DROPLET-BASED SURFACE MODIFICATION AND WASHING

• US 20160231268A1
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Duke University, Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Duke University, Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pamula, Vamsee, Srinivasan, Vijay, Pollack, Michael G., Fair, Richard B.
• Application Number:
  US15/099,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231268A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0668 Trapping microscopic beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0673 Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0861 Configuration of multiple channels and/or chambers in a single devices
• 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 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0424 Dielectrophoretic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0436 acoustic forces, e.g. surface acoustic waves [SAW]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0442 thermal energy, e.g. vaporisation, bubble jet
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0448 : Marangoni flow; Thermocapillary effect
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0268 : using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 : characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502723 : characterised by venting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502761 : specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502784 : specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics automatic analysis using a stream of discrete samples in a tube system G01N35/08
• 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: B01L 7/525 : with physical movement of samples between temperature zones
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/686 : Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6869 : Methods for sequencing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 : Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00237 : Handling microquantities of analyte, e.g. microvalves, capillary networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/26 : by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3271 : Amperometric enzyme electrodes for analytes in body fluids, e.g. glucose in blood amperometry per se G01N27/49; aspects concerning the enzyme reagent C12Q1/001
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/416 : Systems G01N27/27 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/447 : using electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00029 : provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to droplet-based surface modification and washing. According to one embodiment, a method of splitting a droplet is provided, the method including providing a droplet microactuator including a droplet including one or more beads and immobilizing at least one of the one or more beads. The method further includes conducting one or more droplet operations to divide the droplet to yield a set of droplets including a droplet including the one or more immobilized beads and a droplet substantially lacking the one or more immobilized beads.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A system for conducting droplet operations, comprising:

(a) a droplet microactuator comprising;

(i) a bottom substrate; and

(ii) an array of droplet operations electrodes arranged on the bottom substrate;

(b) a processor programmed to control droplet operations on the droplet microactuator; and

(c) a cartridge coupled to the droplet microactuator, the cartridge comprising a self-contained replaceable/removable cartridge for conducting a droplet actuator-based assay.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the cartridge comprises a means for physically coupling to the droplet microactuator.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the array comprises an electrical connection for electrically coupling electrodes to external circuitry.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the electrodes are controlled via the external circuitry by the processor.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the electrical connection comprises electrodes-processor-cartridge.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the cartridge lacks electrical components.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the cartridge comprises a reservoir.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

(d) a fluid path through which fluid can flow from the reservoir onto the droplet microactuator.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the reservoir comprises one or more reagents.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the reservoir comprises a filler fluid.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the filler fluid comprises an oil.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the reservoir comprises a sample.

36. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

(e) an analyzer, comprising a slot for insertion of the droplet microactuator.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the analyzer comprises a portable device.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the analyzer comprises a hand-held device.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the analyzer comprises a tabletop device.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the analyzer comprises a biological fluid analyzer.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the biological fluid analyzer comprises a module for conducting biological fluid analysis selected from the group consisting of an amperometric module, a potentiometric module, an optical module, and a conductometric module.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the biological fluid analyzer comprise at least one reservoir.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the biological fluid analyzer comprises at least one fluid port.