| ADVANCED LIQUID LOGIC, INC. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120044299 | Droplet Actuator Devices and Methods - A microfluidic device having a substrate with an electrically conductive element made using a conductive ink layer underlying a hydrophobic layer. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120018306 | Sample Processing Droplet Actuator, System and Method - Sample processing droplet actuators, systems and methods are provided. According to one embodiment, a stamping device including a droplet microactuator is provided and includes: (a) a first plate including a path or network of control electrodes for transporting droplets on a surface thereof; (b) a second plate mounted in a substantially parallel orientation with respect to the first plate providing an interior volume between the plates, the second plate including one or more stamping ports for transporting some portion or all of a droplet from the interior volume to an exterior location; (c) a port for introducing fluid into the interior volume between the plates; and (d) a path or network of reference electrodes corresponding to the path or network of control electrodes. Associated systems and methods including the stamping device are also provided. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20110311980 | Nucleic Acid Amplification and Sequencing on a Droplet Actuator - The invention provides a droplet actuator device, as well as systems, methods and devices making use of the droplet actuator device. The droplet actuator device may include a substrate having electrodes arranged for conducting one or more droplet operations. The droplet actuator device may include a substrate having a reactor path with a wash region associated with a magnet for immobilizing mobilizing beads during bead washing operations. The droplet actuator device may include nucleotide base reservoirs and dedicated nucleotide base electrode paths arranged for transporting nucleotide base droplets from nucleotide base reservoirs to the reactor path. The droplet actuator device may include one or more wash buffer reservoirs associated with electrode paths arranged for transporting wash buffer droplets from wash buffer reservoirs to the reactor path. The droplet actuator device may include one or more sample reservoirs and sample paths arranged for transporting sample droplets from the one or more sample reservoirs to the reactor path. The droplet actuator device may include one or more enzyme reservoirs and dedicated enzyme electrode paths arranged for transporting enzyme droplets from the one or more enzyme reservoirs to a detection electrode. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110303542 | Use of Additives for Enhancing Droplet Operations - The invention relates to a droplet actuator with a substrate comprising electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations on a droplet operations surface of the substrate; a filler fluid phase in contact with the droplet operations surface at least partially surrounding a droplet phase comprising a droplet arranged on one or more of the electrodes, the droplet comprising: (i) a target substance susceptible to loss from the droplet phase into the filler fluid phase; and (ii) an additive which reduces loss of the target substance to the filler fluid phase relative to a corresponding droplet not comprising the additive. The invention also relates to various compositions and methods. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110256542 | Droplet Actuator Devices, Systems, and Methods - The invention relates to certain novel approaches to reducing or eliminating the movement of contaminants from one droplet to another on a droplet actuator via liquid filler fluid. In one application, droplet actuators are used to conduct genetic analysis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The invention addresses the need for improved methods of performing PCR on a droplet actuator that provide for optimum amplification and detection of a sample target. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110213499 | Methods, Systems, and Products for Conducting Droplet Operations - The present invention provides modified droplet actuator systems, software, and software-executed methods for use in droplet actuator operation and droplet actuator systems that are configured and programmed to execute such software. An aspect of the software components of the invention is an interface description file for each hardware component of a microfluidics system that allows hardware components to be changed without modifying the program for performing droplet operations protocols. Another aspect of the software components of the invention is the establishment of electrode-to-electrode relationships and other aspects of droplet actuator configurations, which may be used when programming droplet operations protocols. Another aspect of the software components of the invention is a physical design library of predefined electrode elements that may be used by a droplet actuator designer when constructing a layout of electrodes. Another aspect of the software components of the invention is a droplet actuator description file that contains the physical and electrical description of the droplet actuator. Another aspect of the software components of the invention is a router component for determining routes of droplet operations in a droplet actuator. Another aspect of the software components of the invention is the use of tri-state vectors for programming sequences in a droplet actuator. Still other aspects are provided. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110209998 | Droplet Actuator and Methods - A series of microactuators for manipulating small quantities of liquids, and methods of using these for manipulating liquids, are disclosed. The microactuators are based on the phenomenon of electrowetting and contain no moving parts. The force acting on the liquid is a potential-dependent gradient of adhesion energy between the liquid and a solid insulating surface. