DROPLET-BASED NUCLEIC ACID AMPLIFICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20130092539A1
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke University, Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Duke University, Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Inventors: Paik, Philip Y., Pamula, Vamsee K., Pollack, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,139,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/452
• 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

Aspects of embodiments of the invention relate to a simulator including a visual display capable of outputting to a user a display one or more effects of a command series selected and a system including a droplet microactuator electronically coupled to and controlled by a processor capable of executing instructions, the droplet microactuator including a substrate comprising electrodes for conducting droplet operations. Further aspects of embodiments of the invention relate to a droplet operations troubleshooting apparatus. Other aspects of embodiments of the invention relate to a computer implemented method of displaying simulated microactuator droplets.

Claims

1. A simulator comprising:

(a) a visual display capable of outputting to a user a display of one or more effects of a command series selected; and

(b) a system comprising a droplet microactuator electronically coupled to and controlled by a processor capable of executing instructions, the droplet microactuator comprising a substrate comprising electrodes for conducting droplet operations.

2. The simulator of claim 1, wherein the visual display further comprises a screen to illustrate to the user the actual effect of a program.

3. The simulator of claim 1, wherein the visual display further comprises a screen to illustrate to the user the simulated effect of a droplet microactuator.

4. The simulator of claim 1, wherein the visual display further comprises a screen to illustrate a simulated execution of a subroutine on a droplet microactuator map.

5. The simulator of claim 1, further comprising executable instructions that are stored on a computer readable medium.

6. The simulator of claim 1, wherein software executes steps of a subroutine but does not send an electrical signal to the droplet microactuator.

7. The simulator of claim 1, wherein the droplet microactuator further comprises one or more temperature control means arranged in proximity with one or more of the electrodes for heating a region of the droplet microactuator such that a droplet can be transported into the region for heating;

and

8. The simulator of claim 1, wherein a screen depicts one or more effects of one or more commands.

9. The simulator of claim 1, wherein the electrodes for conducting droplet operations are electronically disconnected from the droplet microactuator.

10. The simulator of claim 1, further comprising a reservoir.

11. The simulator of claim 1, further comprising an electrowetting substrate.

12. A droplet operations troubleshooting apparatus comprising:

(a) a system comprising a droplet microactuator electronically coupled to and controlled by a processor capable of executing instructions, the droplet microactuator comprising one or more temperature control means arranged in proximity with one or more of the electrodes for heating a region of the droplet microactuator such that a droplet can be transported into the region for heating; and

(b) an output capable of displaying to the user a visual display of the effects of the command series selected.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further including an electrowetting substrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further including a filler fluid.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further including a filler fluid comprising oil.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further including a detector.

17. A computer implemented method of displaying simulated droplets, the method comprising:

(a) creating a simulated display of one or more executions of a subroutine on a droplet microactuator map; and

(b) outputting to the user a visual display of one or more effects of one or more command series selected.