Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Sharp Life Science (eu) Limited

Sharp Life Science Corporation

Christopher James Brown

Benjamin James Hadwen

Hiromi Katoh

Kohei Tanaka

Michael Paul Coulson

Dauren Slamkul

Sally Anderson

Emma Jayne Walton

Kazuhiro Maeda

Yasuhiro Sugita

Michael James Brownlow

Andrew Kay

Benjamin John Broughton

Paul Antony Gass

Pamela Ann Dothie

Gregory Gay

Sergio Garcia Castillo

Campbell Donald Brown

Hiroyuki Ogawa

Tim Michael Smeeton

Nathan James Smith

Masaki Yamanaka

Graham Andrew Cairns

Harry Garth Walton

Mayuko Sakamoto

Tong Lu

Lesley Anne Parry-Jones

Kazuhiko Miyata

Adrian Marc Simon Jacobs

James Rowland Suckling

Diego Gallardo

Oliver James Beard

Adam Christopher Wilson

Alexandra Baum

Jonathan Buse

James Robert Karamath

Ben James Hadwen

Emmanuel Zyambo

Lloyd Lukama

Jean-Luc Laurent Castagner

Jing Yu

Simon M Bryant

Michael Robert Prior-Jones

Robert Julian Amos

Julie Karen Deacon

An electro-wetting on dielectric (EWOD) device, comprises first and second substrates defining a fluid chamber therebetween, a plurality of electro-wetting electrodes on the first substrate, and at least one first electrode and at least two second electrodes on the second substrate. The device further includes a current sensor for sensing a difference between (1) a first current flowing between the first electrode and one of the second electrodes via a first fluid package in the fluid chamber of the EWOD device and (2) a second current flowing between the first electrode and another of the second electrodes via a second fluid package in the fluid chamber of the EWOD device.

EWOD device with sensing apparatus

A microfluidic system and related methods of operating an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) device operate to concentrate particles within a liquid droplet dispensed onto an element array of the EWOD device. The method includes the steps of providing a non-polar liquid onto the element array of the EWOD device; providing a polar liquid droplet onto the element array of the EWOD device within the non-polar liquid, wherein the polar liquid droplet includes particles; and applying an actuation cycle comprising a plurality of actuation patterns, wherein at least one of the actuation patterns includes actuating one or more array element electrodes within a perimeter of the polar liquid droplet, and the particles migrate within the polar liquid droplet to become concentrated within a portion of the liquid droplet at one or more array element electrodes corresponding to one of the plurality of actuation patterns.

Method of concentrating particles in a liquid droplet using an EWOD device with sensing apparatus

A method of operating an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) device performs microfluidic diffusion separation. The method includes the steps of: inputting a sample droplet into the EWOD device, wherein the sample droplet includes a mixture of particles including first particles and second particles that are different from each other; inputting a collection droplet into the EWOD device; performing an electrowetting operation to bring the sample droplet into contact with the collection droplet; at an initial time, initiating a process of particle separation by which a portion of the sample droplet is introduced into the collection droplet, wherein the first particles move through the collection droplet at a rate different from the second particles; and after a time interval from the initial time, performing an electrowetting operation to segment a leaving droplet from the collection droplet, wherein the leaving droplet has a higher concentration of the first particles relative to the second particles as compared to a concentration of the first particles relative to the second particles in the sample droplet at the initial time. The method may be performed by an AM-EWOD control system executing program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

Molecular separation by diffusion using an EWOD device

An AM-EWOD device includes a plurality of array elements arranged in an array of rows and columns; each column including a column addressing line that applies control signals to a corresponding column of array elements, and each row including a row addressing line that applies control signals to a corresponding row of array elements; each array element including an element electrode for receiving an actuation voltage and a switch transistor, wherein the switch transistor is electrically connected between the column addressing line and the element electrode and is switched by the row addressing line; and a column detection circuit comprising an addressing circuit that applies an electrical perturbation during a sensing operation to the column addressing line of an array element being sensed, and a measuring circuit that measures an output signal from one of the column addressing lines, wherein the output signal varies based upon a capacitance present at the element electrode.

AM-EWOD circuit configuration with sensing column detection circuit

An impedance cytometry device is described along with methods of accurately measuring particle size of particles contained in a fluid that is passed through the impedance cytometry device. The impedance cytometry device includes a substrate, and an electrode arrangement deposited on the substrate in a co-planar fashion. The electrode arrangement includes a drive electrode and a plurality of measurement electrodes located in a same plane as the drive electrode. The plurality of measurement electrodes includes at least two pairs of measurement sub-electrodes, each pair of measurement sub-electrodes including a first measurement sub-electrode positioned adjacent to the drive electrode, and a second measurement sub-electrode separated from the drive electrode by a respective first measurement sub-electrode. The impedance cytometry device may be incorporated into a substrate assembly of an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) device, such as in a substrate assembly containing electrowetting drive electrodes or a common reference electrode, or into a microfluidic blood counter device.

Co-planar micro-impedance cytometry device

A method of extracting assay fluid from an EWOD device, the EWOD device comprising two opposing substrates defining a fluid space there between and an aperture for extraction of fluid from the fluid space. The method comprises providing, in the fluid space of the EWOD device, a droplet of assay fluid adjacent to the aperture such that the droplet blocks extraction, via the aperture, of filler fluid contained in the fluid space of the EWOD device, and extracting, via the aperture, at least some of the assay fluid of the droplet from the fluid space. The method comprises, during the extracting, controlling the assay fluid droplet by electrowetting to maintain the blocking of extraction of filler fluid. By controlling the position of the unextracted portion of the assay fluid droplet relative to the aperture during the extraction process, the unextracted portion of the assay fluid droplet continues to block extraction of filler fluid. This makes it much less likely for unwanted extraction of filler fluid to occur.

Fluid extraction from a microfluidic device

A method of driving an element of an active matrix electro-wetting on dielectric (AM-EWOD) device comprise applying a first alternating voltage to a reference electrode of the AM-EWOD device; and either (i) applying to the element electrode a second alternating voltage that has the same frequency as the first alternating voltage and that is out of phase with the first alternating voltage or (ii) holding the element electrode in a high impedance state. The effect of applying the second alternating voltage to the element electrode is to put the element in an actuated state in which the element is configured to actuate any liquid droplet present in the element, while the effect of holding the element electrode in the high impedance state is to put the element in a non-actuated state.

Method of driving an element of an active matrix EWOD device, a circuit, and an active matrix EWOD device

A pixel circuit acts as a sensing element in a sensing device. The pixel circuit includes a sensing electrode, a first gate electrically connected to the sensing electrode, a second gate in electrical communication with the first gate, and a readout device that is electrically connected to the second gate. An input voltage applied to the sensing electrode is amplified between the first gate and the second gate, the amplification being measured as an output signal from the readout device to perform a sensing operation. For example, the output signal may be relatable to pH, analyte measurements, or other properties of sample liquids analyzed by the sensing device. A sensing device may include multiple pixels disposed on a substrate, each pixel including said pixel circuit. Driver circuits controlled by control electronics are configured to generate signals that selectively address the pixels and to read out voltages at the sensing electrodes.

Bio-sensor pixel circuit with amplification

An active matrix electro-wetting on dielectric (AM-EWOD) device includes a plurality of array elements arranged in an array, each array element including array element circuitry, an element electrode, and a reference electrode. The array element circuitry includes an actuation circuit configured to apply actuation voltages to the electrodes, and an impedance sensor circuit configured to sense impedance at the array element electrode to determine a droplet property. The actuation circuitry includes a memory capacitor for storing voltage data corresponding to either an actuated state or an unactuated state of the array element, and an input applied to the memory capacitor operates to effect an operation of the impedance sensor circuit. Such input may isolate the array element from the actuation voltage during operation of the impedance sensor circuit, and the memory capacitor may operate as part of the impedance sensor circuit as a reference capacitor for determining the droplet property.

