Droplet microactuator system
First Claim
1. A droplet microactuator system comprising:
- (a) a cartridge comprising;
(i) a droplet microactuator comprising a substrate comprising electrodes configured to conduct droplet operations in a gap formed by the substrate of the droplet microactuator and a second substrate;
(ii) a cartridge reservoir and a fluid path from the cartridge reservoir into the gap;
(iii) a mechanical mechanism, electrical mechanism, pressure source and/or vacuum source for forcing fluid through the fluid path; and
(iv) a droplet in the gap comprising magnetically responsive beads;
(b) a magnetic field source arranged to immobilize the magnetically responsive beads in the droplet in the gap during a droplet operation mediated by the electrodes;
(c) an optical sensor configured in a sensing relationship with the droplet microactuator, such that the sensor is capable of sensing an optical signal from and/or an optical property of one or more droplets on the droplet microactuator; and
(d) one or more processors electronically coupled to the droplet microactuator and programmed to;
(i) control the droplet operations on the droplet microactuator, wherein the droplet operations conduct one or more droplet-based assay protocols using droplet operations comprising one or more electrowetting-mediated droplet operations and the droplet-based assay protocols comprise one or more electrowetting-mediated bead-washing protocols; and
(ii) process electronic signals from the optical sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a droplet microactuator system. According to one embodiment, the droplet microactuator system includes: (a) a droplet microactuator configured to conduct droplet operations; (b) a magnetic field source arranged to immobilize magnetically responsive beads in a droplet during droplet operations; (c) a sensor configured in a sensing relationship with the droplet microactuator, such that the sensor is capable of sensing a signal from and/or a property of one or more droplets on the droplet microactuator; and (d) one or more processors electronically coupled to the droplet microactuator and programmed to control electrowetting-mediated droplet operations on the droplet actuator and process electronic signals from the sensor.
241 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A droplet microactuator system comprising:
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(a) a cartridge comprising; (i) a droplet microactuator comprising a substrate comprising electrodes configured to conduct droplet operations in a gap formed by the substrate of the droplet microactuator and a second substrate; (ii) a cartridge reservoir and a fluid path from the cartridge reservoir into the gap; (iii) a mechanical mechanism, electrical mechanism, pressure source and/or vacuum source for forcing fluid through the fluid path; and (iv) a droplet in the gap comprising magnetically responsive beads; (b) a magnetic field source arranged to immobilize the magnetically responsive beads in the droplet in the gap during a droplet operation mediated by the electrodes; (c) an optical sensor configured in a sensing relationship with the droplet microactuator, such that the sensor is capable of sensing an optical signal from and/or an optical property of one or more droplets on the droplet microactuator; and (d) one or more processors electronically coupled to the droplet microactuator and programmed to; (i) control the droplet operations on the droplet microactuator, wherein the droplet operations conduct one or more droplet-based assay protocols using droplet operations comprising one or more electrowetting-mediated droplet operations and the droplet-based assay protocols comprise one or more electrowetting-mediated bead-washing protocols; and (ii) process electronic signals from the optical sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification