising a detection region for detecting a fluorescence signal from a droplet, which detection region is coated with a light absorbing, low fluorescence or non-fluorescing material; and

(b) a detector for detecting fluorescence from the droplet.

15. The droplet microactuator system of claim 14 wherein the fluorescing material comprises a dielectric material.

16. The droplet microactuator system of claim 14 wherein the coating comprises a metal coating.

17. The droplet microactuator system of claim 14 wherein the coating comprises a copper coating.

18. The droplet microactuator system of claim 14 wherein the coating comprises a black coating.

19. The droplet microactuator system of claim 14 wherein the coating comprises a copper coating comprising a gold finish applied thereto.

20. The droplet microactuator system of claim 14 further comprising a droplet on the substrate producing a fluorescent signal.

21. The droplet microactuator system of claim 14 further comprising a dropet in the detection region, the droplet producing a fluorescent signal.

22. The droplet microactuator system of claim 14 further comprising a second substrate parallel to the first substrate, where the droplet is sandwiched between.

23. The droplet microactuator system of claim 22 wherein the first and/or second substrate comprise electrodes for conducting droplet operations.

24. The droplet microactuator system of claim 23 wherein the electrodes comprise a path or array.

25. The droplet microactuator system of claim 23 wherein the electrodes are arranged for conducting the droplet operations by electrowetting.

26. The droplet microactuator system of claim 23 wherein the electrodes are arranged for conducting the droplet operations by dielectrophoresis.