2536results about "Electrophoretic processes" patented technology

A two-phase electrophoretic medium comprises a continuous phase and a discontinuous phase. The discontinuous phase comprises a plurality of droplets, each of which comprises a suspending fluid and at least one particle disposed within the suspending fluid and capable of moving through the fluid upon application of an electric field to the electrophoretic medium. The continuous phase surrounds and encapsulates the discontinuous phase. The discontinuous phase comprises at least about 40 percent by volume of the electrophoretic medium.

A printed circuit board based digital or droplet microfluidic system and method for producing such microfluidic system are disclosed. The digital microfluidic device comprises a printed circuit board having a substrate and a plurality of electrode pads disposed on the top surface of the substrate in a rectangular array. A via extends from each electrode pad through the substrate to other locations on the substrate . A dielectric layer is disposed on the electrode pads. Droplets may be manipulated using electrowetting principles and others by applying a voltage to the desired electrodes. Each electrode pad can be controlled directly and independently from the other electrode pads to modify the surface wettability of the dielectric layer in the vicinity of the electrode pad by applying a voltage to the desired electrode pad(s). In this way, droplets may be formed, moved, mixed, and / or divided or other small objects manipulated while in air or immersed in a liquid on the dielectric surface.

A method and apparatus for microfluidic processing by programmably manipulating a packet. A material is introduced onto a reaction surface and compartmentalized to form a packet. A position of the packet is sensed with a position sensor. A programmable manipulation force is applied to the packet at the position. The programmable manipulation force is adjustable according to packet position by a controller. The packet is programmably moved according to the programmable manipulation force along arbitrarily chosen paths.

Methods and apparatus for genome analysis are provided. A microfabricated structure including a microfluidic distribution channel is configured to distribute microreactor elements having copies of a sequencing template into a plurality of microfabricated thermal cycling chambers. A microreactor element may include a microcarrier element carrying the multiple copies of the sequencing template. The microcarrier element may comprise a microsphere. An autovalve at an exit port of a thermal cycling chamber, an optical scanner, or a timing arrangement may be used to ensure that only one microsphere will flow into one thermal cycling chamber wherein thermal cycling extension fragments are produced. The extension products are captured, purified, and concentrated in an integrated oligonucleotide gel capture chamber. A microfabricated component separation apparatus is used to analyze the purified extension fragments. The microfabricated structure may be used in a process for performing sequencing and other genetic analysis of DNA or RNA.

Methods and microfluidic circuitry for inline injection of nucleic acids for capillary electrophoresis analysis are provided. According to various embodiments, microfabricated structures including affinity-based capture matrixes inline with separation channels are provided. The affinity-based capture matrixes provide inline sample plug formation and injection into a capillary electrophoresis channel. Also provided are methods and apparatuses for a microbead-based inline injection system for DNA sequencing.

The invention provides an electrophoretic medium comprising at least two types of particles having substantially the same electrophoretic mobility but differing colors. The invention also provides article of manufacture comprising a layer of a solid electro-optic medium, a first adhesive layer on one surface of the electro-optic medium, a release sheet covering the first adhesive layer, and a second adhesive layer on an opposed second surface of the electro-optic medium.

Methods are provided for manipulating droplets. The methods include providing the droplet on a surface comprising an array of electrodes and a substantially co-planer array of reference elements, wherein the droplet is disposed on a first one of the electrodes, and the droplet at least partially overlaps a second one of the electrodes and an intervening one of the reference elements disposed between the first and second electrodes. The methods further include activating the first and second electrodes to spread at least a portion of the droplet across the second electrode and deactivating the first electrode to move the droplet from the first electrode to the second electrode.

A novel method of designing and fabricating flexible and lightweight cable [100] having a central conductor [110], a dielectric layer [130], an outer conductor [150] and an insulation coating [170] using thin film technology is disclosed. The dielectric layer [130] is ‘grown’ on dielectric layer [130] using electrophoretic deposition to a specified thickness, based upon its intended use. It may include nano-diamonds. Ion beam assisted deposition is used to metalize the cable dielectric layer [130]. This may be ion beam assisted sputtering, ion beam assisted evaporative deposition or ion beam assisted cathodic arc deposition. In an alternative embodiment, the outer conductor may be etched to provide greater flexibility, or to add a piezoelectric layer. The central conductor [110] may be created from dielectric fibers [113] which are metalized as described above. The piezoelectric layer added to create ultrasonic transducer cables.

Methods are disclosed for screening for the occurrence of gene silencing (e.g., post transcriptional gene silencing) in an organism. Also provided are methods for isolating silencing agents so identified.

Methods and apparatus for genome analysis are provided. A microfabricated structure including a microfluidic distribution channel is configured to distribute microreactor elements having copies of a sequencing template into a plurality of microfabricated thermal cycling chambers. A microreactor element may include a microcarrier element carrying the multiple copies of the sequencing template. The microcarrier element may comprise a microsphere. An autovalve at an exit port of a thermal cycling chamber, an optical scanner, or a timing arrangement may be used to ensure that only one microsphere will flow into one thermal cycling chamber wherein thermal cycling extension fragments are produced. The extension products are captured, purified, and concentrated in an integrated oligonucleotide gel capture chamber. A microfabricated component separation apparatus is used to analyze the purified extension fragments. The microfabricated structure may be used in a process for performing sequencing and other genetic analysis of DNA or RNA.

The present invention relates to droplet-based particle sorting. According to one embodiment, a droplet microactuator is provided and includes: (a) a suspension of particles; and (b) electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations using droplets comprising particles. A method of transporting a particle is also provided, wherein the method includes providing a droplet comprising the particle and transporting the droplet on a droplet microactuator.