Microfluidic method and device for transferring mass between two immiscible phases
First Claim
1. A method of transferring the mass of at least one solute between a liquid first phase and a liquid second phase that is immiscible with the first phase, the method comprising:
- causing at least one droplet of said liquid first phase to move within a microfluidic device under drive from electric forces within a space filled with said liquid second phase,wherein said droplet is moved with said electric forces along a two-dimensional path between a point for injecting or creating said droplet in said microfluidic device, and an extraction and/or analysis zone, said path being determined in such a manner that said droplet sweeps through a fraction comprising at least 20% of said space filled with said liquid second phase.
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Abstract
A method of transferring mass of at least one solute between a liquid first phase and a fluid second phase that is immiscible with the first phase, the method comprising moving at least one droplet of said liquid first phase in a microfluidic device by using electric-type forces (electrowetting or dielectrophoresis) within a space that is filled with said fluid second phase. Said droplet is preferably moved by said electric-type forces along a path between a point for injecting said droplet into said microfluidic device, and an extraction and/or analysis zone, said path being defined in such a manner that said droplet sweeps through a significant fraction of said space filled with said fluid second phase. The method may include a step of transferring said droplet using said electric-type forces to a chemical analysis device integrated in said microfluidic device, and a step of chemically analyzing said droplet. The invention also provides a device for implementing such a method.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of transferring the mass of at least one solute between a liquid first phase and a liquid second phase that is immiscible with the first phase, the method comprising:
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causing at least one droplet of said liquid first phase to move within a microfluidic device under drive from electric forces within a space filled with said liquid second phase, wherein said droplet is moved with said electric forces along a two-dimensional path between a point for injecting or creating said droplet in said microfluidic device, and an extraction and/or analysis zone, said path being determined in such a manner that said droplet sweeps through a fraction comprising at least 20% of said space filled with said liquid second phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification