US 7,816,121 B2Granted

Droplet actuation system and method

AssigneesAdvanced Liquid Logic, Inc., Duke University

InventorsMichael G. Pollack, Philip Y. Paik, Vamsee K. Pamula

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Abstract

A droplet actuation system is provided including a droplet actuation device including a substrate that includes electrodes for conducting droplet operations; temperature control means for heating and/or cooling a region of the droplet actuation device and arranged such that a droplet can be transported on the electrodes to a region for heating; and a means for effecting a magnetic field in proximity to one or more of the electrodes sufficient to immobilize magnetically responsive beads in a droplet on the substrate during droplet operations. The system further includes a processor for controlling the electrodes and temperature control means, wherein the processor is programmed, and electrodes and magnetic field are arranged, to cause the electrodes to split a droplet including the magnetically responsive beads yielding a first daughter droplet which includes the magnetically responsive beads and a second daughter droplet without a substantial amount of the magnetically responsive beads.

Claims41

Dependent claims

A droplet actuation system comprising:

(a) a droplet actuation device comprising:
(i) a substrate comprising electrodes for conducting droplet operations;
and
(ii) one or more temperature control means arranged in proximity with one or more of the electrodes for heating and/or cooling a region of the droplet actuation device and arranged such that a droplet can be transported on the substrate by the electrodes into the region for heating;
and
(iii) a means for effecting a magnetic field in proximity to one or more of the electrodes, wherein the strength and proximity of the magnetic field is sufficient to immobilize magnetically responsive beads in a droplet on the substrate during execution of a droplet operation;
and
(b) a processor electronically coupled to and configured to control the electrodes and the temperature of one or more of the one or more temperature control means, wherein the processor is programmed, and the electrodes and magnetic field are arranged, to cause the electrodes to split a droplet comprising the magnetically responsive beads yielding a first daughter droplet which comprises the magnetically responsive beads and a second daughter droplet without a substantial amount of the magnetically responsive beads.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/639,990Filed 15 Dec 2006 · us provisional application
Priority: 18 Apr 2006
Published: US 2008/0038810 A114 Feb 2008
Granted: 19 Oct 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification32 codes

B01L 3/502761
By integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g.…
B01L 3/502784
Characterised by multiphase flow arrangements: specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics
B01L 3/502792
Specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics: for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering…
G01N 15/1484
Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry: microstructural devices

Family

Application60/745,058Us provisional application · filed 18 Apr 2006
Application60/745,039Us provisional application · filed 18 Apr 2006
Application60/745,043Us provisional application · filed 18 Apr 2006
Application60/745,059Us provisional application · filed 18 Apr 2006
Application60/745,914Us provisional application · filed 28 Apr 2006
Application60/745,950Us provisional application · filed 28 Apr 2006
Application60/746,797Us provisional application · filed 9 May 2006
Application60/746,801Us provisional application · filed 9 May 2006
Application60/806,412Us provisional application · filed 30 Jun 2006
Application60/807,104Us provisional application · filed 12 Jul 2006
US 2008/0038810 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Feb 2008
US 7,816,121 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.