Active matrix device and method of driving

A pixel circuit for a display device includes a drive transistor configured to control an amount of current to a light-emitting device during an emission phase depending upon a voltage applied to a gate of the drive transistor; a second transistor connected to the gate of the drive transistor, wherein the second transistor is in an on state during a combined programming and compensation phase and in an off state during the emission phase, and when the second transistor is in an on state the drive transistor becomes diode-connected such that a gate and a second terminal of the drive transistor are connected through the second transistor; a third transistor connected to the second terminal of the drive transistor, wherein the third transistor is in an on state during the combined programming and compensation phase to permit a reference current to be applied through the drive transistor, and is in an off state during the emission phase to remove the reference current; and a capacitor having a first plate that is connected to the gate of the drive transistor and a second plate that is connectable to a data voltage during the combined programming and compensation phase. A threshold voltage and/or a carrier mobility of the drive transistor is compensated by application of the reference current during the combined programming and compensation phase.

TFT compensation circuit for display device using reference current

Methods and apparatus for ultrasound imaging using ultrasound sensor elements comprising thin film transistors. Specifically, ultrasound elements for use in a two dimensional array of ultrasound elements, two dimensional arrays of ultrasound elements, ultrasound sensor element array assemblies, ultrasound imaging devices and methods of performing an ultrasound scan using a two dimensional array of ultrasound elements. A sensor element comprises: an ultrasound transducer, a transmit circuit configured to provide an electrical signal to the transducer for output of an ultrasound signal; and a receive circuit configured to receive an electrical signal from the transducer, based on a received reflected ultrasound signal, wherein the transmit and receive circuits each comprise one or more thin film transistors.

Ultrasound sensor element, ultrasound sensor array assembly, ultrasound transmit sensor element, imaging device, ultrasound transducer, and method of performing an ultrasound scan

An integrated touchscreen comprises display pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix of rows and columns to minimize the reduction in aperture ratio of the display pixels. A matrix of touch element is defined in the display pixels, with a touch unit cell encompassing a group of display pixels. A touch element is comprised of a matrix of touch unit cells. The common electrodes of the display pixels encompassed in the touch element are electrically connected together to form a common electrode for the touch element. The touch unit cell includes conductive lines extending in the row direction and conductive lines extending in the column direction. The touchscreen comprises a controller that can operate in either one of a self-capacitance touch sensing mode and a mutual-capacitance touch sensing mode.

Integrated active matrix touch panel

A microfluidic system includes an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) device comprising an array of elements that are actuatable for manipulation of a liquid droplet within the EWOD device. The system has a pattern generator that generates an actuation pattern for actuating a portion of the elements in the array of elements, and a signal generator that generates voltage signals for actuating elements in the array of elements in accordance with the actuation pattern. The pattern generator generates an actuation pattern in which voltage signals applied to elements in at least part of a region at or adjacent to a contact line of the droplet are different from voltage signals applied to elements that are not in the part of the region at or adjacent to the contact line. The system further may include a sensor for sensing the droplet contact line constituting a boundary of the liquid droplet.

Droplet actuation method for a microfluidic device

A capacitive touch sensor includes a sensor substrate and an array of electrode elements formed over the sensor substrate. Each electrode element of the array includes at least one of a first electrode group comprising at least two drive electrodes and at least one sense electrode, or a second electrode group comprising at least two sense electrodes and at least one drive electrode. The respective electrodes of the first or second electrode group are arranged to form multiple capacitances over different coupling distances. A controller is operatively coupled to the array of electrode elements, the controller configured to determine a distance of an object relative to the surface of the touch sensor based on variations in the multiple capacitances.

Capacitive touch panel with height determination function

An active matrix LCD display of the multi-pixel drive (MPD) type, in which a pixel comprises a plurality of sub-pixels with each sub-pixel of a pixel being associated with a respective storage capacitor address lines so that the voltage applied across an individual sub-pixel depends on both the signal voltage and the voltage applied to the associated storage capacitor address line, is driven such that the relationship between at least a first one of the capacitor line voltages and a second one of the capacitor line in a first display refresh period of the frame is different to the relationship between the first of the capacitor line voltages and the second of the capacitor line voltages in a second display refresh period of the frame. This allows the root-mean-square (RMS) voltage applied over the frame across a first of the sub-pixels to be controlled at least partially independently of the RMS voltage applied over the frame across a second of the sub-pixels, thereby providing increased resolution.

Active matrix display device and method of driving same

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Oxford, United Kingdom

Christopher James Brown