An integrated droplet-digital microfluidic system for on-demand droplet creation, mixing, incubation, and sorting

Lab on a Chip ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 524-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Ahmadi ◽  
Kenza Samlali ◽  
Philippe Q. N. Vo ◽  
Steve C. C. Shih
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Liquid ◽  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Microfluidic System ◽  
Yeast Mutant ◽  
Microfluidic Platform ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Digital Microfluidic ◽  
Mutant Cells

A new microfluidic platform that integrates droplet and digital microfluidics to automate a variety of fluidic operations. The platform was applied to culturing and to selecting yeast mutant cells in ionic liquid.

Digital microfluidics using a differentially polarized interface (DPI) to enhance translational force

Lab on a Chip ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 3293-3302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Enayet Razu ◽  
Jungkyu Kim
Keyword(s):  
Low Voltage ◽  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Microfluidic Platform ◽  
Digital Microfluidic

A low-voltage and differentially polarized digital microfluidic platform is developed by enhancing the electromechanical force for droplet translation.

Digital microfluidics for spheroid-based invasion assays

Lab on a Chip ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1505-1513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian F. Bender ◽  
Andrew. P. Aijian ◽  
Robin. L. Garrell
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Cell Invasion ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Multicellular Spheroids ◽  
Microfluidic Platform ◽  
Digital Microfluidic ◽  
Biology Research ◽  
Invasion Assays

A digital microfluidic platform that enables the formation, gel encapsulation, and assaying of three-dimensional multicellular spheroids is described. Such a platform can facilitate automation of cell invasion assays for cell biology research and drug discovery.

scholarly journals Using a Digital Microfluidic System to Evaluate the Stretch Length of a Droplet with a L-DEP and Varied Parameters

Inventions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Hsiang-Ting Lee ◽  
Ying-Jhen Ciou ◽  
Da-Jeng Yao
Keyword(s):  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Microfluidic System ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Force Balance ◽  
Electrode Spacing ◽  
Total Width ◽  
Precise Control ◽  
Liquid Dielectrophoresis ◽  
Droplet Liquid ◽  
Digital Microfluidic

Digital microfluidics has become intensively explored as an effective method for liquid handling in lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems. Liquid dielectrophoresis (L-DEP) has many advantages and exciting prospects in driving droplets. To fully realize the potential benefits of this technique, one must know the droplet volume accurately for its distribution and manipulation. Here we present an investigation of the tensile length of a droplet subjected to a L-DEP force with varied parameters to achieve precise control of the volume of a droplet. Liquid propylene carbonate served as a driving liquid in the L-DEP experiment. The chip was divided into two parts: an electrode of width fixed at 0.1 mm and a total width fixed at 1 mm. Each had a variation of six electrode spacings. The experimental results showed that the stretching length decreased with decreasing electrode width, but the stretching length did not vary with an increased spacing of the electrode. When the two electrodes were activated, the length decreased because of an increase in electrode spacing. The theory was based on the force balance on a droplet that involved the force generated by the electric field, friction force, and capillary force. The theory was improved according to the experimental results. To verify the theoretical improvement through the results, we designed a three-electrode chip for experiments. The results proved that the theory is consistent with the results of the experiments, so that the length of a droplet stretched with L-DEP and its volume can be calculated.

A droplet-to-digital (D2D) microfluidic device for single cell assays

Lab on a Chip ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve C. C. Shih ◽  
Philip C. Gach ◽  
Jess Sustarich ◽  
Blake A. Simmons ◽  
Paul D. Adams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Microfluidic Platform ◽  
Cell Assays ◽  
Digital Microfluidic

We have developed a new hybrid droplet-to-digital microfluidic platform (D2D) that integrates droplet-in-channel microfluidics with digital microfluidics for performing multi-step single cell assays.

scholarly journals Digital Microfluidic Platform for Multiplexing Enzyme Assays: Implications for Lysosomal Storage Disease Screening in Newborns

