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. 01, 2009
Filed:
Jan. 21, 2005
Gregory W. Faris, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Kenneth T. Kotz, Medford, MA (US);
Kyle Noble, San Antonio, TX (US);
Gregory W. Faris, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Kenneth T. Kotz, Medford, MA (US);
Kyle Noble, San Antonio, TX (US);
SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Abstract
Described are an apparatus and method of moving micro-droplets. A surface has a liquid phase thereon. In the liquid phase is a droplet. Focused at an edge of the droplet is a beam of light. The light beam produces a thermal gradient sufficient to induce the droplet to move according to the Marangoni effect. The movement-inducing thermal gradient may appear within the droplet or within the liquid phase. The composition of the droplet, the liquid phase, and wavelength of the light beam can cooperate to cause heating within the droplet, liquid phase, or both. For example, an infrared laser can cause vibration of an O-H stretch in an aqueous droplet (or in the liquid phase). As another example, adding dye to a droplet or to the liquid phase enables absorption of light from an Argon ion laser. The apparatus and method find particular use in biological and chemical high-throughput assays.