| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 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 |
| 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 |
