Miroculus Inc.

The Governing Council of the University of Toronto

Integra Biosciences Ag

Mais Jehan Jebrail

Foteini Christodoulou

Aaron Ray Wheeler

Victor Lee

Eduardo Cervantes

Ronald Francis Renzi

Irena Barbulovic-Nad

Steven Branda

Lorenzo Gutierrez

Alexandra Judy Cho

Hao Yang

Rohit Lal

Ana Eugenia Carvajal

Jorge Abraham Soto-Moreno

Mohamed Abdelgawad

Mark Lewis

Nikolay Sergeev

Mathieu Gabriel-Emmanuel Chauleau

Poornasree Kumar

Jorge Abraham Soto Moreno

Juan Matias DeCarli

Noha Ahmed Mousa

Spencer Seiler

Robert Fredric Joseph Casper

Ik Pyo Hong

Gregory Ray

Michael W L Watson

Rodolfo Wilhelmy-Preciado

Eugenia Carvajal

Alejandro Tocigl Domeyko

Yu-Hung Chen

Jair Giovanny Beltran-Vera

Paul Mathew Lundquist

Alejandro Tocigl

John Peter Cannistraro

Gareth Scott

Jobelo Andres Quintero Rodriguez

Mohamed Omar Abdelgawad

Michael Wl Watson

Described herein are digital microfluidic (DMF) devices and corresponding methods for managing reagent solution evaporation during a reaction. Reactions on the DMF devices described here are performed in an air or gas matrix. The DMF devices include a means for performing reactions at different temperatures. To address the issue of evaporation of the reaction droplet especially when the reaction is performed at higher temperatures, a means for introducing a replenishing droplet has been incorporated into the DMF device. A replenishing droplet is introduced every time when it has been determined that the reaction droplet has fallen below a threshold volume. Detection and monitoring of the reaction droplet may be through visual, optical, fluorescence, colorimetric, and/or electrical means.

Evaporation management in digital microfluidic devices

Air-matrix digital microfluidics (DMF) apparatuses and methods of using them to prevent or limit evaporation and surface fouling of the DMF apparatus. In particular, described herein are air-matrix DMF apparatuses and methods of using them in which a separate well that is accessible from the air gap of the DMF apparatus isolates a reaction droplet by including a cover to prevent evaporation. The cover may be a lid or cap, or it may be an oil or wax material within the well. The opening into the well and/or the well itself may include actuation electrodes to allow the droplet to be placed into, and in some cases removed from, the well. Also described herein are air-matrix DMF apparatuses and methods of using them including thermally controllable regions with a wax material that may be used to selectively encapsulate a reaction droplet in the air gap of the apparatus.

Air-matrix digital microfluidics apparatuses and methods for limiting evaporation and surface fouling

Compositions for preventing or limiting surface fouling as well as evaporation and methods for their use in air-matrix digital microfluidics (DMF) apparatuses are described. A mobilizing wax material may be used to selectively encapsulate a reaction droplet in the air gap of the apparatus, which permits the at least partially encapsulated reaction droplet to be portable within the DMF apparatus. Additional aqueous droplets may be combined with the encapsulated droplet, by merging with an aqueous droplet having a coating of a secondary material (e.g., an oil or other hydrophobic material) that may allow combining of the droplets. The compositions may be additionally useful in non-DMF applications such as laboratory protocols for hybridization, ligation and amplification.

Nonfouling compositions and methods for manipulating and processing encapsulated droplets

Microfluidic apparatuses, systems, devices and associated fluid manipulation and extraction devices, and methods of using them are presented. The devices may be useful for analysis of clinical, laboratory, chemical, or biological samples. A fluid application and extraction interface device may include a waste reservoir with a fluid trap extending above a waste chamber, an opening through the waste reservoir above the sample inlet, and a transfer conduit extending through the waste reservoir so that fluid may pass from the transfer conduit into the waste reservoir and be trapped within the waste chamber.

Microfluidic devices and methods

Air-matrix digital microfluidics (DMF) apparatuses and methods of using them. These methods and apparatuses may include the use of a liquid wax coating material and/or pinning the encapsulated reaction droplet within the air gap using pinning features. Any of these methods may also include separating the liquid wax from an encapsulated aqueous droplet, e.g., using an oil absorbent wick to selectively separate the liquid oil or wax from the aqueous droplet by adsorbing and/or absorbing the liquid wax into the absorbent wick while leaving the aqueous droplet behind.

Control of evaporation in digital microfluidics

A digital microfluidics (DMF) device can be used to extract plasma from whole blood and manipulate the extracted plasma. The device can have a plasma separation membrane disposed between a sample inlet and sample outlet that leads into the DMF device. Once the plasma contacts the actuation electrodes of the DMF device, the plasma can be actively extracted from the whole blood sample by actuating the actuation electrodes to pull the plasma through plasma separation membrane.

Digital microfluidics systems and methods with integrated plasma collection device

Methods and apparatuses for sequencing by synthesis using mechanical compression. These methods and apparatuses may mechanically control microfluidic movement using a force applicator and an elastically deformable sheet.

Sequencing by synthesis using mechanical compression

Digital microfluidic (DMF) apparatuses, systems, devices and associated fluid manipulation and extraction devices, and methods of using them are presented. The devices may be useful for analysis of clinical, laboratory, chemical, or biological samples. A fluid application and extraction interface device may include a waste reservoir with a fluid trap and a transfer conduit extending through the waste reservoir so that fluid may pass from the transfer conduit into the waste reservoir and be trapped within the waste chamber. A transfer conduit may be configured to double back on itself and to hold a fluid sample. A DMF apparatus may be configured to hold and process large sample volumes.

Digital microfluidic devices and methods

Methods and apparatuses for mechanically controlling microfluidic movement using a force applicator and an elastically deformable sheet are described herein. These apparatuses may include a mechanical microfluidics actuator devices and a cartridge. A microfluidic droplet may be moved or displaced within an air gap of the cartridge by applying a compressive force locally and selectively reduce the gap width of the air gap near the microfluidic droplet causing the microfluidic droplet to move toward the reduced gap. Compressive forces may also be used to divide, join, mix or perform other operations on the microfluidic droplets.

Methods of mechanical microfluidic manipulation

High-throughput digital microfluidic (DMF) systems and methods (including devices, systems, cartridges, DMF apparatuses, etc.), are described herein. The systems, apparatuses and methods integrate liquid handling with the DMF apparatuses, providing flexible and efficient sample reactions and sample preparation. These systems, apparatuses and methods may be used with a variety of cartridge configurations and sizes.

Multi-cartridge digital microfluidics apparatuses and methods of use

Air-matrix digital microfluidics (DMF) apparatuses and methods of using them to prevent or limit evaporation and surface fouling of the DMF apparatus. In particular, described herein are air-matrix DMF apparatuses and methods of using them including thermally controllable regions with a wax material that may be used to selectively encapsulate a reaction droplet in the air gap of the apparatus; additional aqueous droplets may be combined with the encapsulated droplet even after separating from the wax, despite residual wax coating, by merging with an aqueous droplet having a coating of a secondary material (e.g., an oil or other hydrophobic material) that may remove the wax from the droplet and/or allow combining of the droplets.

Digital microfluidics apparatuses and methods for manipulating and processing encapsulated droplets

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Toronto, Canada

Mais Jehan Jebrail