Manipulation of beads in droplets and methods for splitting droplets
First Claim
1. A method of splitting a droplet comprising a magnetically responsive bead in a droplet actuator, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising;
(i) a plurality of droplet operations electrodes configured to transport the droplet; and
(ii) one or more magnets to generate a magnetic field present at the plurality of droplet operations electrodes;
(b) providing a magnetically responsive bead-containing droplet on the droplet actuator;
(c) immobilizing the magnetically responsive bead using the magnetic field; and
(d) using the plurality of droplet operations electrodes to split the droplet into first and second droplets, wherein the magnetically responsive bead remains substantially immobilized.
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Abstract
The invention provides a method of circulating magnetically responsive beads within a droplet in a droplet actuator. The invention also provides methods for splitting droplets. The invention, in one embodiment, makes use of a droplet actuator with top and bottom substrates, a plurality of magnetic fields respectively present proximate the top and bottom substrates, wherein at least one of the magnet fields is selectively alterable, and a plurality of droplet operations electrodes positioned along at least one of the top and bottom surfaces. A droplet is positioned between the top and bottom surfaces and at least one of the magnetic fields is selectively altered.
150 Citations
1 Claim
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1. A method of splitting a droplet comprising a magnetically responsive bead in a droplet actuator, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a droplet actuator comprising; (i) a plurality of droplet operations electrodes configured to transport the droplet; and (ii) one or more magnets to generate a magnetic field present at the plurality of droplet operations electrodes; (b) providing a magnetically responsive bead-containing droplet on the droplet actuator; (c) immobilizing the magnetically responsive bead using the magnetic field; and (d) using the plurality of droplet operations electrodes to split the droplet into first and second droplets, wherein the magnetically responsive bead remains substantially immobilized.
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Specification