Droplet actuator devices and methods

• US 9,545,641 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Inventors: Winger, Theodore
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON, JUANITA DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US14/870,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20160016403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/087 Arrangements of electrodes, e.g. of charging, shielding, collecting electrodes B05B5/12, B05B5/14 take precedence; arrangements of electrodes on the discharge apparatus B05B5/0533
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1606 Coating the nozzle area or the ink chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14322 Print head without nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14395 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3154 Of fluorinated addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31855 Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers

Abstract

A microfluidic device having a substrate with an electrically conductive element made using a conductive ink layer underlying a hydrophobic layer.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device comprising:

(a) a layered substrate comprising;

(i) a base substrate made from paper;

(ii) an array of electrodes on the base substrate, wherein an electrode in the array of electrodes is formed by an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(iii) a dielectric layer atop the array of electrodes; and

(b) a second substrate separated from the layered substrate to provide a gap between the layered substrate and the second substrate.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive element comprising the conductive ink layer on the base substrate comprises electrowetting electrodes.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 2 wherein the dielectric layer is disposed between the electrically conductive element comprising the conductive ink layer on the base substrate and a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the base substrate.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 3 wherein the hydrophobic layer material comprises a fluoropolymer.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 3 wherein the hydrophobic layer material comprises an amorphous fluoropolymer.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 3 wherein the hydrophobic layer material comprises a polytetrafluoroethylene polymer.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 3 wherein the conductive ink layer comprises a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) material.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 3 wherein the conductive ink layer comprises at least one of CLEVOS P Jet N, CLEVOS P Jet HC, CLEVOS P Jet N V2 and CLEVOS P Jet HC V2.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 3 wherein the base substrate is subject to a corona treatment prior to applying the conductive ink.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 3 wherein the conductive ink comprises a CYTOP and the CYTOP is applied as a formulation in which the CYTOP is dissolved in a fluorinert solvent.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 1 further comprising a droplet in the gap.

12. The microfluidic device of claim 1 further comprising an oil filler fluid in the gap.

13. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the second substrate comprises:

a. an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the second substrate facing the gap; and

b. a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the second substrate.

14. The microfluidic device of claim 13 wherein the hydrophobic layer material on the second substrate comprises a fluoropolymer.

15. The microfluidic device of claim 13 wherein the hydrophobic layer material on the second substrate comprises an amorphous fluoropolymer.

16. The microfluidic device of claim 13 wherein the hydrophobic layer material on the second substrate comprises a polytetrafluoroethylene polymer.

17. The microfluidic device of claim 13 wherein the conductive ink layer on the second substrate comprises a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) material.

18. The microfluidic device of claim 13 wherein the conductive ink layer on the second substrate comprises at least one of CLEVOS P Jet N, CLEVOS P Jet HC, CLEVOS P Jet N V2 and CLEVOS P Jet HC V2.

19. The microfluidic device of claim 13 wherein the conductive ink on the second substrate comprises a CYTOP and the CYTOP is applied as a formulation in which the CYTOP is dissolved in a fluorinert solvent.

20. A microfluidic device comprising:

a layered substrate comprising;

(a) a base substrate made from paper;

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer in the base substrate; and

further comprising a second substrate separated from the layered substrate to provide a gap between the layered substrate and the second substrate.

21. A layered substrate comprising:

(a) a base substrate made from paper;

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer in the base substrate; and

wherein the electrically conductive element comprising the conductive ink layer on the base substrate comprises an electrode in an array of electrodes.

22. A layered substrate comprising:

(a) a base substrate made from paper;

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer in the base substrate; and

wherein the electrically conductive element comprising the conductive ink layer on the base substrate comprises electrowetting electrodes.

23. A layered substrate comprising:

(a) a base substrate made from paper;

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

further comprising a dielectric layer disposed between the electrically conductive element comprising the conductive ink layer on the base substrate and the hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the base substrate.

