Micro-chemical mixing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9839908-B2
Application number	US-201414247791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2014
Priority date	Sep 15, 2005
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A device comprising, a substrate having a droplet thereover, and an electrical source coupleable to the substrate. The electrical source is configured to apply a voltage between the substrate and the droplet using an electrode. The electrode has a first portion and a second portion non-symmetric to the first portion, the first and second portions defined by a plane located normal to a longitudinal axis and through a midpoint of a length of the electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a substrate;
a droplet of liquid resting on a surface of the substrate;
an electrical source electrically connected to apply a voltage between the substrate and an electrode in contact with the droplet, wherein:
the electrode has a length portion with a longitudinal axis that is normal to a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate,
the voltage applied across the droplet causes the droplet to physically deform in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate, and
the electrode further includes a second portion in contact with the droplet and shaped as a helix.

2. A device, comprising:
a substrate;
a droplet of liquid resting on a surface of the substrate;
an electrical source electrically connected to apply a voltage between the substrate and an electrode in contact with the droplet, wherein:
the electrode has a length portion with a longitudinal axis that is normal to a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate,
the voltage applied across the droplet causes the droplet to physically deform in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate, and
the electrode further includes a second portion in contact with the droplet and shaped as an inverted T.

3. A device, comprising:
a substrate;
a droplet of liquid resting on a surface of the substrate;
an electrical source electrically connected to apply a voltage between the substrate and an electrode in contact with the droplet, wherein:
the electrode has a length portion with a longitudinal axis that is normal to a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate,
the voltage applied across the droplet causes the droplet to physically deform in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate, and
the electrode further includes a second portion in contact with the droplet and shaped as an L.

4. A device, comprising:
a substrate;
a droplet of liquid resting on a surface of the substrate;
an electrical source electrically connected to apply a voltage between the substrate and an electrode in contact with the droplet, wherein:
the electrode has a length portion with a longitudinal axis that is normal to a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate,
the voltage applied across the droplet causes the droplet to physically deform in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate, and
the electrode further includes a second portion in contact with the droplet and shaped as a disk.

5. A device, comprising:
a substrate;
a droplet of liquid resting on a surface of the substrate;
an electrical source electrically connected to apply a voltage between the substrate and an electrode in contact with the droplet, wherein:
the electrode has a length portion with a longitudinal axis that is normal to a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate,
the voltage applied across the droplet causes the droplet to physically deform in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate, and
wherein the electrode further includes a second portion in contact with the droplet and shaped as a propeller.

6. A device, comprising:
a substrate;
a droplet of liquid resting on a surface of the substrate;
an electrical source electrically connected to apply a voltage between the substrate and an electrode in contact with the droplet, wherein:
the electrode has a length portion with a longitudinal axis that is normal to a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate,
the voltage applied across the droplet causes the droplet to physically deform in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate, and
the length portion of the electrode is configured as a hollow needle.

7. The device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the hollow needle includes a plurality of different channels to provide different chemical species.

8. The device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the substrate, the electrical source and the electrode are part of the device configured as a diagnostic device.

Assignees

• Alcatel Lucent

Inventors

• Aizenberg Joanna
• Kolodner Paul Robert
• Krupenkin Thomas Nikita

Classifications

• B01F31/65 Primary

  the materials to be mixed being directly submitted to a pulsating movement, e.g. by means of an oscillating piston or air column · CPC title

• B01F11/0071

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F13/0071

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F13/0076

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01L3/0241 Primary

  Drop counters; Drop formers · CPC title