Provided is a microfluidic device that, as compared with a conventional microfluidic device, (i) is smoother in surface of a water-repellent layer provided above a segment electrode and (ii) makes it easier for microfluid provided in the surface of the water-repellent layer to slide. A microfluidic device (1) includes: an array substrate (10) including a plurality of electrodes (14); and a counter substrate (40) including at least one electrode (42), the array substrate (10) and the counter substrate (40) having therebetween an internal space (50) in which to cause an electroconductive droplet (51) to move across the plurality of electrodes (14), and the plurality of electrodes (14) being provided on a first flattening resin layer (13) and each being a light-blocking metal electrode.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets, according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

Digital microfluidic (DMF) apparatuses, systems, devices and associated fluid manipulation and extraction devices, and methods of using them are presented. The devices may be useful for analysis of clinical, laboratory, chemical, or biological samples. A fluid application and extraction interface device may include a waste reservoir with a fluid trap and a transfer conduit extending through the waste reservoir so that fluid may pass from the transfer conduit into the waste reservoir and be trapped within the waste chamber. A transfer conduit may be configured to double back on itself and to hold a fluid sample. A DMF apparatus may be configured to hold and process large sample volumes.

A method of manufacturing a device with a planar electrode structure, the method comprising: (a) forming a microfluidic channel on a substrate; (b) applying a primer layer to at least part of the microfluidic channel, (c) applying a conductive liquid to the microfluidic channel, the conductive liquid comprising electrically conductive particles dispersed in a carrier medium, the carrier medium including a solvent; (d) allowing the conductive liquid to flow throughout the microfluidic channel by capillary action to form the planar electrode structure; and (e) evaporating the solvent from the carrier medium, is described. Devices obtainable using the method and their applications are also described.

A cartridge, in particular a disposable cartridge, for use in an electrowetting sample processing system. The cartridge contains an internal gap with at least one hydrophobic surface for enabling an electrowetting induced movement of a microfluidic droplet that has magnetic beads and further has a bead accumulation zone, into which the microfluidic droplet is transferable by electrowetting force and the magnetic beads are exposable to a magnetic force of a bead manipulation magnet. The internal gap has a bead extraction opening adjacent to the bead accumulation zone. The bead extraction opening provides a passage from the gap to an exterior space of the cartridge and is configured to removably receive the bead manipulation magnet for enabling an extraction of the magnetic beads from the microfluidic droplet by a removal of the bead manipulation magnet.

The present disclosure generally relates to nucleic acid amplification systems and methods suitable for construction of nucleic acid samples, including construction of normalized nucleic acid libraries. In some embodiments, the method includes providing one or more input nucleic acid samples, contacting each of the input nucleic acid samples (e.g., input library) with a reaction mixture including first amplification or normalization primers and second amplification or normalization primers, wherein the first amplification or normalization primers are immobilized on a solid support and the second amplification or normalization primers are in solution phase, and amplifying the input nucleic acid samples under conditions such that substantially all of the first amplification or normalization primers are incorporated into amplification products. Further provided are systems and droplet actuator devices that are configured to carry out the methods disclosed herein. Compositions that include nucleic acid samples and libraries, preferably normalized, prepared in accordance with the disclosed methods and systems are also provided.

A disposable cartridge used in a digital microfluidics system has a bottom layer with first hydrophobic surface, a rigid cover plate with second hydrophobic surface, and a gap there-between. The bottom layer is a flexible film on an uppermost surface of a cartridge accommodation site of a system, attracted to and spread over the uppermost surface by an underpressure. A lower surface of the plate and the flexible bottom layer are sealed to each other. The assembled cartridge is removed from the cartridge accommodation site in one piece and potentially includes samples and processing fluids. The system has a base unit and a cartridge accommodation site with an electrode array of individual electrodes and a central control unit for controlling selection of individual electrodes and for providing these electrodes with individual voltage pulses for manipulating liquid droplets within the gap by electrowetting.

In accordance with one embodiment, a method for automatically coordinating droplets for optically controlled microfluidic systems, comprising using light to move one or a plurality of droplets simultaneously, applying an algorithm to coordinate droplet motions and avoid droplet collisions, and moving droplets to a layout of droplets. In another embodiment, a system for automatically coordinating droplets for optically controlled microfluidic systems, comprising using a light source to move one or a plurality of droplets simultaneously, using an algorithm to coordinate droplet motions and avoid droplet collisions, and using a microfluidic device to move droplets to a layout of droplets.

A method of driving an element of an active matrix electro-wetting on dielectric (AM-EWOD) device comprise applying a first alternating voltage to a reference electrode of the AM-EWOD device; and either (i) applying to the element electrode a second alternating voltage that has the same frequency as the first alternating voltage and that is out of phase with the first alternating voltage or (ii) holding the element electrode in a high impedance state. The effect of applying the second alternating voltage to the element electrode is to put the element in an actuated state in which the element is configured to actuate any liquid droplet present in the element, while the effect of holding the element electrode in the high impedance state is to put the element in a non-actuated state.

Since a few kilovolts of an application voltage is necessary to take in a biological sample, an EWOD electrode, for example, is destroyed, and the electrode becomes non-reusable for moving a droplet. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a biochemical cartridge usable for multiple times for taking in a biological sample by a capillary array, for example, and a biochemical analysis device using the biochemical cartridge. In order to solve the problem, the biochemical cartridge according to the present invention includes a passage through which a sample is transported, a plurality of electrodes disposed on the passage along a direction in which a sample is transported, the plurality of electrodes being provided to transport a sample, and an opening provided opposite to the plurality of electrodes disposed on a downstream side of the passage.