2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 1444-1451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramakrishna S Sista ◽  
Allen E Eckhardt ◽  
Tong Wang ◽  
Carrie Graham ◽  
Jeremy L Rouse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Newborn Screening ◽  
Incubation Time ◽  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Dried Blood Spots ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
Enzymatic Analysis ◽  
Lysosomal Storage ◽  
Microfluidic Platform ◽  
Enzyme Replacement ◽  
Digital Microfluidic

BACKGROUND Newborn screening for lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) has been gaining considerable interest owing to the availability of enzyme replacement therapies. We present a digital microfluidic platform to perform rapid, multiplexed enzymatic analysis of acid α-glucosidase (GAA) and acid α-galactosidase to screen for Pompe and Fabry disorders. The results were compared with those obtained using standard fluorometric methods. METHODS We performed bench-based, fluorometric enzymatic analysis on 60 deidentified newborn dried blood spots (DBSs), plus 10 Pompe-affected and 11 Fabry-affected samples, at Duke Biochemical Genetics Laboratory using a 3-mm punch for each assay and an incubation time of 20 h. We used a digital microfluidic platform to automate fluorometric enzymatic assays at Advanced Liquid Logic Inc. using extract from a single punch for both assays, with an incubation time of 6 h. Assays were also performed with an incubation time of 1 h. RESULTS Assay results were generally comparable, although mean enzymatic activity for GAA using microfluidics was approximately 3 times higher than that obtained using bench-based methods, which could be attributed to higher substrate concentration. Clear separation was observed between the normal and affected samples at both 6- and 1-h incubation times using digital microfluidics. CONCLUSIONS A digital microfluidic platform compared favorably with a clinical reference laboratory to perform enzymatic analysis in DBSs for Pompe and Fabry disorders. This platform presents a new technology for a newborn screening laboratory to screen LSDs by fully automating all the liquid-handling operations in an inexpensive system, providing rapid results.

scholarly journals Magnetic digital microfluidics – a review

Lab on a Chip ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 994-1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Nam-Trung Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Open Surface ◽  
Microfluidic Platform ◽  
Digital Microfluidic

A magnetic digital microfluidic platform manipulates droplets on an open surface.

Voltage Phase Control for Enhanced Addressability in Highly-Parallel Digital Microfluidic Architectures

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Collier ◽  
Brandon Born ◽  
Jonathan F. Holzman
Keyword(s):  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Fluid Motion ◽  
Microfluidic System ◽  
Dual Phase ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
End User ◽  
Electrode Structure ◽  
Voltage Transformer ◽  
Precise Control ◽  
Digital Microfluidic

Digital microfluidic architectures have been a source of great enthusiasm for on-chip fluid applications requiring precise control and reconfigurability. Droplet-based systems operating with exceedingly small volumes (pL) can make use of digital microfluidic control systems to direct fluid motion using voltages on cascaded electrode structures. The voltage on these electrodes can be adapted via software, thus the generalized templates offered by digital microfluidic systems can be tailored for numerous end-user applications. The work presented here addresses the two major challenges for implementing these digital microfluidics systems for end-user applications: parallel addressability and reduced input voltages. The challenges are overcome through dual-phase AC voltage routing in a 16×16 digital microfluidic multiplexer using low (10 Vrms) input voltages. The first challenge, related to parallel addressability, comes about because of the generalized template for digital microfluidics, with underlying square-grid electrodes forming a two-dimensional, M×N, plane. Such a structure cannot be readily scaled up for use in single-layered highly-parallel architectures as external address lines cannot be effectively contacted to internal square electrodes lying within a 2-dimensional. With this in mind, the work here introduces multiplexing with a cross-referenced architecture having only M+N input lines. Microdroplets lie between orthogonal overlying row electrodes and underlying column electrodes, and nonlinear threshold-voltage localization is used to initiate motion of the desired microdroplet in the two-dimensional plane. Microdroplet interference (motion of undesired microdroplets) along the activated row and column is avoided, as the applied voltage initiates motion only at the overlapped electrode region (where the voltage is doubled and above-threshold). A dual-phase AC voltage control system is used to address the above bi-layered cross-referenced electrode structure and simultaneously provides a natural solution to the second, reduced voltage, challenge of practical digital microfluidic architectures. Reduced input voltages can be achieved in the digital microfluidic system through an integrated centre-tap AC transformer (a dielectric layer in the digital microfluidic multiplexer limits the current and power consumption, allowing for step-up voltage transformation). The dual-phase outputs from this voltage transformer are 180° out-of-phase, and the AC signals from these outputs are routed to the appropriate row and column electrodes to bring about above-threshold motion. Controlled switching is demonstrated in this work for input voltages below 10 Vrms. Structural and electrical design issues for this dual-phase AC digital microfluidic integrated chip are addressed in this work, and results are presented for an integrated digital microfluidic multiplexer prototype.