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110203930 | Bead Incubation and Washing on a Droplet Actuator - The present invention relates to bead incubating and washing on a droplet actuator. Methods for incubating magnetically responsive beads that are labeled with primary antibody, a sample (i.e., analyte), and secondary reporter antibodies on a magnet, on and off a magnet, and completely off a magnet are provided. Also provided are methods for washing magnetically responsive beads using shape-assisted merging of droplets. Also provided are methods for shape-mediated splitting, transporting, and dispensing of a sample droplet that contains magnetically responsive beads. The apparatuses and methods of the invention provide for rapid time to result and optimum detection of an analyte in an immunoassay. | 08-25-2011 |
| 20110186433 | Droplet-Based Particle Sorting - The present invention relates to droplet-based particle sorting. According to one embodiment, a droplet microactuator is provided and includes: (a) a suspension of particles; and (b) electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations using droplets comprising particles. A method of transporting a particle is also provided, wherein the method includes providing a droplet comprising the particle and transporting the droplet on a droplet microactuator. | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110180571 | Droplet Actuators, Modified Fluids and Methods - The present invention provides droplet actuators, modified fluids and methods relating to droplet operations. An aspect includes a droplet actuator including a droplet operations substrate; an oil based filler fluid on the droplet operations substrate comprising an oil soluble additive in the filler fluid; and a droplet in contact with the oil based filler fluid. Still other aspects are provided. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110118132 | Enzymatic Assays Using Umbelliferone Substrates with Cyclodextrins in Droplets of Oil - The invention is directed to droplet actuator devices and assay methods. The method may include, among other things, a method of conducting enzymatic assays using umbelliferone substrates with cyclodextrins in droplets in oil, the method including incubating a droplet in oil, the droplet preferably comprising an umbelliferone substrate, a sample, and a cyclodextrin compound. The methods may further include a method of substantially eliminating cross-contamination between droplets in enzymatic containing substrate-based bioassays. The method may include immobilization of the enzymatic substrate including forming an inclusion complex with the substrate for stabilizing the substrate within an aqueous environment, wherein the inclusion complex may be formed using cyclodextrins. In yet another embodiment, the invention may provide a method of enhancing hydrolysis of enzymatic substrates. The methods may further include a method of forming an inclusion complex with the substrate for stabilizing the substrate within an aqueous environment, wherein the substrate may be a 4-MU- or HMU containing substrate. The inclusion complex may be formed using cyclodextrin. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110114490 | Bead Manipulation Techniques - The invention provides a method of redistributing magnetically responsive beads in a droplet. The method may include providing a droplet including magnetically responsive beads. The droplet may be provided within a region of a magnetic field having sufficient strength to attract the magnetically responsive beads to an edge of the droplet or towards an edge of the droplet, or otherwise regionalize or aggregate beads within the droplet. The method may also include conducting on a droplet operations surface one or more droplet operations using the droplet without removing the magnetically responsive beads from the region of the magnetic field. The droplet operations may in some cases be electrode-mediated. The droplet operations may redistribute and/or circulate the magnetically responsive beads within the droplet. In some cases, the droplet may include a sample droplet may include a target analyte. The redistributing of the magnetically responsive beads may cause target analyte to bind to the magnetically responsive beads. In some cases, the droplet may include unbound substances in a wash buffer. The redistributing of the magnetically responsive beads causes unbound substances to be freed from interstices of an aggregated set or subset of the magnetically responsive beads. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110104816 | Method of Loading a Droplet Actuator - The invention provides droplet actuators and droplet actuator cassettes including reagent storage capabilities, as well as methods of making and using the droplet actuators and cassettes. The invention also provides continuous flow channel elements and techniques for using electrodes to manipulate droplets in flowing streams. The invention also discloses methods of separating compounds on a droplet actuator. Various other aspects of the invention are also disclosed. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110104747 | Method of Concentrating Beads in a Droplet - Methods of concentrating beads in a droplet and/or loading beads on a fluidic device are provided, including among other things, a method of concentrating beads in a droplet, the method comprising: (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising: (i) an interior droplet operations volume; and (ii) a reservoir exterior to the interior volume; (iii) a droplet established in a liquid path extending from the reservoir into the interior volume; (b) providing magnetically responsive beads in the portion of the droplet which is in the reservoir; (c) magnetically attracting the magnetically responsive beads through the liquid path into the portion of the droplet which is in the interior volume; and (d) forming a droplet comprising one or more of the magnetically responsive beads in the interior volume. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110104725 | Method of Effecting Coagulation in a Droplet - The invention provides techniques for coagulating blood on a droplet actuator. The invention also provides methods of manipulating the coagulated blood including a variety of droplet operations that may be conducted using the coagulated blood. Further, the invention provides a variety of assays that make use of the coagulated blood or various blood samples as input. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110100823 | Droplet-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Apparatus and System - The present invention relates to a droplet-based nucleic acid amplification apparatus and system. According to one embodiment, a droplet microactuator is provided made using a first substrate including a fluorescing material and including a detection region for detecting a fluorescence signal from a droplet, which detection region is coated with a light absorbing, low fluorescence or non-fluorescing material. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110097763 | Thermal Cycling Method - The invention relates to certain novel approaches to reducing or eliminating the movement of contaminants from one droplet to another on a droplet actuator via liquid filler fluid. In one application, droplet actuators are used to conduct genetic analysis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The invention addresses the need for improved methods of performing PCR on a droplet actuator that provide for optimum amplification and detection of a sample target. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110091989 | Method of Reducing Liquid Volume Surrounding Beads - The invention provides droplet actuators and droplet actuator techniques. Among other things, the droplet actuators and methods are useful for manipulating beads on a droplet actuator, such as conducting droplet operations using bead-containing droplets on a droplet actuator. For example, beads may be manipulated on a droplet actuator in the context of executing a sample preparation protocol and/or an assay protocol. An output of the methods of the invention may be beads prepared for execution of an assay protocol. Another output of the methods of the invention may be results of an assay protocol executed using beads. Among the methods described herein are methods of concentrating beads in droplets, methods of washing beads, methods of suspending beads, methods of separating beads, methods of localizing beads within a droplet, methods of forming emulsions in which droplets include beads, methods of loading beads into a droplet operations gap of a droplet actuator, methods of organizing beads in a monolayer, and methods of capturing, trapping or restraining beads. | 04-21-2011 |
| 20110086377 | Bead Manipulations on a Droplet Actuator - A droplet actuator comprising: (a) a base substrate comprising electrodes configured for conducting droplet operations on a droplet operations surface thereof; (b) a droplet comprising one or more beads situated on the droplet operations surface; (c) a barrier arranged in relation to the droplet and the electrodes such that a droplet may be transported away from the beads using one or more droplet operations mediated by one or more of the electrodes while transport of the beads is restrained by a barrier. Related methods and kits are also provided. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20100323405 | Droplet-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification in a Temperature Gradient - A method of amplifying a nucleic acid, the method comprising cycling an amplification-ready droplet through a temperature gradient to locations within the temperature gradient suitable for effecting steps in an amplification reaction. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100307917 | Droplet Actuator Configurations and Methods - Droplet actuators for conducting droplet operations, such as droplet transport and droplet dispensing, are provided. In one embodiment, the droplet actuator may include a substrate including, droplet operations electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations on a surface of the substrate; and reference electrodes associated with the droplet operations electrodes and extending above the surface of the substrate. Other embodiments of droplet actuators and methods of loading and using such droplet actuators are also provided. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20100291578 | Droplet-Based Pyrosequencing - The present invention relates to droplet-based pyrosequencing including a method of identifying a base at a target position in a sample nucleic acid. The method includes: (a) providing a droplet microactuator including a first droplet including a sample nucleic acid immobilized on a bead; and (b) on the droplet microactuator: (i) contacting the first droplet with one or more reagent droplets to yield a second droplet, wherein the one or more reagent droplets include reagents for extending a double stranded portion of the sample nucleic acid by incorporating a nucleotide at the target position; (ii) splitting the second droplet to yield a third droplet including the bead and a fourth droplet lacking the bead; and (iii) assaying the third droplet to determine whether the nucleotide was incorporated at the target position. