Bead Manipulations on a Droplet Actuator
AssigneeAdvanced Liquid Logic, Inc.
InventorsPrasanna Thwar, Dwayne Allen, Philip Paik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A droplet actuator comprising: (a) a base substrate comprising electrodes configured for conducting droplet operations on a droplet operations surface thereof; (b) a droplet comprising one or more beads situated on the droplet operations surface; (c) a barrier arranged in relation to the droplet and the electrodes such that a droplet may be transported away from the beads using one or more droplet operations mediated by one or more of the electrodes while transport of the beads is restrained by a barrier. Related methods and kits are also provided.
Claims60
A droplet actuator comprising:
- (a) a base substrate comprising electrodes configured for conducting droplet operations on a droplet operations surface thereof;
- (b) a droplet comprising one or more beads situated on the droplet operations surface;
- (c) a barrier arranged in relation to the droplet and the electrodes such that a droplet may be transported away from the beads using one or more droplet operations mediated by one or more of the electrodes while transport of the beads is restrained by a barrier.
A droplet actuator comprising:
- (a) a base substrate comprising electrodes configured for conducting droplet operations on a droplet operations surface thereof;
- (b) a funnel-shaped reservoir comprising a narrow opening situated in proximity to the base substrate;
- wherein the base substrate and the funnel-shaped reservoir are arranged such that a portion of a sample comprising beads loaded in the funnel will flow onto the droplet operations surface, and wherein the portion of the sample comprises a substantial amount of the beads.
A droplet actuator comprising:
- (a) a base substrate comprising electrodes configured for conducting droplet operations on a droplet operations surface thereof;
- (b) a top substrate arranged in a generally parallel fashion relative to the droplet operations surface;
- and
- (c) beads trapped in a barrier on the droplet actuator, wherein the barrier permits droplets to be transported in to and out of the barrier using droplet operations mediated by one or more of the electrodes, while retaining one or more of the beads within the barrier.
A method of reducing a volume of fluid surrounding a bead, the method comprising transporting a portion of the volume of fluid past a barrier on a droplet actuator, where in the barrier restrains transport of the bead.
A method of separating a volume of fluid from one or more beads, the method comprising transporting the volume of fluid past a barrier on a droplet actuator, wherein the barrier restrains transport of one or more of the one or more beads.
A method of transporting a droplet substantially free of beads away from a droplet containing beads, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising:
- (i) a base substrate comprising electrodes configured for conducting droplet operations on a droplet operations surface thereof;
- (ii) a droplet comprising one or more beads situated on the droplet operations surface;
- (iii) a barrier arranged in relation to the droplet and the electrodes such that a droplet may be transported away from the beads using one or more droplet operations mediated by one or more of the electrodes while transport of the beads is restrained by a barrier;
- and
- (b) transporting the droplet containing beads across the barrier, wherein the barrier retains the beads and a droplet substantially free of beads is formed on an opposite side of the barrier.
A method of washing beads on a droplet actuator, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising:
- (i) a base substrate comprising electrodes configured for conducting droplet operations on a droplet operations surface thereof;
- (ii) a droplet comprising one or more beads situated on the droplet operations surface;
- (iii) a barrier arranged in relation to the droplet and the electrodes such that a droplet may be transported away from the beads using one or more droplet operations mediated by one or more of the electrodes while transport of the beads is restrained by a barrier;
- and
- (b) transporting the droplet containing beads across the barrier, wherein the barrier retains the beads and a droplet substantially free of beads is formed on an opposite side of the barrier;
- (c) transporting a wash droplet into contact with the beads;
- (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until washing of the beads is complete.
A method of sorting beads on a droplet actuator, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising:
- (i) a base substrate comprising electrodes configured for conducting droplet operations on a droplet operations surface thereof;
- (ii) a first barrier arranged to permit beads having a size which is below a first predetermined size to traverse the barrier while retaining beads which are above the first predetermined size;
- (b) transporting a droplet comprising beads having at least three sizes through the first barrier to provide a retained droplet comprising beads above the first predetermined size and a transmitted droplet comprising beads above the first predetermined size.
A method of making a droplet actuator, the method comprising situating beads in a barrier on a droplet actuator between a top substrate and a droplet operations surface, wherein the barrier blocks transport of the beads outside of the barrier on all sides and permits fluid to be transported via droplet operations into and/or out of the barrier.
A kit comprising a droplet actuator comprising:
- (a) beads situated within a barrier between the top substrate and a droplet operations surface of the droplet actuator;
- and
- (b) a further component selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) a filler fluid for use on the droplet actuator;
- (ii) a reagent for use on the droplet actuator;
- (iii) a device for use in loading a fluid onto the droplet actuator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.