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US 8,388,909 B2Granted
Apparatuses and methods for manipulating droplets
AssigneeDuke University
InventorsMichael G Pollack, Vamsee K Pamula, Richard B Fair
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatuses and methods for manipulating droplets are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for manipulating droplets is provided, the apparatus including a substrate, multiple arrays of electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal, and a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate first side surface and patterned to cover the electrodes.
Claims56
An apparatus for manipulating droplets, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a printed circuit board substrate comprising a rigid or rigid-flexible base material made from plastic, glass fiber epoxy, polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyimide;
- (b) multiple arrays of electrowetting electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal, the arrays forming a phased droplet conveyor;
- (c) a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate and patterned to cover the electrowetting electrodes;
- and
- (d) an electrowetting electrode selector configured for dynamically creating a sequence of array electrowetting electrode activation to transport a droplet on the phased droplet conveyor.
2 more elements
An apparatus for manipulating droplets, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a printed circuit board substrate comprising a rigid or rigid-flexible base material made from plastic, glass fiber epoxy, polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyimide;
- (b) a top plate arranged in a parallel orientation relative to the substrate and separated therefrom to define a gap between the top plate and the substrate;
- (c) multiple arrays of electrowetting electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrowetting electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal, the arrays forming a phased droplet conveyor;
- and
- (d) a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate and patterned to cover the electrowetting electrodes.
2 more elements
A method of manipulating a droplet, the method comprising:
- (a) providing an apparatus comprising:
- (i) a printed circuit board substrate comprising a rigid or rigid-flexible base material made from plastic, glass fiber epoxy, polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyimide;
- (ii) multiple arrays of electrowetting electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrowetting electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal, the arrays forming a phased droplet conveyor;
- and
- (iii) a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate and patterned to cover the electrowetting electrodes;
- (b) providing a droplet on the substrate;
- and
- (c) activating electrowetting electrodes of the multiple arrays of electrowetting electrodes to cause the droplet to be transported along the phased droplet conveyor.
5 more elements
An apparatus for manipulating droplets, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a printed circuit board substrate comprising a rigid or rigid-flexible base material made from plastic, glass fiber epoxy, polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyimide;
- (b) a top plate arranged in a parallel orientation relative to the substrate and separated therefrom to define a gap between the top plate and the substrate;
- (c) multiple arrays of electrowetting electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrowetting electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal, the arrays forming a phased droplet conveyor;
- and
- (d) a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate and patterned to cover the electrowetting electrodes.
2 more elements
An apparatus for manipulating droplets, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a printed circuit board substrate comprising a rigid or rigid-flexible base material made from plastic, glass fiber epoxy, polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyimide;
- (b) an array of electrowetting electrodes disposed on the substrate, the electrowetting electrodes forming a phased droplet conveyor;
- and
- (c) a dielectric layer covering the electrowetting electrodes.
1 more element
An apparatus for manipulating droplets, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a printed circuit board substrate comprising a rigid or rigid-flexible base material consisting essentially of plastic, glass fiber epoxy, polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyimide;
- (b) multiple arrays of electrowetting electrodes disposed on the substrate, wherein corresponding electrowetting electrodes in each array are connected to a common electrical signal, the arrays forming a phased droplet conveyor;
- (c) a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate and patterned to cover the electrowetting electrodes;
- and
- (d) an electrowetting electrode selector configured for dynamically creating a sequence of array electrowetting electrode activation to transport a droplet on the phased droplet conveyor.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.