24. A layered substrate comprising:

(a) a base substrate made from paper;

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the base substrate;

wherein the base substrate is subject to a corona treatment prior to applying the conductive ink.

25. A layered substrate comprising:

(a) a base substrate made from paper (b) an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the base substrate;

wherein the conductive ink comprises a CYTOP and the CYTOP is applied as a formulation in which the CYTOP is dissolved in a fluorinert solvent.

26. A microfluidic device comprising a layered substrate comprising:

a. a base substrate made from paper;

b. at least one electrode on the base substrate, wherein the at least one electrode is in an array of electrodes formed by an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate;

c. a dielectric layer atop the at least one electrode;

d. a hydrophobic layer on the dielectric layer;

e. a droplet comprising water in contact with the hydrophobic layer;

f. a voltage source for activating the electrode to manipulate the droplet; and

further comprising a second substrate separated from the layered substrate to provide a gap between the layered substrate and the second substrate.

27. The microfluidic device of claim 26 wherein the electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate comprises electrowetting electrodes.

28. The microfluidic device of claim 27 wherein the dielectric layer is disposed between the electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate and a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the base substrate.

29. The microfluidic device of claim 28 wherein the hydrophobic layer material comprises a fluoropolymer.

30. The microfluidic device of claim 28 wherein the hydrophobic layer material comprises an amorphous fluoropolymer.

31. The microfluidic device of claim 28 wherein the hydrophobic layer material comprises a polytetrafluoroethylene polymer.

32. The microfluidic device of claim 28, wherein the hydrophobic layer material comprises TEFLON®

or FLUOROPEL®

.

33. The microfluidic device of claim 28 wherein the conductive ink layer comprises a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) material.

34. The microfluidic device of claim 28 wherein the conductive ink layer comprises at least one of CLEVOS P Jet N, CLEVOS P Jet HC, CLEVOS P Jet N V2 and CLEVOS P Jet HC V2.

35. The microfluidic device of claim 28 wherein the base substrate is subject to a corona treatment prior to applying the conductive ink.

36. The microfluidic device of claim 26 wherein the conductive ink comprises a CYTOP and the CYTOP is applied as a formulation in which the CYTOP is dissolved in a fluorinert solvent.

37. The microfluidic device of claim 26 wherein the droplet is in the gap.

38. The microfluidic device of claim 26 further comprising an oil filler fluid in the gap.

39. The microfluidic device of claim 38 wherein the second substrate comprises:

a. an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the second substrate facing the gap; and

b. a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the second substrate.

40. The microfluidic device of claim 39 wherein the hydrophobic layer material on the second substrate comprises a fluoropolymer.

41. The microfluidic device of claim 39 wherein the hydrophobic layer material on the second substrate comprises an amorphous fluoropolymer.

42. The microfluidic device of claim 39 wherein the hydrophobic layer material on the second substrate comprises a polytetrafluoroethylene polymer.

43. The microfluidic device of claim 39 wherein the conductive ink layer on the second substrate comprises a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) material.

44. The microfluidic device of claim 39 wherein the conductive ink layer on the second substrate comprises at least one of CLEVOS P Jet N, CLEVOS P Jet HC, CLEVOS P Jet N V2 and CLEVOS P Jet HC V2.

45. The microfluidic device of claim 39 wherein the conductive ink on the second substrate comprises a CYTOP and the CYTOP is applied as a formulation in which the CYTOP is dissolved in a fluorinert solvent.

46. The microfluidic device of claim 26, wherein the at least one electrode is constructed from copper or indium tin oxide.

47. The microfluidic device of claim 26, wherein the dielectric layer is constructed from PARYLENE™

or silicon.

48. The microfluidic device of claim 26, wherein the voltage source provides an alternating current or a direct current.

49. The microfluidic device of claim 26, wherein the at least one electrode is grounded.

50. The microfluidic device of claim 26, wherein the water comprises deionized water.