Patent ID: 7010391

Claim:
A method for controlling the operation of a digital-type microfluidic (“MF”) device (i) wherein an ME device 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 MF device, the method comprising: (a) providing 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 provided 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 ME device, the micro-droplet processing requests comprising at least one of: (i) creating one or more new micro-droplets at selected stable positions, or (ii) moving one or more micro-droplets from current stable positions to selected next stable positions, or (iii) combining two or more micro-droplets into one or more new micro-droplets at selected stable positions, or (iv) mixing one or more micro-droplets the actuator processing requests comprising: (i) providing a gas pressure in a selected passage by an internal component configured to heat a gas to generate a gas pressure; (ii) determining, utilizing at least one internal component, the presence or absence of a micro-droplet at a selected position; (iii) after determining the presence or absence of the microdroplet, determining reaction products of one or more components of the microdroplet, if the microdroplet was determined to be present; and (b) generating control signals, which are provided to the MF device, wherein the control signals are generated in a pattern and sequence that is responsive to each micro-droplet processing request so that the internal components of the MF device that are responsive to the control signals function together to perform the requested micro-droplet processing in the MF device.