Integrated electrowetting nano-injector and aspirator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10843148-B2
Application number	US-201816012002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2018
Priority date	Jun 23, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A new simple transfection method using an integrated electrowetting nano-injector (“INENI”) with controlled dosage delivery and high transfection efficiency is disclosed. The volume of delivery can be controlled via voltage application to an inner and outer electrode integrated into a nano-pipette. With higher voltages, more liquid enters the INENI and with lower voltages liquid is expelled. This method can be used to deliver plasmid DNA directly into the nuclei of cells. The INENI requires only the use of a single probe since both electrodes are integrated into the same nano-pipette. Hence, more space is available, and ergo the INENI offers a simplistic means for direct injection of metered amounts of exogenous material into the confines of a cell cytoplasm and/or nucleus while retaining full cell viability.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system configured to use an integrated electrowetting to stimulate an injection or an aspiration of a biomaterial, wherein the biomaterial is an aqueous solution comprising an organic phase and an aqueous phase, the system comprising a single probe which comprises:
(a) a nano-pipette having an aperture with dimensions in the nanoscale region, wherein an organic phase is disposed in the nano-pipette;
(b) an outer electrode coupled to and directly attached on an outer surface of the nano-pipette;
(c) an inner electrode disposed in the organic phase within the nano-pipet,

wherein a potential difference is applied between the outer electrode and the inner electrode to electrically change a wetting angle at an interface between the organic phase and the aqueous solution, said change effectively stimulating the movement of the aqueous solution,
wherein when the potential difference exceeds a threshold voltage, the aqueous solution is extracted and drawn into the nano-pipette, and
wherein When the potential difference is lower than the threshold voltage, the aqueous solution is injected and drawn out of the nano-pipette.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a source meter is disposed between the inner and outer electrodes for controlling the potential difference between said electrodes.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a volume of the aqueous solution has a range of 1 femto-liter to tens of femto-liters.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the volume of the aqueous solution extracted or injected is dependent on a magnitude of the potential difference applied.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solutionis extracted from or injected into a nucleus or a cytoplasm of a living cell.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the aqueous solution is a DNA vector extracted from or injected into the nucleus of the living cell.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the DNA vector is extracted from or injected into a cytoplasm of the living cell.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner electrode is a wire composed of silver chloride with a dimension in the order of 0.2 mm.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer electrode comprises an iridium/ platinum layer for coating an outer surface of the nano-pipette.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the potential difference is a positive bias applied from the source meter between the outer electrode and the inner electrode.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Wickramasinghe Hemantha K
• Shekaramiz Elaheh

Classifications

• B01L3/022 Primary

  Capillary pipettes, i.e. having very small bore (B01L3/0224 - B01L3/0237 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01F33/3031 Primary

  using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids · CPC title

• B01L3/0255

  characterised by the form or material of the pin tip · CPC title

• G01N2035/1034

  Transferring microquantities of liquid · CPC title

• G01N35/10

  Devices for transferring samples {or any liquids} to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices {(G01N35/0099 takes precedence)} · CPC title