Multi-cartridge digital microfluidics apparatuses and methods of use
AssigneemirOculus Inc.
InventorsJorge Abraham SOTO-MORENO, Mais Jehan JEBRAIL, Juan Matias DeCARLI
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Abstract
High-throughput digital microfluidic (DMF) systems and methods (including devices, systems, cartridges, DMF apparatuses, etc.), are described herein. The systems, apparatuses and methods integrate liquid handling with the DMF apparatuses, providing flexible and efficient sample reactions and sample preparation. These systems, apparatuses and methods may be used with a variety of cartridge configurations and sizes.
Claims20
A method of selectively immobilizing one or more cartridges in a digital microfluidics apparatus having a plurality of driving electrodes, the method comprising:
- disposing one or more cartridges on a seating surface of a digital microfluidics apparatus, thereby creating one or more respective seating locations of the one or more cartridges, wherein each of the one or more cartridge sits on a sub-region of the seating surface;
- sensing each respective seating locations of the one or more cartridges;
- determining a sub-set of the plurality of driving electrodes underlying the respective seating locations of the one or more cartridges;
- and
- selectively applying a vacuum to the respective seating locations of the one or more cartridges to immobilize the one or more cartridges to the seating surface of the digital microfluidics apparatus.
A system comprising:
- a seating surface configured to concurrently seat one or more cartridges;
- a plurality of drive electrodes disposed on the seating surface, wherein the drive electrodes are configured to apply a high voltage to move a droplet within a cartridge when the cartridge is seated on the seating surface, and wherein all or some of the drive electrodes comprises an opening there through;
- a plurality of vacuum ports, wherein each vacuum port is coupled to one or more of the openings through the drive electrodes;
- a vacuum control configured to selectively apply vacuum through a subset of the vacuum ports under the one or more cartridges seated on the seating surface when the one or more cartridges are seated on the seating surface;
- an electrical control for applying energy to sequentially activate and de-activate one or more selected drive electrodes to move a droplet within an air gap of the one or more cartridges are seated on the seating surface;
- a vacuum pump for applying a vacuum to the plurality of vacuum ports;
- a robotic arm and a liquid handling subsystem for dispensing or removing liquid to the one or more cartridges when the one or more cartridges are seated on the seating surface;
- and
- an enclosure, wherein the enclosure is configured to control one or more of humidity, temperature, or gaseous environments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.