21 results about "Digital microfluidics" patented technology

This invention discloses an experimental droplet routing method for digital microfluidic chips based on an improved A* algorithm. The improvement to the A* algorithm includes: incorporating the number of electrode wear cycles into the heuristic function of the A* algorithm; adding a coefficient related to the number of wear cycles, which can be modified according to the chip wear level; reducing the coefficient when chip wear is minor, prioritizing routing distance, and calculating the shortest distance as the target for route calculation; increasing the coefficient when chip wear is severe, aiming to calculate the route through areas of less worn chip and avoiding areas of severe wear; and adjusting the path after obtaining the droplet routing path, moving the repetitive wear areas at the start and end points to the middle of the path to reduce repeated wear on electrodes in the start and end areas. This invention, by improving the A* algorithm, allows droplet routing to consider electrode wear factors simultaneously, further improving the chip wear uniformity and extending the chip's lifespan.

This invention relates to an integrated surface acoustic wave (SAW) device, system, and method for digital microfluidic control of droplet rotation and centrifugal manipulation. The device includes a digital microfluidic region, a SAW processing region, and a droplet transition interface region located between the two. A droplet residence area is provided within the SAW processing region. After sample introduction, transport, splitting, fusion, or temporary storage within the digital microfluidic region, the droplet enters the droplet residence area via the droplet transition interface region, where it forms a rotating flow, a circulating flow, and local enrichment under the influence of an asymmetric acoustic field. After enrichment or mixing, bright-field, dark-field, or fluorescence detection can be performed using an in-situ optical detection module. After processing, the droplet returns to the digital microfluidic region for continued transport, collection, or disposal. This solution improves the continuity, automation, and on-chip integration of droplet cross-region manipulation.

Disclosed herein is a surfactant additive, ethylenediamine tetrakis(ethoxylate-block-propoxylate) tetrol with 16 ethylene oxide repeat units and 18 propylene oxide repeat units (known by its trade name as Tetronic 90R4) used as a droplet-additive, or to coat DMF driving electrode surfaces which dramatically improves the capability to work with high-protein-content liquids (e.g., whole blood) on digital microfluidic chips. This surfactant prevents protein adsorption and fouling of DMF electrode surfaces to an extent that was heretofore impossible. Specifically, this surfactant allows for the manipulation of droplets of undiluted whole blood for >1 hour per electrode (>1 50 times better than what is possible for any known additive). This improvement in handling high protein content media will revolutionize blood-based diagnostics on digital microfluidic platforms.

The application discloses a kind of magnetic digital microfluidic system and microfluidic method, the system includes droplet control unit, magnetic core coil array on-off unit, logic control unit and signal detection unit, the droplet control unit includes microfluidic platform and magnetic core coil array, the magnetic core coil array is arranged below microfluidic platform, magnetic core coil array is connected with magnetic core coil array on-off unit, the logic control unit is connected with magnetic core coil array on-off unit, signal detection unit respectively.The application utilizes magnetic core coil array, can directly drive magnetic droplet and non-magnetic droplet in microfluidic platform, and realizes a series of operations such as control, transport, merge, distribution, heating and detection to droplet, can solve the problem that existing magnetic digital microfluidic system can only be limited to drive magnetic droplet, and biological compatibility is poor.

The embodiment of the application provides a digital microfluidic sequencing chip structure and a preparation method thereof. The digital microfluidic sequencing chip structure comprises a first substrate and a second substrate arranged oppositely, the first substrate and the second substrate enclose a containing cavity, the containing cavity comprises an outlet flow channel layer close to the first substrate and a liquid inlet flow channel layer close to the second substrate, and a sequencing structure layer for performing single-cell sequencing is located between the liquid inlet flow channel layer and the outlet flow channel layer. The sequencing structure layer is provided with one or more than one channel communicating with the liquid inlet flow channel layer and the outlet flow channel layer, one or more than one capture element is arranged in each channel, the capture element is used for capturing DNA or RNA of a single cell, and the inner wall of the channel is provided with a library construction reagent layer. The library construction reagent layer is used for performing targeted library construction on the DNA or the RNA, the automation capability of single-cell sample processing is effectively improved, the operation efficiency of sample processing is improved, and an effective tool is provided for sample processing of molecular diagnosis.

