Digital microfluidic devices and methods incorporating a solid phase

A digital microfluidic device comprising:

• a substrate;
• an array of electrically addressable digital microfluidic elements provided on said substrate;
• and
• a solid phase material provided on an element of said array.

A method for performing solid phase extraction of a species from a sample, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a digital microfluidic device including a substrate, an array of electrically addressable digital microfluidic elements provided on the substrate, and a solid phase material contacting an element of the array;
• providing a liquid sample at a location addressable by the array;
• actuating the array to transport a sample droplet to contact the element such that the sample droplet contacts the solid phase material;
• incubating the sample droplet while maintaining contact of the sample droplet with the solid phase material;
• transporting the sample droplet to another location addressable by the array;
• providing a wash buffer at a location addressable by the array;
• actuating the device to transport a wash buffer droplet to contact the element such that the wash buffer droplet contacts the solid phase material;
• transporting the wash buffer droplet to another location addressable by the array;
• providing an elution buffer at a location addressable by the array, wherein elution buffer is suitable for eluting the species from the solid phase material;
• actuating the array to transport an elution buffer droplet to the element;
• and
• incubating the elution buffer droplet while maintaining contact of the elution buffer droplet with the solid phase material for a time suitable for elution of the species from the solid phase material to the elution buffer droplet.

A method of forming a solid phase in-situ on a digital microfluidic device, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing first plate including a substrate having formed thereon an array of electrically addressable digital microfluidic elements, wherein each element of the array includes an electrode coated with an electrical insulating layer having a hydrophobic surface;
• providing a solid phase precursor solution at a location addressable by the array;
• providing a second plate including an electrode coated with a layer having a hydrophobic surface, and forming a two-plate digital microfluidic device by providing a spacer for defining a gap between the first plate and the second plate;
• actuating the electrodes to transport a precursor droplet to contact an element of the array;
• and
• processing the precursor droplet to form the solid phase on the element.