Droplet generating with accurate volume for EWOD digital microfluidics

Abstract

Electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) actuation enables digital microfluidics, typically droplets, to be manipulated on a two-dimensional surface, providing a new platform for manipulating chemicals for multi-step chemical synthesis or assays at the microscale. However, the deficiency of volume precision has long limited its applications in lab on chip (LOC) and micro total analysis systems (μ-TAS) where the accuracy of assays is largely determined by the fluid volume control of the reagent dosing. In this paper, we present a novel electrodes design which improves the reliability of on-chip droplets generating process and reproducibility significantly without any extra external apparatus.