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On-chip, Real-time Feedback Control for Electrical Manipulation of Droplets

Technology Benefits

Droplet uniformity is greatly improved compared to simple electronic switching Real-time feedback provides the ability to overcome inherent uncertainty in chips and environment Real-time feedback can be applied to a wide range of liquids The invention allows for device portability since no additional hardware is added Users can generate varying droplet volumes during operation, not limited by the chip used

Technology Application

Improved precision in digital microfluidic applications Flexible and efficient sample dilution and mixing The improvements without sacrificing the system portability

Detailed Technology Description

UCLA researchers have developed an on-chip, real-time feedback system that accurately detects and controls the droplet volume. The system hardware uses no external pumps and valves, and the feedback algorithm employs continuous loop closing during each droplet generation (i.e., the feedback is within a droplet). With the developed feedback mechanism, the standard deviation of the generated droplet volumes was 5x smaller than that without feedback. Furthermore, the invented feedback allows generation of any droplet volume within a range, not limited by the size of driving pads on the chip anymore. The researchers have integrated the feedback control and microfluidic device on a portable 7 x 5 board, achieving a volume precision better than 1%.

Supplementary Information

Patent Number: US20100096266A1
Application Number: US2009513157A
Inventor: Kim, Chang-Jin | Gong, Jian
Priority Date: 2 Nov 2006
Priority Number: US20100096266A1
Application Date: 30 Apr 2009
Publication Date: 22 Apr 2010
IPC Current: B01F000308 | B01D005702 | H04N0001034
US Class: 204451 | 204600
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REAL-TIME FEEDBACK CONTROL OF ELECTRICAL MANIPULATION OF DROPLETS ON CHIP
Usefulness: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REAL-TIME FEEDBACK CONTROL OF ELECTRICAL MANIPULATION OF DROPLETS ON CHIP
Summary: Device for generating droplets e.g. liquid droplets and gas droplets, in an electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) based device that is utilized in biotechnology system, chemical processing system, medical diagnostics system, energy system, and electronics system.
Novelty: Droplets e.g. liquid droplets, generating device for electrowetting-on-dielectric based device, has control circuitry applying voltage to reservoir and droplet creation electrodes to separate droplet from liquid in reservoir site

Industry

Chemical/Material

Sub Group

Chemical/Material Application

Application No.

9266076

Others

State of Development

The technology has been experimentally verified. A system has been built, tested and it has been performance characterized.

Background

The uniformity of each droplets volume in a digital microfluidic system is useful and often critical to the overall functions. Digitization of liquids, e.g. generating droplets from liquid reservoirs, is a key step to determine the droplet volume. Reasonable level of accuracy can be achieved by simple signal switching during the digitizing processes. However, the performance is subject to random variations over the devices and operation conditions. The known feedback mechanisms to control droplet uniformity required external equipments (pumps and valves) in the system hardware and closed the loop once per droplet in the feedback algorithm (i.e., the feedback is droplet-to-droplet).

Additional Technologies by these Inventors

Tech ID/UC Case

20467/2007-244-0

Related Cases

2007-244-0

Country/Region

USA

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