Techniques and droplet actuator designs for reducing bubble formation
First Claim
1. A droplet actuator comprising:
- a. a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap, wherein the droplet operations gap is filled with a filler fluid;
b. a sidewall and an opposite sidewall bounding the droplet operations gap, thereby creating a droplet operations channel;
c. an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes on the sidewall; and
d. an arrangement of one or more ground electrodes along the opposite sidewall, wherein the one or more ground electrodes are connected to an electrical ground;
wherein multiple droplet operations may be conducted on one or more droplets in the droplet operations gap while maintaining substantially consistent contact between the one or more droplets and the one or more ground electrodes, thereby permitting completion of the multiple droplet operations without interruption by bubble formation in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap.
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Accused Products
Abstract
During droplet operations in a droplet actuator, bubbles often form in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap and interrupt droplet operations. The present invention provides methods and systems for performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator comprising maintaining substantially consistent contact between the droplet and an electrical ground while conducting multiple droplet operations on the droplet in the droplet operations gap and/or reducing the accumulation of electrical charges in the droplet operations gap during multiple droplet operations. The methods and systems reduce or eliminate bubble formation in the filler fluid of the droplet operations gap, thereby permitting completion of multiple droplet operations without interruption by bubble formation in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap.
222 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A droplet actuator comprising:
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a. a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap, wherein the droplet operations gap is filled with a filler fluid; b. a sidewall and an opposite sidewall bounding the droplet operations gap, thereby creating a droplet operations channel; c. an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes on the sidewall; and d. an arrangement of one or more ground electrodes along the opposite sidewall, wherein the one or more ground electrodes are connected to an electrical ground; wherein multiple droplet operations may be conducted on one or more droplets in the droplet operations gap while maintaining substantially consistent contact between the one or more droplets and the one or more ground electrodes, thereby permitting completion of the multiple droplet operations without interruption by bubble formation in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A droplet actuator comprising:
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a. a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap, wherein the droplet operations gap is filled with a filler fluid; b. a sidewall and an opposite sidewall bounding the droplet operations gap, thereby creating a droplet operations channel; c. an arrangement of one or more ground electrodes along the sidewall and/or the opposite sidewall, wherein the one or more ground electrodes are connected to an electrical ground; d. an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes on the bottom substrate, wherein multiple droplet operations may be conducted on one or more droplets in the droplet operations gap while maintaining substantially consistent contact between the one or more droplets and the one or more ground electrodes, thereby permitting completion of the multiple droplet operations without interruption by bubble formation in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A method of performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising:
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a. providing a droplet actuator comprising; i. a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap; ii. a sidewall and an opposite sidewall bounding the droplet operations gap, thereby creating a droplet operations channel; iii. an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes on one of the sidewall or bottom substrate; and iv. an arrangement of one or more ground electrodes along one or more of the side wall and the opposite sidewall, wherein the one or more ground electrodes are connected to an electrical ground; b. filling the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid; c. providing a droplet in the droplet operations gap; d. conducting multiple droplet operations on the droplet in the droplet operations gap, wherein the droplet is transported through the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap; and e. maintaining substantially consistent contact between the droplet and an electrical ground while conducting the multiple droplet operations on the droplet in the droplet operations gap; wherein the substantially consistent contact between the droplet and the electrical ground permits completion of the multiple droplet operations without interruption by bubble formation in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising:
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a. providing a droplet actuator comprising; i. a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap; ii. a sidewall and an opposite sidewall bounding the droplet operations gap, thereby creating a droplet operations channel; iii. an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes on one of the sidewall or bottom substrate; and iv. an arrangement of one or more ground electrodes along one or more of the side wall and the opposite sidewall, wherein the one or more ground electrodes are connected to an electrical ground; b. filling the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid; c. providing a droplet in the droplet operations gap; d. heating the droplet to within twenty degrees Celsius of boiling to produce a heated droplet; e. conducting multiple droplet operations on the heated droplet in the droplet operations gap, wherein the heated droplet is transported through the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap; and f. reducing accumulation of electrical charges in the droplet operations gap as the heated droplet is transported through the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap; wherein the reduced accumulation of electrical charges in the droplet operations gap permits completion of the multiple droplet operations without interruption by bubble formation in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification