Patent ID: 7987022
Filing Date: 2011-07-26
Classification: B01F,B01J,B01L,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A data acquisition system for controlling the operation of a digital-type micro fluidic device (i) wherein the microfluidic device (i) comprises one or more passages for confining one or more micro-droplets, the passages having one or more stable positions for the micro-droplets, and (ii) comprises one or more internal components responsive to control signals, the internal components operatively associated with the passages for control and monitoring the microfluidic device, the system comprising: (a) programmable digital control circuitry interfaced to the microfluidic device, wherein the digital control circuitry provides control signals to the microfluidic device, and (b) memory accessible to the programmable digital control circuitry comprising stored instructions and data representing one or more micro-droplet processing requests, wherein a micro-droplet processing request specifies performing at least one action on at least one micro-droplet, each micro-droplet processing request comprising two or more actuator processing requests, each specifying performing at least one action associated with at least one passage of the micro fluidic device, wherein the micro-droplet processing requests comprise at least one of: wherein execution of the instructions and data causes the programmable digital control circuitry to generate control signals in a pattern and sequence that is responsive to each micro-droplet processing request so that the internal components of the microfluidic device function together to perform the micro-droplet processing requests in the microfluidic device; and