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100282609 | Reagent Storage and Reconstitution for a Droplet Actuator - On-board reagent storage, handling, and dispensing apparatuses and methods for droplet actuator systems are provided. In one embodiment, a fluidic analyzer is provided and includes a droplet actuator including a substrate including a plurality of electrodes configured to actuate a droplet and a reagent storage component in selective fluid communication with the droplet actuator and including a reagent configured to combine with a solvent at a time of use. In another embodiment, a method of conducting fluidic analysis is provided and includes storing a reagent within a reagent storage component in fluid communication with a droplet actuator including a plurality of electrodes configured to actuate a droplet and combining the reagent with a solvent at a time for use within the droplet actuator. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100282608 | Droplet Actuator with Improved Top Substrate - The invention provides a droplet actuator comprising a base substrate and a top substrate separated to form a gap, wherein: (a) the base substrate comprises electrodes configured for conducting droplet operations in the gap; and (b) the top substrate comprises a first portion coupled to second portion, where the second portion comprises one or more openings establishing a fluid path extending from an exterior of the droplet actuator and into the gap. The invention also provides related methods of manufacturing the droplet actuator, methods of using the droplet actuator, and methods of loading the droplet actuator. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100279374 | Manipulation of Beads in Droplets and Methods for Manipulating Droplets - The invention provides a method of dispersing or circulating magnetically responsive beads within a droplet in a droplet actuator. The invention, in one embodiment, makes use of a droplet actuator with a plurality of droplet operations electrodes configured to transport the droplet, and a magnetic field present at a portion of the plurality of droplet operations electrodes. A bead-containing droplet is provided on the droplet actuator in the presence of the uniform magnetic field. Beads are circulated in the droplet during incubation by conducting droplet operations on the droplet within a uniform region of the magnetic field. Other embodiments are also provided. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20100270156 | Droplet Actuator Configurations and Methods of Conducting Droplet Operations - A droplet actuator with a droplet formation electrode configuration associated with a droplet operations surface, wherein the electrode configuration comprises one or more electrodes configured to control volume of a droplet during formation of a sub-droplet on the droplet operations surface. Methods of making and using the droplet actuator are also provided. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100258441 | Manipulation of Beads in Droplets and Methods for Splitting Droplets - The invention provides a method of circulating magnetically responsive beads within a droplet in a droplet actuator. The invention also provides methods for splitting droplets. The invention, in one embodiment, makes use of a droplet actuator with top and bottom substrates, a plurality of magnetic fields respectively present proximate the top and bottom substrates, wherein at least one of the magnet fields is selectively alterable, and a plurality of droplet operations electrodes positioned along at least one of the top and bottom surfaces. A droplet is positioned between the top and bottom surfaces and at least one of the magnetic fields is selectively altered. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100236929 | Droplet Actuators, Systems and Methods - A droplet actuator with arrays of electrodes electrically coupled to a number of controllable voltage sources that is less than the number of electrodes. A method of defining partitions for pin layouts in a droplet actuator for a specific assay, the method including: defining droplet traces for the assay; and defining a guard ring along the traces. Other methods, systems, droplet actuators, and algorithms are also provided. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100236928 | Multiplexed Detection Schemes for a Droplet Actuator - A droplet actualor having electrodes configured for ejecting droplet operations transporting droplets on a surface, and a sensor arranged in proximity to one or more of the electrodes establishing a detection window on the surface for detection of one or more properties of one or more droplets on the surface, wherein the electrodes establish at least two pathways for transport of droplets into the detection window. Also provided is, A method of detecting a property of a target droplet, including using droplet operations to modulate signals from a droplet set comprising the target droplet, detecting the modulated signals of the droplet set, demodulating the modulated signals to identify the signal produced by one or more individual droplets of the set Related methods and alternative embodiments are also provided. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100236927 | Droplet Actuator Structures - A droplet actuator comprising a substrate comprising an electrode coupled to a voltage source, wherein the droplet actuator is configured such that when voltage is applied to the electrode, an electrostatic energy gradient is established at a surface of the substrate which causes a droplet to be transported in a direction established by the energy gradient. Related methods and other embodiments are also provided. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100221713 | Droplet Actuator Devices, Systems, and Methods - The invention relates to certain novel approaches to reducing or eliminating the movement of contaminants from one droplet to another on a droplet actuator via liquid filler fluid. In one application, droplet actuators are used to conduct genetic analysis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The invention addresses the need for improved methods of performing PCR on a droplet actuator that provide for optimum amplification and detection of a sample target. