Patent ID: 8342207

Claim:
A microfluidic device for making a liquid/liquid or liquid/gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a first gas, and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, the device comprising: a first hydrophobic surface, a layer of the first liquid or the first gas on said first hydrophobic surface, a second hydrophobic surface positioned facing the first hydrophobic surface so as to form a closed or confined system for the first liquid or the first gas layer, a drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface and in the layer of the first liquid or the first gas and at a location along a determined path, a displacer to place the drop of the second liquid on said first hydrophobic surface along the determined path, and at least one wetting defect on the determined path, wherein the wetting defect causes, upon the passing of the drop of the second liquid on this defect, failure of a triple line of contact of the drop of the second liquid on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of an amount of the first liquid or the first gas in the drop of the second liquid, wherein the displacer is an electrical activation device that provides an electro-wetting effect.