Device for injection and mixing of liquid droplets
AssigneeCommissariat a l'Energie Atomique
InventorsYves Fouillet, Jean-Luc Achard, Olivier Fuchs
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Abstract
The device enables a second drop to be mixed in a first drop deposited on an electrically insulating layer of an analysis support, in a viscous liquid environment and to mix the resulting drop. The device comprises at least one injector forming the second drop above the first drop. After formation of the second drop, a voltage impulse is applied between a first electrode, arranged under the electrically insulating layer of the analysis support, underneath the first drop, and a second electrode arranged near the outlet orifice of the injector. The voltage impulse fosters the coalescence phenomenon between the two drops, while preventing risks of contamination of the injector by the reagent of the first drop.
Claims16
A device for injection and mixing of droplets of respective first and second liquid reagents, comprising:
- an analysis support including an electrically insulating layer;
- a viscous liquid deposited on the electrically insulating layer, wherein said viscous liquid is immiscible with said reagent droplets within said viscous liquid;
- a droplet of said first reagent deposited on said electrically insulating layer within the viscous liquid;
- an injector including said second liquid reagent and an outlet orifice, said injector forming a droplet of said second liquid reagent above the said droplet of first reagent;
- a first electrode arranged underneath said droplet of first reagent and said electrically insulating layer;
- a second electrode arranged near to the outlet orifice of the injector;
- and
- a controller for applying and controlling a voltage applied between said first and second electrodes, said voltage generating electrostatic forces which cause a formation of said droplets of respective first and second reagents, before said droplets come into contact and mix.
A process for mixing of droplets of respective first and second liquid reagents, comprising:
- depositing a viscous liquid on an electrically insulating layer of an analysis support, wherein said viscous liquid is immiscible with said reagent droplets within said viscous liquid;
- depositing a droplet of said first reagent on said electrically insulating layer within the viscous liquid;
- forming a droplet of said second liquid reagent above the said droplet of first reagent, said droplet being formed via an outlet orifice of an injector;
- arranging a first electrode underneath said droplet of first reagent and said electrically insulating layer;
- arranging a second electrode near to said outlet orifice;
- and
- applying and controlling a voltage between said first and second electrodes, said voltage generating electrostatic forces which cause a deformation of said droplets of respective first and second reagents before said droplets come into contact and mix.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.