Bubble formation techniques using physical or chemical features to retain a gas bubble within a droplet actuator
First Claim
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1. A method of forming a bubble in a droplet actuator, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising;
(i) one or more substrates configured to form a droplet operations gap, the one or more substrates comprising electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations in the droplet operations gap; and
(ii) a physical or chemical feature provided at a predetermined locus within or exposed to the droplet operations gap and configured to retain a bubble in position within the droplet operations gap; and
(b) dispensing an oil filler fluid, which fluid is sufficiently immiscible with a droplet phase to render the droplet phase subject to electrode-mediated droplet operations, into the droplet operations gap at a rate and volume sufficient to fill the fluid reservoir and to form a gaseous bubble at the physical or chemical feature, wherein the gaseous bubble is at least partially surrounded by the oil filler fluid.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a droplet actuator and methods of making and using the droplet actuator including one or more substrates configured to form a droplet operations gap and including a physical or chemical feature that may be provided at a predetermined locus within or exposed to the droplet operations gap and configured to retain a bubble in position within the droplet operations gap.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method of forming a bubble in a droplet actuator, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a droplet actuator comprising; (i) one or more substrates configured to form a droplet operations gap, the one or more substrates comprising electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations in the droplet operations gap; and (ii) a physical or chemical feature provided at a predetermined locus within or exposed to the droplet operations gap and configured to retain a bubble in position within the droplet operations gap; and (b) dispensing an oil filler fluid, which fluid is sufficiently immiscible with a droplet phase to render the droplet phase subject to electrode-mediated droplet operations, into the droplet operations gap at a rate and volume sufficient to fill the fluid reservoir and to form a gaseous bubble at the physical or chemical feature, wherein the gaseous bubble is at least partially surrounded by the oil filler fluid. - 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, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of providing a droplet actuator comprising a bubble in a droplet operations gap thereof, the method comprising:
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(a) forming a gaseous bubble in a droplet operations gap of a droplet actuator, comprising electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations in the droplet operations gap; and
a physical or chemical feature provided at a predetermined locus within or exposed to the droplet operations gap and configured to retain a bubble in position within the droplet operations gap;wherein the bubble is; (i) at least partially surrounded by an oil filler fluid, which fluid is sufficiently immiscible with a droplet phase to render the droplet phase subject to electrode-mediated droplet operations; and (ii) optionally, partially surrounded by one or more droplet actuator surfaces; and (b) forming an aqueous droplet in the filler fluid, wherein the droplet is substantially immiscible with and surrounded by the filler fluid. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification