Patent ID: 7569129
Filing Date: 2009-08-04
Classification: B01F,B01L,B41J,C25B,G01N,G02B

Abstract:
1. A method for splitting a starting droplet into two or more droplets, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a starting droplet on a surface of a substrate, the substrate comprising an array of drive electrodes and an array of reference elements, wherein the drive electrode array comprises at least three drive electrodes comprising a first outer drive electrode, a medial drive electrode adjacent to the first outer drive electrode, and a second outer drive electrode adjacent to the medial drive electrode, and the starting droplet is initially disposed on at least one of the three drive electrodes and is adjacent to at least one other of the three drive electrodes; (b) biasing each of the three drive electrodes to position the starting droplet across the three drive electrodes and grounding or referencing the starting droplet using the reference elements; and (c) biasing the medial drive electrode to split the starting droplet into first and second split droplets, whereby the first split droplet is disposed on the first outer drive electrode and the second split droplet is disposed on the second outer drive electrode.