Manipulation of beads in droplets and methods for manipulating droplets
US8809068B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 15, 2010 |
| Grant date | Aug 19, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 15, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T436/2575
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention provides a method of dispersing or circulating magnetically responsive beads within a droplet in a droplet actuator. The invention, in one embodiment, makes use of a droplet actuator with a plurality of droplet operations electrodes configured to transport the droplet, and a magnetic field present at a portion of the plurality of droplet operations electrodes. A bead-containing droplet is provided on the droplet actuator in the presence of the uniform magnetic field. Beads are circulated in the droplet during incubation by conducting droplet operations on the droplet within a uniform region of the magnetic field wherein droplet operations do not allow magnetically responsive beads to be introduced into a region of the magnetic field which is sufficiently non-uniform to cause bead clumping resulting in a more homogenous distribution of the beads in the droplet. Other embodiments are also provided.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.