A digital microfluidics system comprising: (a) a bottom plate comprising an electrode array, the electrode array comprising a plurality of digital microfluidics propulsion electrodes; (b) a top plate comprising a common top electrode; (c) a controller coupled to the processing unit, common top electrode and bottom electrode array; and (d) a processing unit operably programmed to: receive input instructions relating to a droplet diameter and aspect ratio; calculate actuation parameters comprising: a length of an actuation hold, a length of an actuation neck and a height of an actuation head for dispensing a droplet having the diameter and aspect ratio of the input instructions; output electrode actuation instructions to the controller, the electrode actuation instructions relating to a dispensing drive sequence for implementing the calculated actuation parameters to dispense a droplet having the input diameter and aspect ratio; wherein the electrodes have a size that is less than the droplet diameter.

Digital microfluidic (DMF) methods and apparatuses (including devices, systems, cartridges, DMF readers, etc.), and in particular DMF apparatuses and methods that may be used to safely manually add or remove fluid within a cartridge while it is actively applying DMF. Also described herein are DMF readers for use with a DMF cartridges, including those including multiple and / or redundant safety interlocks. Also described herein are DMF reader devices having a cover with active control of microfluidics on the cover while actively controlling DMF on the reader base.

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.

A method of thermal cycling a droplet, including providing a droplet actuator with heaters establishing a first thermal zone and second thermal zone in a substantially oil-filled droplet operations gap; a thermal cycling path comprising droplet operations electrodes comprising a first droplet operations electrode in the first thermal zone and a second droplet operations electrode in the second thermal zone, wherein the first and second droplet operations electrodes are within 5 mm of each other; a first temperature at the first droplet operations electrode and a second temperature at the second droplet operations electrode, wherein the first and second temperatures differ by at least about 10° C.; and using the droplet operations electrodes, transporting the droplet in a cycling pattern for multiple cycles along the thermal cycling path between the first droplet operations electrode and the second droplet operations electrode. Cartridges and systems are also provided.

1. The name of the design product: digital microfluidic chip. 2. The use of the design product: for biomarker multiplex detection. 3. The design points of the design product: in the combination of shape and pattern. 4. The picture or photo that best indicates the design points: front view.

This invention discloses an automated single-cell Hi-C library construction method based on a digital microfluidic chip. The digital microfluidic chip has at least one droplet separation reaction unit, which includes a first loading region, a second loading region, a mixing reaction region, and two hydrophilic sites. The first loading region has a first loading electrode, the second loading region has a second loading electrode, and the mixing reaction region has multiple mixing reaction electrodes. The first loading region is connected to the mixing reaction region via several first delivery electrodes, and the second loading region is connected to the mixing reaction region via several second delivery electrodes. Larger droplets are formed by switching the first loading electrode and the first delivery electrode on and off, and smaller droplets are formed by switching the second loading electrode and the second delivery electrode on and off. This invention achieves single-cell Hi-C sequencing based on digital microfluidics, offering advantages such as high automation, minimal cell damage, and low cost, solving the problems of cumbersome operation and significant cell disturbance in existing single-cell technologies.

An apparatus for forming a plurality of microdroplets from a droplet includes a substrate, a dielectric layer on the substrate and having a plurality of hydrophilic surface regions spaced apart from each other by a hydrophobic surface, and a plurality of electrodes covered by the dielectric layer. The electrodes are configured to form an electric field across the droplet in response to a voltage provided by a control circuit to move the droplet across the dielectric layer in a lateral direction while leaving a portion of the droplet on the hydrophilic surface regions to form a plurality of microdroplets on the hydrophilic surface regions.

The present application relates to the field of multi-material additive manufacturing, in particular to a voxelized heterogeneous structure 3D printing device and method based on DLP. The method is to realize the movement, mixing and splitting of droplet materials through digital microfluidics by using dielectric wetting principle, transfer the droplets to the corresponding voxel position according to the predefined program, realize the precise control of different materials, and obtain voxelized heterogeneous structure three-dimensional workpiece through layer-by-layer accumulation and solidification processing. The present application provides a new method for realizing the printing of heterogeneous structure.

This invention discloses a continuous injection digital microfluidic cell sorting system and method based on capacitance detection feedback. The system includes: a digital microfluidic chip for providing a droplet manipulation substrate; a capacitance detection module for detecting capacitance signals in a target area; a syringe pump module for replenishing sample fluid into the injection area; a high-pressure drive module for controlling the droplet movement on the digital microfluidic chip; an image acquisition and recognition module for acquiring droplet images from the digital microfluidic chip and identifying cell information within the droplets to obtain cell identification results; and a controller connected to the high-pressure drive module, capacitance detection module, syringe pump module, and image acquisition and recognition module, used to trigger the syringe pump module to quantitatively replenish fluid based on capacitance signals and to control the high-pressure drive module to guide the droplets to the corresponding area based on the cell identification results. This invention improves the continuous operational stability of the digital microfluidic cell sorting process.

