Abstract:
Alternative approaches to fabricating printed circuit boards for use in droplet actuator operations are provided. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a droplet actuator for conducting droplet operations includes positioning a dielectric material between a first metal layer configured to include an electrode and a second metal layer configured to include an interconnect pad. The method additionally includes forming a connection between the first and second metal layers. Droplet actuators and methods of fabricating and supporting printed circuit boards of droplet actuators are also provided.
Abstract:
Approaches to configuring and wiring electrodes in a droplet actuator are provided. Droplet actuators employing the designs of the invention are useful for conducting a variety of droplet operations. In one set of embodiments, the droplet actuator of the invention includes various single-layer wiring configurations for mitigating the constraints and drawbacks that are associated with single-layer designs, such as wireability constraints, limited mechanisms for performing droplet operations, electrostatic interference from wires, and any combinations thereof. In another set of embodiments, the droplet actuator of the invention includes a reference electrode that is situated on one substrate that is separated by a gap from a second substrate and one or more control electrodes that are situated on the second substrate. The control electrodes may be placed such that the second substrate is interposed between the control electrodes and the first substrate.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a droplet microactuator and to systems, apparatuses and methods employing the droplet microactuator for executing various protocols using droplets. The invention includes a droplet microactuator or droplet microactuator system having one or more input reservoirs loaded with reagents for conducting sequencing protocols, such as the reagents for conducting a pyrosequencing protocol. The invention also includes a droplet microactuator or droplet microactuator system, having one or more input reservoirs loaded with a sample for conducting a pyrosequencing protocol.
Abstract:
A method, circuit and apparatus for detecting capacitance on a droplet actuator, inter alia, for determining the presence, partial presence or absence of a droplet at an electrode on a droplet actuator by: (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising: (i) a substrate comprising electrodes arranged on the substrate for conducting droplet operations on a surface of the substrate; (ii) a capacitance detection circuit for detecting capacitance at the droplet operations surface at one or more of the electrodes; (b) detecting capacitance at the droplet operations surface at one or more of the electrodes; and (c) determining from the capacitance the presence, partial presence or absence of a droplet at the droplet operations surface at the electrode.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a droplet microactuator and to systems, apparatuses and methods employing the droplet microactuator for executing various protocols using discrete droplets. The invention includes a droplet microactuator or droplet microactuator system having one or more input reservoirs loaded with reagents for conducting biochemical reactions, such as the reagents described for use in nucleic acid amplification protocols, affinity-based assay protocols, sequencing protocols, and protocols for analyses of biological fluids.
Abstract:
The present invention provides methods for on-actuator temperature measurement and temperature control, including where one or more of the temperature sensors are combined with one or more heaters that are formed of wiring traces and/or providing heaters designed for one-to- one correspondence to the temperature sensors to form temperature sensor-heater pairs. The present invention also provides methods for on-actuator temperature measurement and temperature control in which the temperature sensors comprise a connection comprising a plurality of terminals by which an amount of current can be applied and then a voltage measured, wherein the voltage that is measured across the temperature sensors can be accurately correlated to a temperature.
Abstract:
The invention provides a droplet actuator designed for performing electroporation on cells in droplets. The invention also provides method and systems for performing electroporation on cells in droplets on a droplet actuator.
Abstract:
The invention provides pyrosequencing-based methods of analyzing and synthesizing DNA, including methods of DNA error correction, determining DNA size distribution, screening for nucleotide repeat disorders such as fragile X syndrome, determining size distribution and bias in a DNA library, and determining pyrosequencing read length. The methods include on-bench protocols as well as droplet-based protocols that may be conducted on a droplet actuator.
Abstract:
The invention provides methods for gene synthesis and error correction on a droplet actuator. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for performing polymerase-mediated gene synthesis on a droplet actuator. The polymerase-mediated gene synthesis method uses oligonucleotide hybridization and PCR cycling to generate a pool of synthesized DNA strands, which may be subsequently enriched for the correct gene sequence.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to mechanisms for and methods of loading a droplet actuator with filler fluid. The mechanisms and methods are useful for loading filler fluid in a droplet actuator in a manner that is rapid enough for practical use while at the same time sufficiently slow to reduce, preferably entirely avoid, the trapping of air in the droplet operations gap during the loading process.