Droplet actuator devices and methods employing magnetic beads
First Claim
1. A method of providing a droplet in contact with magnetically responsive beads and having a reduced quantity of a substance, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising;
(i) magnet sets and electrode sets, wherein;
(1) each electrode set comprises one or more electrodes associated with a substrate;
(2) two or more electrode sets are arranged to form an array of electrodes and configured for conducting one or more droplet operations;
(3) each magnet set comprises one or more magnets;
(4) each magnet set is arranged in a relationship with an electrode set such that magnetic field(s) exerted by the magnet set restricts a mobility of the magnetically responsive beads to a locus which is proximate to the electrode set; and
(5) each magnet set is arranged in relationship to an adjacent magnet set(s), which relationship is a polar opposite to a polar orientation of the adjacent magnet set;
(ii) a starting droplet associated with each electrode set, each starting droplet comprising;
(1) magnetically responsive beads;
(2) a starting quantity of the substance; and
(3) a starting volume;
(b) conducting one or more droplet operations to merge a wash droplet with each starting droplet to yield a combined droplet associated with each electrode set;
(c) magnetically immobilizing the magnetically responsive beads at a target droplet splitting zone on each electrode set;
(d) conducting one or more droplet operations comprising droplet dividing operations selected to divide the combined droplet at the droplet splitting zone to yield a set of droplets on each electrode set comprising;
(i) a droplet comprising substantially all of the magnetically responsive beads and having a decreased quantity of the substance relative to the starting concentration; and
(ii) a droplet substantially lacking the magnetically responsive beads; and
wherein (d) is conducted without removing the magnet set immobilizing the magnetically responsive beads.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of providing a droplet in contact with a magnetically responsive bead and having a reduced quantity of a substance. The method generally includes the steps of (a) providing a droplet actuator (200) comprising: (i) a substrate (210) comprising electrodes (214) arranged for conducting droplet operations on a surface; (ii) a starting droplet (218/222) comprising: (1) one or more magnetically responsive beads (220); (2) a starting quantity of the substance; and (3) a starting volume; (b) magnetically immobilizing the one or more magnetically responsive beads at a location which is at a distance from a target droplet splitting zone, (224); (c) conducting one or more droplet operations comprising droplet dividing operations selected to divide the combined droplet to yield a set of droplets comprising: (i) a droplet (218) comprising substantially all of the one or more magnetically responsive beads and having a decreased quantity of the substance relative to the starting concentration; and (ii) a droplet (222) substantially lacking the magnetically responsive beads.
165 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method of providing a droplet in contact with magnetically responsive beads and having a reduced quantity of a substance, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a droplet actuator comprising; (i) magnet sets and electrode sets, wherein; (1) each electrode set comprises one or more electrodes associated with a substrate; (2) two or more electrode sets are arranged to form an array of electrodes and configured for conducting one or more droplet operations; (3) each magnet set comprises one or more magnets; (4) each magnet set is arranged in a relationship with an electrode set such that magnetic field(s) exerted by the magnet set restricts a mobility of the magnetically responsive beads to a locus which is proximate to the electrode set; and (5) each magnet set is arranged in relationship to an adjacent magnet set(s), which relationship is a polar opposite to a polar orientation of the adjacent magnet set; (ii) a starting droplet associated with each electrode set, each starting droplet comprising; (1) magnetically responsive beads; (2) a starting quantity of the substance; and (3) a starting volume; (b) conducting one or more droplet operations to merge a wash droplet with each starting droplet to yield a combined droplet associated with each electrode set; (c) magnetically immobilizing the magnetically responsive beads at a target droplet splitting zone on each electrode set; (d) conducting one or more droplet operations comprising droplet dividing operations selected to divide the combined droplet at the droplet splitting zone to yield a set of droplets on each electrode set comprising; (i) a droplet comprising substantially all of the magnetically responsive beads and having a decreased quantity of the substance relative to the starting concentration; and (ii) a droplet substantially lacking the magnetically responsive beads; and
wherein (d) is conducted without removing the magnet set immobilizing the magnetically responsive beads. - 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, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification