Patent ID: 9180454
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: B01L,G02B

Abstract:
1. A device comprising: a first polar fluid; a non-polar fluid; a first substrate; a second substrate arranged relative to the first substrate to define a hydrophobic channel containing the first polar fluid and the non-polar fluid; a first electrode on the first substrate; a dielectric layer between the first electrode and the first polar fluid; a first Laplace barrier within the hydrophobic channel, the first Laplace barrier defining a fluid pathway open to movement of the first polar fluid within the hydrophobic channel; and a first voltage source electrically connected with the first electrode, the first voltage source configured to electrically bias the first electrode to cause the first polar fluid to move within the hydrophobic channel relative to the first Laplace barrier, wherein the first polar fluid is moved to a first position within the hydrophobic channel when the first electrode is biased by the first voltage source with a first voltage that is less than or equal to a threshold voltage, and the first polar fluid moves from the first position to a second position within the hydrophobic channel when the first electrode is biased by the first voltage source with a second voltage that is greater than the threshold voltage, and wherein the first Laplace barrier includes one or more hydrophobic spacers dividing the fluid pathway into a plurality of openings each at least partially occupied by the first polar fluid at the second position.