scholarly journals Conquering the Tyranny of Number With Digital Microfluidics

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Tang Yang ◽  
Tsung-Yi Ho
Keyword(s):  
Soft Lithography ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Microfluidic System ◽  
Electrical Signal ◽  
Fundamental Physics ◽  
Large Scale Integration ◽  
Control Electronics ◽  
Digital Microfluidic ◽  
Scale Integration

The development of large-scale integration based on soft lithography has ushered a new revolution in microfluidics. This technology, however, relies inherently on pneumatic control of micromechanical valves that require air pressure to operate, while digital microfluidics uses a purely electrical signal on an electrode for droplet manipulation. In this article, we discuss the prospect and current challenges of digital microfluidics to solve the problem of the tyranny of numbers in arbitrary fluidic manipulation. We distill the fundamental physics governing electrowetting and their implications for specifications of the control electronics. We survey existing control electronics in digital microfluidics and detail the improvements needed to realize a low-power, programmable digital microfluidic system. Such an instrument would attract wide interest in both professional and non-professional (hobbyist) communities.

Bacterial classification and antibiotic susceptibility testing on an integrated microfluidic platform

Lab on a Chip ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandros A. Sklavounos ◽  
Carine R. Nemr ◽  
Shana O. Kelley ◽  
Aaron R. Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Susceptibility ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Microfluidic System ◽  
Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Metabolic Markers ◽  
Microfluidic Platform ◽  
Bacterial Classification ◽  
Digital Microfluidic

An ‘all in one’ digital microfluidic system is reported that automates the preparation and testing of samples for antibiotic susceptibility and bacterial classification, relying on three metabolic markers.

scholarly journals Machine vision-based driving and feedback scheme for digital microfluidics system

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 665-677
Author(s):  
Zhijie Luo ◽  
Bangrui Huang ◽  
Jiazhi Xu ◽  
Lu Wang ◽  
Zitao Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Vision ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Microfluidic System ◽  
Position Information ◽  
Electrowetting On Dielectric ◽  
System A ◽  
Feedback Scheme ◽  
Voltage Signal ◽  
Digital Microfluidic

Abstract A digital microfluidic system based on electrowetting-on-dielectric is a new technology for controlling microliter-sized droplets on a plane. By applying a voltage signal to an electrode, the droplets can be controlled to move, merge, and split. Due to device design, fabrication, and runtime uncertainties, feedback control schemes are necessary to ensure the reliability and accuracy of a digital microfluidic system for practical application. The premise of feedback is to obtain accurate droplet position information. Therefore, there is a strong need to develop a digital microfluidics system integrated with driving, position, and feedback functions for different areas of study. In this article, we propose a driving and feedback scheme based on machine vision for the digital microfluidics system. A series of experiments including droplet motion, merging, status detection, and self-adaption are performed to evaluate the feasibility and the reliability of the proposed scheme. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme can accurately locate multiple droplets and improve the success rate of different applications. Furthermore, the proposed scheme provides an experimental platform for scientists who focused on the digital microfluidics system.

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