Sharp Life Science (eu) Limited

Sharp Life Science Corporation

Jonathan Buse

Benjamin James Hadwen

Christopher James Brown

Emma Jayne Walton

Adrian Marc Simon Jacobs

Robert Julian Amos

A method of driving an active matrix electro-wetting on dielectric (AM-EWOD) device comprises (i) setting a reference electrode to a first reference voltage; (ii) writing a set of data to array element electrodes of array elements of the device; and (iii) either (a) maintaining the voltages written to the array element electrodes until a time tor (b) re-writing the set of data N&#x2212;1 times (where N&#x2265;2). The reference electrode is then set to a second reference voltage different from the first reference voltage, and features (i) to (iii) are repeated. When the data are first written, there is a delay between the time when the voltage on the reference electrode is transitioned and the time when a given array element is next written with data. Feature (iii) allows the time for which the correct data values are held to be increased relative to the time for which incorrect data values may possibly be held, so that the time for which an element may be in an incorrect state can be made insignificant in terms of its effect on unwantedly perturbing droplet operations.

Method of driving an active matrix electro-wetting on dielectric device and an active matrix electro-wetting on dielectric device

An EWOD (or AM-EWOD) device includes a reference electrode and a plurality of array elements, each array element including an array element electrode, and control electronics. In a first mode optimized for EWOD actuation, the control electronics is configured to control a supply of time varying voltages to the array element electrodes and the reference electrode, thereby generating an actuation voltage as a potential difference between voltages at the array element electrodes and the reference electrode. The reference electrode includes a first electrical connection and a second electrical connection. In a second mode, the control electronics further is configured to supply an electrical current flow between the first electrical connection and the second electrical connection to generate resistance heat for controlling temperature of the EWOD device. Control may include sensing a temperature of the EWOD device, and switching between operating in the first or second mode based on the sensed temperature.

Multifunction electrode with combined heating and EWOD drive functionality

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Oxford, United Kingdom

Jonathan Buse