Title: Electrical sensing, tracking, and actuation of droplets

Abstract

Devices, techniques, and processes are disclosed that use electrical impedance to detect of the presence and contents of droplets including cells, nucleic acids, proteins, or solute concentrations in an array of retrievable, trackable, trapped droplets in a fluidic system. Electrodes may be positioned underneath individual droplet traps in a microchannel to assay droplet contents and/or actuating droplets for the release of the droplets from corresponding traps. The disclosed technology may be used for detection of the results of solvent extraction processes including time-dependent quantification of metal ion concentration in the aqueous and organic phases, for wastewater treatment, heavy metal detection, pharmaceutical industry, and/or biotechnology, or for environmental monitoring of wastewater for toxic metal, monitoring of biological cell viability and proliferation, monitoring of extraction processes used in heavy metal mining, monitoring of extraction processes used in nuclear fuel processing, monitoring kinetics of enzyme processes, and/or assessing pharmacodynamics and drug efficacy.

Inventors:

Watkins, Nicholas; Beer, N. Reginald; Simon, Melinda

Issue Date:

2022-09-13

Research Org.:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1925087

Patent Number(s):

11440007

Application Number:

16/150,059

Assignee:

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (Livermore, CA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01J - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01L - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE

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B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01J - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY

B01J19/0093 - {Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01L - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE

B01L2200/143 - Quality control, feedback systems
B01L2300/0645 - Electrodes
B01L2400/0421 - electrophoretic flow
B01L2400/0424 - Dielectrophoretic forces
B01L2400/0427 - Electrowetting
B01L2400/0442 - thermal energy, e.g. vaporisation, bubble jet
B01L2400/0688 - surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
B01L2400/086 - using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
B01L3/5025 - {for parallel transport of multiple samples}
B01L3/50273 - {characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids
B01L3/502753 - {characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation
B01L3/502784 - {specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

G01N15/1031 - {by measuring electrical or magnetic effects thereof, e.g. onconductivity or capacity
G01N15/1056 - {Microstructural devices for other than electro-optical measurement
G01N2015/003 - {in liquids, e.g. emulsion}
G01N2015/1062 - {counting the particles by other than electro-optical means
G01N2015/1087 - {Particle size}
G01N27/026 - {Dielectric impedance spectroscopy

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DOE Contract Number:  

AC52-07NA27344

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 10/02/2018

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY