Patent ID: 9630176
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: B01L

Claim:
1. A digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) for manipulating samples in liquid droplets within a gap ( 6 ) of at least one disposable cartridge ( 2 ), the digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) comprising: (a) a base unit ( (b) a disposable cartridge ( (c) an electrode array ( (d) a central control unit ( wherein the digital microfluidics system ( 1 ) further comprises a waste hollow ( 50 ) which is fluidly connected with the gap ( 6 ) in that the waste hollow ( 50 ) is located next to at least one individual waste electrode ( 52 ) that is positioned next to at least one individual electrode ( 10 ), the at least one individual waste electrode ( 52 ) being operatively connected to the central control unit ( 14 ) and covering in each case a waste electrode area, said waste hollow ( 50 ) covering a waste area that is equal to a multitude of said waste electrode area and said waste hollow ( 50 ) having a height ( 51 ) that is equal to a multitude of the gap height ( 53 ); wherein the bottom layer ( wherein the digital microfluidics system ( (e) a number of suction holes ( 35 ) that penetrate the bottom substrate ( 11 ) and the electrode array ( (f) a vacuum source ( 33 ) for establishing an underpressure in an evacuation space ( 46 ) that is located between the electrode array ( 9 ) or bottom sub-strate ( 11 ) and a disposable cartridge ( 2 ) located thereon; and (g) a number of vacuum lines ( 34 ) that link the suction holes ( 35 ) to the vacuum source ( 33 ); and wherein the flexible bottom layer ( 3 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 2 ) is config-ured to be attracted by the underpressure in the evacuation space ( 46 ) and to be spread over the electrode array ( 9 ), the bottom substrate ( 11 ), and over the waste hollow ( 50 ) in the bottom substrate ( 11 ) of the digital microfluidics system ( 1 ), the flexible bottom layer ( 3 ) thereby defining the gap height ( 53 ) of the gap ( 6 ) between the bottom layer ( 3 ) and the top layer ( 4 ) of the disposable cartridge ( 6 ) and also the area and height ( 51 ) of the waste hollow ( 50 ).