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100206094 | Device and Method for Sample Collection and Concentration - An apparatus and a method for concentrating a target substance in a liquid has been invented. The apparatus comprises a first reservoir with inlet openings for introducing a fluid comprising a target substance into the first reservoir and a second reservoir separated from the first reservoir by a partition permeable to permit the fluid to traverse the partition while retaining the target substance in the first reservoir. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100194408 | Capacitance Detection in a Droplet Actuator - A method, circuit and apparatus for detecting capacitance on a droplet actuator, inter alia, for determining the presence, partial presence or absence of a droplet at an electrode on a droplet actuator by: (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising: (i) a substrate comprising electrodes arranged on the substrate for conducting droplet operations on a surface of the substrate; (ii) a capacitance detection circuit for detecting capacitance at the droplet operations surface at one or more of the electrodes; (b) detecting capacitance at the droplet operations surface at one or more of the electrodes; and (c) determining from the capacitance the presence, partial presence or absence of a droplet at the droplet operations surface at the electrode. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100190263 | Bubble Techniques for a Droplet Actuator - The present invention is directed to a droplet actuator and methods of making and using the droplet actuator including one or more substrates configured to form a droplet operations gap and including a physical or chemical feature that may be provided at a predetermined locus within or exposed to the droplet operations gap and configured to retain a bubble in position within the droplet operations gap. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100151439 | Enzymatic Assays for a Droplet Actuator - A method of conducting a droplet-based enzymatic assay is provided. The method generally makes use of a droplet actuator. A droplet comprising an enzyme of interest is provided on the droplet actuator along with a droplet comprising a substrate which is potentially modified in the presence of the enzyme. The method involves executing droplet operations on the droplet actuator to combine the droplets, thereby yielding an assay droplet, and detecting modification of the substrate by the enzyme in the assay droplet on the droplet actuator. The enzyme of interest may, for example, be a potentially mutated or improperly folded enzyme exhibiting altered enzyme activity as compared to a corresponding normal enzyme. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100143963 | Modular Droplet Actuator Drive - The invention provides a droplet actuator drive. In certain embodiments, the droplet actuator drive may include a detection apparatus for sensing a property of a droplet on a droplet actuator; circuitry for controlling the detection apparatus electronically coupled to the detection apparatus; a droplet actuator cartridge connector; circuitry for controlling a droplet actuator coupled to the droplet actuator connector; and/or a means for coupling the droplet actuator circuitry to a processor. Systems, kits and methods of conducting assays are also provided. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100140093 | Droplet-Based Surface Modification and Washing - The present invention relates to droplet-based surface modification and washing. According to one embodiment, a method of providing a bead-containing droplet with a reduced concentration of a substance is provided, the method including providing a droplet microactuator including a droplet having a starting volume and including one or more beads and a starting concentration and starting quantity of the substance. The method further includes conducting one or more droplet operations to merge a wash droplet with the droplet provided in the above step to yield a combined droplet and including one or more droplet operations to divide the combined droplet to yield a set of droplets including a droplet including substantially all of the one or more beads and having a decreased concentration of the substance relative to the starting concentration and a droplet which is substantially lacking in the beads. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100130369 | Bead-Based Multiplexed Analytical Methods and Instrumentation - Various methods, such as a method of detecting SNPs, involving (a) introducing onto a droplet actuator a solution comprising genomic DNA, extension oligos and suspension array beads; (b) dispensing on the droplet actuator one bead per droplet; (c) cleaving DNA from the bead in each droplet; (d) amplifying the cleaved DNA; (e) detecting SNP signals and barcode signals from the amplified DNA. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100126860 | PCB Droplet Actuator Fabrication - Alternative approaches to fabricating printed circuit boards for use in droplet actuator operations are provided. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a droplet actuator for conducting droplet operations includes positioning a dielectric material between a first metal layer configured to include an electrode and a second metal layer configured to include an interconnect pad. The method additionally includes forming a connection between the first and second metal layers. Droplet actuators and methods of fabricating and supporting printed circuit boards of droplet actuators are also provided. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100120130 | Droplet Actuator with Droplet Retention Structures - The present invention is directed to droplet actuators with droplet retention structures, and methods related thereto. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a droplet actuator with one or more substrates arranged to form a droplet operations gap comprising gap-facing surfaces; droplet operations electrodes configured to conduct droplet operations in the droplet operations gap; at least one barrier included on at least one of the substrate surfaces and having dimensions selected to: permit droplet transport from atop a first droplet operations electrode to a second droplet operations electrode when the second droplet operations electrode is activated; and prevent movement of a droplet from atop a first droplet operations electrode when the first and second droplet operations electrodes are inactive. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100118307 | Droplet Actuator Devices, Configurations, and Methods for Improving Absorbance Detection - Devices, configurations and methods for improving absorbance detection are provided. For example, methods and devices are provided for determining the absorbance of a droplet, e.g., a droplet on a droplet actuator, by providing an elongated light path through the droplet. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100116640 | Droplet-Based Surface Modification and Washing - The present invention relates to droplet-based surface modification and washing. According to one embodiment, a method of splitting a droplet is provided, the method including providing a droplet microactuator including a droplet including one or more beads and immobilizing at least one of the one or more beads. The method further includes conducting one or more droplet operations to divide the droplet to yield a set of droplets including a droplet including the one or more immobilized beads and a droplet substantially lacking the one or more immobilized beads. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100087012 | Sample Collector and Processor - An aerosol sample collector with an air flow path comprising: (i) at a first segment thereof, a particle charging device, and (i) at a second segment thereof, deflection plates configured to focus particles of a desired charge into a preselected cross-section of the air flow path. The air flow path also includes charged substrates arranged at an outflow portion of the air flow path to collect charged particles on a collection surface of the charged substrates; and an exit path for flowing particles not in the preselected cross-section of the air flow path away from the charged substrates. Related methods are also provided. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100068764 | Droplet Actuator Devices and Methods Employing Magnetic Beads - A method of providing a droplet in contact with a magnetically responsive bead and having a reduced quantity of a substance. The method generally includes the steps of (a) providing a droplet actuator ( | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100062508 | Droplet Actuator Loading and Target Concentration - A droplet actuator and method of providing a droplet comprising an target substance on the droplet actuator, and including discrete flow and continuous flow functionality. Discrete flow function is controlled by electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations on a substrate surface. The continuous flow function includes a fluid path arranged for flowing a fluid therethrough. The discrete flow and continuous flow functions may be by a barrier, including a second fluid path through the barrier. The continuous flow function may include a capture surface comprising a component having an affinity for the target substance. Methods of the invention may include flowing a fluid comprising the target substance through the fluid path; capturing the target substance on the capture surface; and forming a droplet in the discrete flow region via the second fluid path and the electrodes comprising the captured target substance. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100048410 | Bead Sorting on a Droplet Actuator - A method of sorting beads on a droplet actuator. The method may, for example, include the following steps: (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising a substrate comprising electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations on a substrate surface; (b) providing an assay droplet on the substrate surface, the droplet comprising two or more target-capture bead populations comprising target-capture beads comprising: (i) a capture probe bound to a target substance; and (ii) a unique bar binding element which binds to a corresponding binder; (c) using droplet operations to combine the assay droplet with a bead-capture droplet comprising one or more bead-capture beads having affinity for the binding element; (d) immobilizing the one or more bead-capture beads while conducting droplet operations to separate the bead-capture beads from unbound target-capture beads; (e) resuspending the one or more bead-capture beads in a droplet, thereby providing a droplet comprising a substantially pure substance-capture bead population; and (f) using droplet operations to conduct one or more protocol steps for an assay protocol. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100041086 | Enzyme Assays for a Droplet Actuator - The invention relates to a microfluidic platform and methods of using the platform for conducting enzyme assays using a droplet actuator. The enzyme assays of the invention are useful for, among other things, identifying and/or characterizing disorders resulting from conditions in which enzymes are defective or are produced in inappropriate amounts. Enzyme assays of the invention may, for example, be used to detect altered activity of a particular enzyme in a sample, which may serve as an indicator of a particular disease. Altered activity may, for example, be caused by conditions which result in the increased or reduced production of a certain enzyme or its substrate and/or conditions which result in defective enzymes and/or substrates exhibiting increased or decreased effectiveness relative to corresponding normal enzymes and/or substrates. