Making a liquid/liquid or gas system in microfluidics
First Claim
1. A microfluidic device for making a liquid/liquid or liquid/gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a first gas, and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, the device comprising:
- a first hydrophobic surface,a layer of the first liquid or the first gas on said first hydrophobic surface,a second hydrophobic surface positioned facing the first hydrophobic surface so as to form a closed or confined system for the first liquid or the first gas layer,a drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface and in the layer of the first liquid or the first gas and at a location along a determined path,a displacer to place the drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface along the determined path, andat least one wetting defect on the determined path, wherein the wetting defect causes, upon the passing of the drop of the second liquid on this defect, failure of a triple line of contact of the drop of the second liquid on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of an amount of the first liquid or the first gas in the drop of the second liquid,wherein the displacer is an electrical activation device that provides an electro-wetting effect.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a microfluidic device for making a liquid/liquid or gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a gas and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, the device having a first hydrophobic surface for the second liquid, the first liquid forming a layer (6) on said first hydrophobic surface. The device comprises means for introducing a drop (7) of the second liquid into the layer of first liquid or gas and in contact with said first hydrophobic surface, and means for displacing the drop on said first hydrophobic surface along a determined path, the device having on the path of the drop, at least one wetting defect causing, upon passing of the drop over this defect, failure of the triple line of contact of the drop on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of first liquid (8) or gas into the drop.
The invention also relates to the associated method.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A microfluidic device for making a liquid/liquid or liquid/gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a first gas, and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, the device comprising:
-
a first hydrophobic surface, a layer of the first liquid or the first gas on said first hydrophobic surface, a second hydrophobic surface positioned facing the first hydrophobic surface so as to form a closed or confined system for the first liquid or the first gas layer, a drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface and in the layer of the first liquid or the first gas and at a location along a determined path, a displacer to place the drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface along the determined path, and at least one wetting defect on the determined path, wherein the wetting defect causes, upon the passing of the drop of the second liquid on this defect, failure of a triple line of contact of the drop of the second liquid on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of an amount of the first liquid or the first gas in the drop of the second liquid, wherein the displacer is an electrical activation device that provides an electro-wetting effect. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A method for making a liquid/liquid or liquid/gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a first gas, and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, comprising:
-
forming a first liquid layer or a first gas layer on a first hydrophobic surface, introducing a drop of the second liquid within the first liquid layer or the first gas layer such that the drop of the second liquid is in contact with said first hydrophobic surface, displacing the drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface along a determined path so that the drop of the second liquid encounters at least one wetting defect, and upon passing of the drop of the second liquid over the defect, failure of a triple line of contact of the drop of the second liquid on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of the first liquid or the first gas in the drop of the second liquid occurs. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A microfluidic device for making a liquid/liquid or liquid/gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a first gas, and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, the device comprising:
-
a first hydrophobic surface, a layer of the first liquid or the first gas on said first hydrophobic surface, a drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface and in the layer of the first liquid or the first gas and at a location along a determined path, a displacer to place the drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface along the determined path, and at least one wetting defect on the determined path, wherein the wetting defect causes, upon the passing of the drop of the second liquid on this defect, failure of a triple line of contact of the drop of the second liquid on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of an amount of the first liquid or the first gas in the drop of the second liquid, wherein the displacer is a device that exerts mechanical action on the drop of the second liquid. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A microfluidic device for making a liquid/liquid or liquid/gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a first gas, and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, the device comprising:
-
a first hydrophobic surface, a layer of the first liquid or the first gas on said first hydrophobic surface, a drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface and in the layer of the first liquid or the first gas and at a location along a determined path, a displacer to place the drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface along the determined path, and at least one wetting defect on the determined path, wherein the wetting defect causes, upon the passing of the drop of the second liquid on this defect, failure of a triple line of contact of the drop of the second liquid on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of an amount of the first liquid or the first gas in the drop of the second liquid, wherein a second hydrophobic surface is positioned facing the first hydrophobic surface so as to form a closed or confined system for the drop of second liquid, the first hydrophobic surface and the second hydrophobic surface also confine said first liquid and a third liquid, non-miscible with each other, the second hydrophobic surface also has a wetting defect positioned relative to the wetting defect of the first hydrophobic surface, to the first liquid and to the third liquid so that the passing of the drop of the second liquid on the wetting defects causes inclusion of the first liquid and inclusion of the third liquid in the drop of the second liquid. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
-
-
22. A microfluidic device for making a liquid/liquid or liquid/gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a first gas, and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, the device comprising:
-
a first hydrophobic surface, a layer of the first liquid or the first gas on said first hydrophobic surface, a drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface and in the layer of the first liquid or the first gas and at a location along a determined path, a displacer to place the drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface along the determined path, and at least one wetting defect on the determined path, wherein the wetting defect causes, upon the passing of the drop of the second liquid on this defect, failure of a triple line of contact of the drop of the second liquid on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of an amount of the first liquid or the first gas in the drop of the second liquid, wherein the displacer is an electrical activation device that provides an electro-wetting effect, said electrical activation device comprising a succession of electrodes comprised in or on a support having a dielectric layer, a surface of which forms the first hydrophobic surface, the succession of electrodes being positioned along said determined path, and wherein the at least one wetting defect is formed by a hole in one of the electrodes of the succession of electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
-
24. A microfluidic device for making a liquid/liquid or liquid/gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a first gas, and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, the device comprising:
-
a first hydrophobic surface, a layer of the first liquid or the first gas on said first hydrophobic surface, a drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface and in the layer of the first liquid or the first gas and at a location along a determined path, a displacer to place the drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface along the determined path, and at least one wetting defect on the determined path, wherein the wetting defect causes, upon the passing of the drop of the second liquid on this defect, failure of a triple line of contact of the drop of the second liquid on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of an amount of the first liquid or the first gas in the drop of the second liquid, wherein the displacer is an electrical activation device that provides an electro-wetting effect, said electrical activation device comprising a succession of electrodes comprised in or on a support having a dielectric layer, a surface of which forms the first hydrophobic surface, the succession of electrodes being positioned along said determined path, and wherein the at least one wetting defect is formed by an additional electrode positioned inside one of the electrodes of the succession of electrodes and without any electric contact therewith. - View Dependent Claims (25)
-
Specification