The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 21, 2021
Filed:
Dec. 11, 2019
Volta Labs, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Udayan Umapathi, Cambridge, MA (US);
VOLTA LABS, INC., Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for controlling motion of liquid droplets. A set of electrode pads is arranged to define one or more tracks over which liquid droplets may be induced to move over a sequence of 5 the electrode pads. A surface over the electrode pads is dielectric, smooth, and slippery to the droplets. In some cases, the smooth surface is formed as a thin layer of a second liquid that is immiscible with the liquid of the droplets. The surface has wetting affinity to the liquid that can be individually varied in a controlled manner by application of voltage to respective electrode pads. A control is designed to alter the wetting characteristic of varying-wettability portions of 10 the surface over respective electrode pads to effect induced motion of the droplets over the surface. The apparatus is designed with the smooth hydrophobic surface open, with no overlying or facing electrode or plate above the droplets.