Microfluidics systems with waste hollow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630176-B2
Application number	US-201313902384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2013
Priority date	Jan 9, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

Digital microfluidics system manipulates samples in liquid droplets within a gap of at least one disposable cartridge. It is also provides additional space for collecting and/or storing waste fluids in this digital microfluidics system. It includes at least one waste hollow which is fluidly connected with a gap of a disposable cartridge that includes a bottom layer with a first hydrophobic surface and a top layer with a second hydrophobic surface. The waste hollow is located next to at least one individual waste electrode that is positioned next to at least one individual electrode of an electrode array. Each individual waste electrode is operatively connected to a central control unit and covers in each case a waste electrode area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) for manipulating samples in liquid droplets within a gap ( 6 ) of at least one disposable cartridge ( 2 ), the digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) comprising:
(a) a base unit ( 7 ) with at least one cartridge accommodation site ( 8 ) that is configured for taking up a disposable cartridge ( 2 );
(b) a disposable cartridge ( 2 ) that comprises a gap ( 6 ) with a gap height ( 53 ), a bottom layer ( 3 ) with a first hydrophobic surface ( 17 ′), and a top layer ( 4 ) with a second hydrophobic surface ( 17 ″), said disposable cartridge ( 2 ) being placed at said at least one cartridge accommodation site ( 8 );
(c) an electrode array ( 9 ) located at said at least one cartridge accommodation site ( 8 ) of the base unit ( 7 ), the electrode array ( 9 ) being supported by a bottom substrate ( 11 ), extending in a first plane, and comprising a number of individual electrodes ( 10 ); and
(d) a central control unit ( 14 ) for controlling the selection of the individual electrodes ( 10 ) of said electrode array ( 9 ) and for providing these individual electrodes ( 10 ) with individual voltage pulses for manipulating liquid droplets within the gap ( 6 ) of said disposable cartridge ( 2 ) by electrowetting,

wherein the digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) further comprises a waste hollow ( 50 ) which is fluidly connected with the gap ( 6 ) in that the waste hollow ( 50 ) is located next to at least one individual waste electrode ( 52 ) that is positioned next to at least one individual electrode ( 10 ), the at least one individual waste electrode ( 52 ) being operatively connected to the central control unit ( 14 ) and covering in each case a waste electrode area, said waste hollow ( 50 ) covering a waste area that is equal to a multitude of said waste electrode area and said waste hollow ( 50 ) having a height ( 51 ) that is equal to a multitude of the gap height ( 53 );
wherein the bottom layer ( 3 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) is configured to be flexible and the waste hollow ( 50 ) is configured as a depression or hole in the bot-tom substrate ( 11 ) of the digital microfluidics system ( 1 ),
wherein the digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) further comprises:

(e) a number of suction holes ( 35 ) that penetrate the bottom substrate ( 11 )
and the electrode array ( 9 ) and that are distributed over the cartridge ac-commodation site ( 8 ) of the base unit ( 7 ) and over the waste hollow ( 50 );

(f) a vacuum source ( 33 ) for establishing an underpressure in an evacuation space ( 46 ) that is located between the electrode array ( 9 ) or bottom sub-strate ( 11 ) and a disposable cartridge ( 2 ) located thereon; and
(g) a number of vacuum lines ( 34 ) that link the suction holes ( 35 ) to the vacuum source ( 33 );
and wherein the flexible bottom layer ( 3 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) is config-ured to be attracted by the underpressure in the evacuation space ( 46 ) and to be spread over the electrode array ( 9 ), the bottom substrate ( 11 ), and over the waste hollow ( 50 ) in the bottom substrate ( 11 ) of the digital microfluidics system ( 1 ), the flexible bottom layer ( 3 ) thereby defining the gap height ( 53 ) of the gap ( 6 ) between the bottom layer ( 3 ) and the top layer ( 4 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 6 ) and also the area and height ( 51 ) of the waste hollow ( 50 ).

2. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 1 ,
wherein the flexible bottom layer ( 3 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) is configured as a monolayer of a hydrophobic material.

3. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 1 ,
wherein the flexible bottom layer ( 3 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) is configured as a monolayer of electrically non-conductive material, an upper surface of the flexible bottom layer ( 3 ) being treated to be a hydrophobic surface ( 17 ′).

4. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 1 ,
wherein the flexible bottom layer ( 3 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) is configured as a laminate comprising a lower layer and a hydrophobic upper layer, the lower layer being electrically conductive or non-conductive.

5. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 1 ,
wherein the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) comprises a body ( 47 ) with at least one compartment ( 21 ) configured to hold therein processing liquids, reagents or samples, at least one of said compartments ( 21 ) comprising a through hole ( 19 ) for delivering at least some of its content into the gap ( 6 ).

6. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 1 ,
wherein a gasket ( 36 ), when located around a circumference ( 45 ) of the cartridge accommodation site ( 8 ), seals in the cartridge accommodation site ( 8 ) the evacuation space ( 46 ), which is defined by the flexible bottom layer ( 3 ), the electrode array ( 9 ), the bottom substrate ( 11 ), and the gasket ( 36 ).

7. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 1 ,
wherein the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) comprises a body ( 47 ), in which body ( 47 ) the waste hollow ( 50 ) is located, the waste hollow ( 50 ) being in fluidic communication with the gap ( 6 ) that is located between the bottom layer ( 3 ) and the top layer ( 4 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ); the height ( 51 ) of the waste hollow ( 50 ) including the height ( 53 ) of the gap ( 6 ).

8. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 7 ,
wherein the body ( 47 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) comprises at least one compartment ( 21 ) configured to hold therein processing liquids, reagents or samples, at least one of said compartments ( 21 ) comprising a through hole ( 19 ) for delivering at least some of its content into the gap ( 6 ).

9. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 7 ,
wherein the body ( 47 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) is configured as the top layer ( 4 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) and comprises the second hydrophobic surface ( 17 ″).

10. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 7 ,
wherein the bottom layer ( 3 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) is configured as a monolayer of a hydrophobic material.

11. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 7 ,
wherein the bottom layer ( 3 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) is configured as a monolayer of electrically non-conductive material, an upper surface of the bottom layer ( 3 ) being treated to be a hydrophobic surface ( 17 ′).

12. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 7 ,
wherein the bottom layer ( 3 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) is configured as a
laminate comprising a lower layer and a hydrophobic upper layer, the lower layer being electrically conductive or non-conductive.

13. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 7 ,
wherein the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) comprises a cushion seat ( 57 ), in which is lo-cated an absorptive cushion ( 55 ) for collecting waste fluids.

14. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 13 ,
wherein the absorptive cushion ( 55 ) comprises a semi-permeable membrane ( 56 ) that is configured to admit waste liquids to permeate into the absorptive cushion ( 55 ) and to prevent the waste liquids from leaving the absorptive cushion ( 55 ).

15. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 13 ,
wherein the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) comprises a cover ( 58 ) that encloses the cushion seat ( 57 ) in the body ( 47 ).

16. The digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) of claim 15 ,
wherein the cover ( 58 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) comprises at least one ventilation duct ( 59 ) that is configured to let pass air arrivi

Assignees

• Tecan Trading Ag

Inventors

• Lay Tiffany
• Perroud Thomas D
• Franklin Michael Benjamin
• Kopf-Sill Anne R

Classifications

• B01L9/527

  for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip · CPC title

• B01L2200/025

  Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other · CPC title

• B01L2300/043

  Hinged closures · CPC title

• B01L2400/0427

  Electrowetting · CPC title

• B01L3/502792

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