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US 12,181,467 B2Granted
Droplet actuator devices and methods employing magnetic beads
AssigneesAdvanced Liquid Logic, Inc., Duke University
InventorsRamakrishna Sista, Vamsee K. Pamula, Michael G. Pollack, Vijay Srinivasan, Allen E. Eckhardt, Richard B. Fair
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Abstract
A method comprising effecting a change in a shape of a droplet, wherein the droplet is disposed over a substrate in sensing proximity to a sensor and the droplet has a starting surface area exposed to the sensor; and producing an expanded surface area of the droplet in the sensing proximity exposed to the sensor, wherein the expanded surface area exposed to the sensor is greater than the starting surface area exposed to the sensor.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- transporting a droplet into sensing proximity of a sensor, wherein the droplet is disposed over a substrate of a droplet actuator in sensing proximity to the sensor, the droplet actuator having a second substrate defining a window and one or more electrodes, at least one of the one or more electrodes is beneath the window, the sensor positioned at the window, wherein the droplet has a starting surface area exposed to the sensor;
- expanding the starting surface area of the droplet to an expanded surface area exposed to the sensor while in the sensing proximity of the sensor, wherein the expanded surface area exposed to the sensor is greater than the starting surface area exposed to the sensor;
- and
- detecting a number of photons from the droplet with the expanded surface area using the sensor;
- wherein expanding the surface area to an expanded surface area of the droplet in the sensing proximity exposed to the sensor comprises activating the one or more electrodes associated with the substrate;
- and
- wherein the sensing proximity of the sensor is limited by a mask on the second substrate.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- activating one or more electrodes associated with a substrate of a droplet actuator to change a shape of a droplet, wherein the droplet is disposed over the substrate in sensing proximity to a photon sensor, the droplet actuator having a second substrate defining a window and spaced from the substrate and the one or more electrodes, at least one of the one or more electrodes is beneath the window, and the droplet has a starting surface area exposed to the photon sensor;
- wherein activating the one or more electrodes associated with the substrate expands the surface area exposed to the photon sensor from the starting surface area to an expanded surface area of the droplet while in sensing proximity to the photon sensor, wherein the expanded surface area exposed to the photon sensor is greater than the starting surface area exposed to the photon sensor;
- and
- wherein the sensing proximity of the sensor is limited by a mask on the second substrate;
- and
- detecting a number of photons from the droplet with the expanded surface area using the photon sensor.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- activating one or more electrodes to transport a first droplet from a set of two or more droplets into sensing proximity with a sensor while retaining at least one remainder droplet of the set in a buffer zone;
- and
- activating one or more electrodes to transport the first droplet away from the sensing proximity with the sensor;
- and transporting a second droplet of the at least one remainder droplet of the set from the buffer zone into the sensing proximity with the sensor;
- where the first and second droplets are buffered and transported on a droplet actuator;
- where the droplet actuator comprises two substrates separated to form a gap and wherein the sensor is positioned at a window through one of the substrates;
- where the droplets are positioned in the gap;
- and where the sensing proximity of the sensor is limited by a mask on the substrate with the window.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.