The application discloses a kind of microfluidic protein expression purification and affinity detection chip, system and method, the chip includes the sample loading area, protein expression area, magnetic bead purification area, phase transfer transition area, LSPR detection area and waste collection area in turn in the direction of fluid travel Serially arranged.The system includes chip, motor drive module, temperature control module, optical spectrum detection module, magnetic field control module and data processing module.The method includes reagent loading, cell-free protein expression, magnetic bead purification, magnetic bead oil phase transfer and local surface plasmon resonance, protein and ligand binding and affinity kinetics detection and the like steps.The application is integrated by digital microfluidic droplet control, magnetic bead enrichment purification and local surface plasmon resonance detection technology, and can obtain the kinetic parameter such as binding rate constant, dissociation rate constant and equilibrium dissociation constant of target molecule in real time.

The invention relates to a reagent temperature control device and method, and relates to the technical field of digital microfluidics, the reagent temperature control device comprises a digital microfluidics unit, a temperature control unit and at least one power unit, the digital microfluidics unit is provided with a reaction chamber; the temperature control unit is connected with the digital micro-fluidic unit and is provided with at least one temperature control flow channel communicated with the reaction chamber, and the temperature control unit is configured to heat or cool liquid drops in the temperature control flow channel; the power unit is configured to move the liquid drops from the reaction chamber to the temperature control flow channel or move the liquid drops from the temperature control flow channel to the reaction chamber. Compared with the prior art, the problem of reagent heating can be effectively solved, the independently arranged temperature control unit is higher in heating efficiency and shorter in heating time, and the temperature consistency of liquid drops is better. And meanwhile, the problem that the pipetting performance of the chip is reduced due to the fact that the reagent is adhered to the surface of the digital micro-fluidic chip during heating is solved.

The application relates to the technical field of biomedical engineering, and discloses a droplet mixing method, device and equipment based on an active matrix digital microfluidic device. The method comprises the following steps: controlling an active matrix electrode array, and making a droplet in an initial electrode region execute at least one mixing cycle. The mixing cycle comprises the following steps: in a state of maintaining activation of at least part of electrodes of the initial electrode region, electrodes outside the initial electrode region are activated in sequence along a first direction, so that the droplet is driven to stretch in the first direction and form a tail trace; when the extension distance of the tail trace reaches a preset tail trace distance, the electrodes under the tail trace are closed in sequence along a second direction, and all the electrodes of the initial electrode region are activated, so that the tail trace is retracted and fused with the main body of the droplet. According to the method, the active matrix electrode array is controlled, so that the droplet executes one or more mixing cycles, internal convection mixing is introduced in a microfluidic laminar flow environment, and the mixing efficiency of the droplet is improved only by electrode timing control without relying on an external auxiliary field.

An electrowetting system is disclosed. The system includes electrodes configured to manipulate droplets of fluid within a microscopic fluid space. Each electrode is coupled to circuitry operative to selectively apply a drive voltage to the electrode. The system includes a dielectric stack including a first dielectric pair comprising a first layer having a first dielectric constant and a second layer having a second dielectric constant. The dielectric stack includes a second dielectric pair comprising a third layer having a third dielectric constant and a fourth layer having a fourth dielectric constant.

A biosensor for performing an integrated process of biological signature detection from a biological sample is provided. The biosensor comprises a control sub-system configured to generate control signals for controlling the integrated process of biological signature detection; and a fluidic sub-system configured to receive the biologic sample and generate droplets from the biological sample. The fluidic sub-system comprises a digital microfluidic device receiving the control signals to control movements of the droplets across surfaces of the digital microfluidic device. The biosensor further includes an imaging sub-system coupled to the digital microfluidic device. The imaging sub-system comprises a semiconductor-based image sensor positioned relative to the digital microfluidic device to enable performing at least one of: monitoring the movements of the droplets across surfaces of the digital microfluidic device, monitoring biochemical reactions, or sensing fluorescent signals and obtaining images of the fluorescent signals for biological signature detection.