Digital microfluidic manipulation device and manipulation method thereof

A digital microfluidic manipulation device, comprising:

• an elastic membrane having a plurality of hydrophobic structures on a surface thereof;
• a plurality of pressure control units, wherein said plurality of pressure control units are arranged in an array and sustain said surface of said elastic membrane, and wherein each one of said plurality of pressure control units can be controlled at a specific air pressure so as to cause hydrophobic gradients of said plurality of hydrophobic structures to vary in different areas of said surface of said elastic membrane.

A digital microfluidic manipulation method, comprising:

• placing a plurality of microdroplets on a surface of an elastic membrane having a plurality of hydrophobic structures thereon;
• and
• using a suction force applied to a plurality of air chambers arranged in an array to deform said elastic membrane to control structural densities of different portions of said plurality of hydrophobic structures so as to cause hydrophobic gradients of said plurality of hydrophobic structures to vary in different areas of said surface of said elastic membrane and thereby to control said microdroplets.