Droplet assembly method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10950376-B2
Application number	US-201314437340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2013
Priority date	Oct 25, 2012
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for moving a droplet from a first location to a second location, which droplet comprises a magnetic material disposed in an aqueous medium. The invention also relates to a droplet assembly comprising a droplet, which droplet comprises a magnetic material disposed in an aqueous medium. Various uses of the droplet assembly are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for moving a droplet from a first location in a hydrophobic medium to a second location in the hydrophobic medium, to assemble, disassemble or rearrange a droplet assembly, which process comprises:
(i) exposing a droplet which is disposed in a hydrophobic medium and is situated at a first location on a solid surface in the hydrophobic medium, which droplet comprises (a) an aqueous medium, (b) an outer layer of amphipathic molecules around the surface of the aqueous medium, and (c) a magnetic material disposed in the aqueous medium, to a magnetic field of a magnet, and thereby causing the droplet to be attracted to said magnet by magnetic attraction;
(ii) moving the magnet relative to the first location in the hydrophobic medium whilst maintaining said magnetic attraction, and thereby causing the droplet to move away from said first location in the hydrophobic medium and towards a second location in the hydrophobic medium, wherein moving the magnet relative to the first location in the hydrophobic medium moves the magnet in a direction away from the first location in the hydrophobic medium; and
(iii) disposing the droplet at said second location in the hydrophobic medium; wherein:
disposing the droplet at said second location in the hydrophobic medium comprises bringing the droplet into contact with another droplet in the hydrophobic medium, which said another droplet comprises (a) an aqueous medium and (b) an outer layer of amphipathic molecules around the surface of the aqueous medium, so that a bilayer of amphipathic molecules is formed at an interface between the contacting droplets.

2. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 1 wherein the step of (i) exposing a droplet to said magnetic field comprises moving said magnet relative to the droplet which is situated at the first location in the hydrophobic medium, in a direction towards the droplet, and thereby causing the droplet to be attracted to said magnet by magnetic attraction.

3. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 1 wherein the step of (i) exposing a droplet to said magnetic field causes the droplet to move away from said first location in the hydrophobic medium and towards the magnet.

4. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 1 wherein the magnet is above the hydrophobic medium.

5. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 4 wherein the step of (i) exposing a droplet to said magnetic field causes the droplet to rise to the top of the hydrophobic medium.

6. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 1 wherein the step of (ii) moving the magnet relative to the first location in the hydrophobic medium moves a single droplet.

7. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 1 wherein the step of (iii) disposing the droplet at said second location in the hydrophobic medium comprises ceasing to expose the droplet to said magnetic field at or near said second location in the hydrophobic medium.

8. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 7 wherein the step of (iii) disposing the droplet at said second location in the hydrophobic medium comprises ceasing to expose the droplet to said magnetic field near said second location in the hydrophobic medium and allowing the droplet to arrive at said second location in the hydrophobic medium by falling through the hydrophobic medium under gravity.

9. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 7 wherein ceasing to expose the droplet to said magnetic field comprises moving the magnet away from the droplet.

10. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 2 wherein the droplet at the first location in the hydrophobic medium forms a bilayer with each of two or more other droplets and the step of (i) exposing a droplet to said magnetic field causes the droplet to move away from the other droplets.

11. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 10 wherein, when the droplet moves away from the other droplets, each bilayer between the droplet and the other droplets separates.

12. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 11 wherein the step of (ii) moving the magnet relative to the first location in the hydrophobic medium moves a single droplet.

13. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 1 wherein the step of (iii) disposing the droplet at said second location in the hydrophobic medium comprises ceasing to expose the droplet to said magnetic field at or near said second location in the hydrophobic medium.

14. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 13 wherein the step of (iii) disposing the droplet at said second location in the hydrophobic medium comprises ceasing to expose the droplet to said magnetic field near said second location in the hydrophobic medium and allowing the droplet to arrive at said second location in the hydrophobic medium by falling through the hydrophobic medium under gravity.

15. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 1 wherein the step of (iii) disposing the droplet at said second location in the hydrophobic medium comprises contacting the droplet with a second droplet and fusing the droplet with the second droplet to form a new droplet from the first and second droplets.

16. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 15 which further comprises a step of moving the magnet relative to the second location in the hydrophobic medium in a direction away from the second location in the hydrophobic medium whilst maintaining said magnetic attraction, and thereby causing the new droplet to move away from said second location in the hydrophobic medium and towards a third location in the hydrophobic medium.

17. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 16 wherein the new droplet formed from the first and second droplets forms a bilayer with a third droplet and step of moving the magnet relative to the second location in the hydrophobic medium causes the new droplet to move away from the third droplet.

18. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 16 which further comprises disposing the droplet at said third location in the hydrophobic medium.

19. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 18 wherein the step of disposing the droplet at said third location in the hydrophobic medium comprises ceasing to expose the droplet to said magnetic field at or near said third location in the hydrophobic medium.

20. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 5 wherein the droplet at the first location in the hydrophobic medium forms a bilayer with a second droplet and the step of (i) exposing a droplet to said magnetic field causes the droplet and the second droplet to rise to the top of the hydrophobic medium and move towards the magnet.

21. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 20 wherein the step of (ii) moving the magnet relative to the first location in the hydrophobic medium moves the first droplet and the second droplet.

22. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 20 wherein the step of (iii) disposing the droplet at said second location in the hydrophobic medium comprises ceasing to expose the droplet to said magnetic field at or near said second location.

23. A process for moving a droplet according to claim 22 wherein the step of (iii) disposing the droplet at said second location in the hydrophobic medium comprises ceasing to expose the droplet to said magnetic field near said second location in the hydrophobic medium and allowing the dro

Assignees

• Isis Innovation
• Univ Oxford Innovation Ltd

Inventors

• Bayley John Hagan Pryce
• Sapra Kunwar Tanuj
• Wauer Tobias
• Gerlach Holger
• Mantri Shiksha
• Hill Jamie

Classifications

• B01L3/502792 Primary

  for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension · CPC title

• B01L2200/0673

  Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid · CPC title

• B01L2400/043

  magnetic forces · CPC title

• H01F1/445 Primary

  the magnetic component being a compound, e.g. Fe3O4 (H01F1/447 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/0391

  Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy · CPC title