Turning on/off satellite droplet ejection for flexible sample delivery on digital microfluidics

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microfluidics Engineering

Background:

• Digital microfluidics offers miniaturization and automation for biochemical reactions.
• On-chip drop manipulation and sample preparation complexity hinder widespread adoption in daily lab workflows.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, flexible sample delivery method for digital microfluidics.
• To enable precise dispensing across a wide volume range (picoliters to nanoliters).

Main Methods:

• Utilized satellite droplet ejection triggered by electric field changes on a hydrophobic dielectric surface.
• Employed precise modulation of actuation signals for controlled droplet dispensing and transport.
• Developed and validated a pico-dosing design for direct on-chip sample delivery.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated flexible sample delivery in digital microfluidics across four orders of magnitude (pL to nL).
• Successfully controlled satellite droplet ejection for both dispensing and droplet transport.
• Validated a pico-dosing system for accurate on-chip sample handling.

Conclusions:

• The developed method simplifies on-chip sample delivery in digital microfluidics.
• This approach has the potential to facilitate the integration of microfluidics into routine laboratory practices.
• Enables the realization of advanced lab-on-a-chip systems for diverse biochemical applications.