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100032293 | Droplet Dispensing Device and Methods - The invention provides nonlimiting examples of structures for and methods of dispensing droplets in a droplet actuator. The droplet actuator structures and methods of the invention exhibit numerous advantages over droplet actuators of the prior art. In various embodiments, the structures and methods of the invention provide, among other things, improved efficiency, throughput, scalability, and/or droplet uniformity, as compared with existing droplet actuators. Further, in some embodiments, the droplet actuators provide configurations for improved methods of loading and/or unloading fluid and/or droplets. In yet other embodiments, the droplet actuators provide fluid loading configurations for loading numerous fluid reservoirs in a substantially simultaneous and/or substantially sequential manner. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100028920 | Hydrogen Peroxide Droplet-Based Assays - The present invention relates to providing improved hydrogen peroxide assays, as well as droplet actuators for conducting such assays. The droplet actuators of the invention may be used to conduct droplet-based hydrogen peroxide assays. They may also be associated with detectors for analyzing the results of the hydrogen peroxide assays of the invention. They may be provided as components of systems which control droplet operations and/or detection for conducting the hydrogen peroxide assays. Measurement by the detector may be used to quantify the presence of an analyte in a sample. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100025250 | Droplet Actuator Structures - The objective of this research is to model and design a microfluidic system that uses electrostatic fields to induce movement of discrete droplets of solution. Of particular interest is movement of droplets of H | 02-04-2010 |
| 20090311713 | Method of Detecting an Analyte - The invention relates to certain novel approaches to reducing or eliminating the movement of contaminants from one droplet to another on a droplet actuator via liquid filler fluid. In one application, a method of detecting an analyte is provided and includes providing in a detection window a droplet including a signal-producing substance indicative of the presence and/or quantity of an analyte and one or more magnetically responsive beads which may interfere with signal produced by the signal producing substance. The method further includes using a magnetic field for magnetically removing the magnetically responsive beads from the detection window and/or magnetically restricting the magnetically responsive beads from entering the detection window while transporting and/or retaining the droplet in the detection window. The method additionally includes detecting a signal produced by the signal-producing substance. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090304944 | Surface Assisted Fluid Loading and Droplet Dispensing - The present invention relates to surface assisted fluid loading and droplet dispensing on a droplet micro actuator. A droplet actuator is provided and includes one or more electrodes configured for conducting one or more droplet operations on a droplet operations surface of the substrate. The droplet actuator further includes a wettable surface defining a path from a fluid reservoir into a locus which is sufficiently near to one or more of the electrodes that activation of the one or more electrodes results in a droplet operation. Methods and systems are also provided. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090263834 | Droplet Actuator Devices and Methods for Immunoassays and Washing - Droplet actuator devices and methods for immunoassays and washing are provided. According to one embodiment, a method of providing a droplet in contact with a surface of a super paramagnetic bead with a reduced concentration of a substance is provided and includes: (a) providing a super paramagnetic bead in contact with a droplet comprising a starting concentration and starting quantity of the substance and having a starting volume; (b) conducting one or more droplet operations to merge a wash droplet with the droplet provided in step (a) to yield a combined droplet; and (c) conducting one or more droplet operations to divide the combined droplet to yield a set of droplets. The set of droplets includes: (i) a droplet in contact with the super paramagnetic bead having a decreased concentration of the substance relative to the starting concentration; and (ii) a droplet which is separated from the super paramagnetic bead. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090155902 | Manipulation of Cells on a Droplet Actuator - A method of inoculating a culture medium including providing a droplet including a single cell type on a droplet actuator and inoculating a culture medium with the droplet. A method of providing a metabolically useful substance to a cell culture, including providing a droplet actuator including a cell culture droplet loaded thereon, the sample droplet including cells and a cell culture medium, and a second droplet comprising a metabolically useful substance. The method also includes conducting one or more droplet operations to combine the cell culture droplet with the second droplet on the droplet actuator. Related methods, droplet actuators, and systems are also provided. | 06-18-2009 |
