Techniques and droplet actuator designs for reducing bubble formation
First Claim
1. A method of performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising:
- providing the droplet actuator, comprising;
a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap;
a conductive layer in contact with a surface of the top substrate, wherein the conductive layer provides a ground plane;
a dielectric layer in contact with the conductive layer, wherein an area of the dielectric layer has a sawtooth texture that extends into the droplet operations gap;
an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes in contact with the bottom substrate and arranged for conducting droplet operations thereon;
filling the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid;
providing a droplet in the droplet operations gap;
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
maintaining substantially consistent contact between the droplet and the sawtooth structure, and thus an electrical ground at the ground plane, 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.
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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.
273 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method of performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising:
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providing the droplet actuator, comprising; a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap; a conductive layer in contact with a surface of the top substrate, wherein the conductive layer provides a ground plane; a dielectric layer in contact with the conductive layer, wherein an area of the dielectric layer has a sawtooth texture that extends into the droplet operations gap; an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes in contact with the bottom substrate and arranged for conducting droplet operations thereon; filling the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid; providing a droplet in the droplet operations gap; 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 maintaining substantially consistent contact between the droplet and the sawtooth structure, and thus an electrical ground at the ground plane, 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 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising:
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providing the droplet actuator comprising a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap, wherein the droplet actuator further comprises an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations thereon; filling the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid; providing the droplet in the droplet operations gap; 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 adjusting a height of the droplet operations gap to maintain 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 (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising:
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providing the droplet actuator comprising a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap, wherein the droplet actuator further comprises an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations thereon; filling the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid; providing the droplet in the droplet operations gap; 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 moving an electrical ground toward the droplet to maintain substantially consistent contact between the droplet and the 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 (21, 22)
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23. A method of performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising:
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providing the droplet actuator comprising a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap, wherein the droplet actuator further comprises an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations thereon; bounding the droplet operations gap with a sidewall and an opposite sidewall to create a droplet operations channel; arranging the droplet operations electrodes on the sidewall; arranging one or more ground electrodes along the opposite sidewall; connecting the one or more ground electrodes to an electrical ground; filling the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid; providing the droplet in the droplet operations gap; 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 maintaining substantially consistent contact between the droplet and the electrical ground while conducting the multiple droplet operations on the droplet in the droplet operations gap; wherein the substantially consistent contact with the electrical ground while conducting the multiple droplet operations on the droplet in the droplet operations gap is unaffected by gravity; and 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 (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising:
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providing the droplet actuator comprising a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap, wherein the droplet actuator further comprises an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations thereon; bounding the droplet operations gap with a sidewall and an opposite sidewall to create a droplet operations channel; arranging the droplet operations electrodes on the sidewall; arranging one or more ground electrodes along the bottom substrate; connecting the one or more ground electrodes to an electrical ground; filling the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid; providing the droplet in the droplet operations gap; 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 maintaining substantially consistent contact between the droplet and the electrical ground while conducting the multiple droplet operations on the droplet in the droplet operations gap; wherein the substantially consistent contact with the electrical ground while conducting the multiple droplet operations on the droplet in the droplet operations gap is unaffected by gravity; and 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 (29)
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30. A method of performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising:
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providing the droplet actuator comprising a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap, wherein the droplet actuator further comprises an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations thereon; filling the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid; providing the droplet in the droplet operations gap; 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 wherein conducting the multiple droplet operations includes; heating the droplet in the droplet operations gap; applying a voltage to transport the droplet from an unactivated electrode to an activated electrode; and reducing electrical charges in the droplet operations gap as the droplet is transported to the activated electrode by adjusting a height of the droplet operations gap; and maintaining substantially consistent contact between the droplet and the electrical ground while conducting the multiple droplet operations on the droplet in the droplet operations gap; wherein bubble formation in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap is reduced or eliminated; and 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 (31, 32)
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33. A method of performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising:
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providing the droplet actuator comprising a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form a droplet operations gap, wherein the droplet actuator further comprises an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations thereon; filling the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid; providing the droplet in the droplet operations gap; 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 wherein conducting the multiple droplet operations includes; heating the droplet in the droplet operations gap; applying a voltage to transport the droplet from an unactivated electrode to an activated electrode; and reducing discharge of electrical charges as the droplet is transported to the activated electrode by adjusting a height of the droplet operations gap; and maintaining substantially consistent contact between the droplet and the electrical ground while conducting the multiple droplet operations on the droplet in the droplet operations gap; wherein bubble formation in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap is reduced or eliminated; and 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 (34, 35)
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36. A system for performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator, comprising a processor for executing code and a memory in communication with the processor, the system comprising code stored in the memory that causes the processor at least to:
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provide the droplet in a droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator, wherein the droplet actuator comprises a top substrate and a bottom substrate separated to form the droplet operations gap, and wherein the droplet actuator further comprises an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations thereon; fill the droplet operations gap of the droplet actuator with a filler fluid; heat the droplet in a zone of the droplet operations gap to within twenty degrees Celsius of boiling to produce a heated droplet; conduct multiple droplet operations on the heated droplet in the droplet operations gap, wherein the heated droplet is transported through the filler fluid in the zone of the droplet operations gap; and adjust a height of the droplet operations gap to maintain substantially consistent contact between the heated droplet and an electrical ground while conducting the multiple droplet operations on the heated droplet in the zone of the droplet operations gap; wherein the substantially consistent contact between the heated droplet and the electrical ground permits completion of the multiple droplet operations without interruption by bubble formation in the filler fluid in the zone of the droplet operations gap.
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Specification