Device For Handling Drops For Biochemical Analysis, Method For Producing Said Device And A System For Microfluidic Analysis

Abstract

A device for handling drops on a displacement by electrowetting plane, including at least one displacement track. The track includes an electrically insulating substrate on the surface of which rest two or more interdigitated conducting electrodes. These electrodes are covered by a dielectric insulating layer, itself covered by a partially-wetting layer. Also, a method for the manufacture of the aforementioned device, in which the creation of the partially-wetting layer includes the creation of a mask in a photosensitive material by the deposition of this material onto a substrate, then a photolithographic stage, followed by development of the photosensitive material, the deposition of a non-wetting material onto the mask, at least one annealing process before dissolution, dissolution of the mask, and at least one annealing process after dissolution. Also, a system for the microfluidic analysis of a liquid sample.

1 . A device for handling drops on a displacement by electrowetting plane, including at least one track, wherein said track comprises:
 an electrically insulating substrate with a top surface,   at least two first conducting electrodes with a top surface and a bottom surface, resting by their bottom surface on said top surface of the said electrically insulating substrate, with each of the said first electrodes being interdigitated with at least one other of these said first electrodes,   a dielectric insulating layer with a bottom surface and a top surface, resting by its bottom surface on said top surface of said first electrodes,   a partially-wetting layer with a bottom surface and a top surface, resting by its bottom surface on the top surface of the said dielectric insulating layer.   
     
     
         2 . A device according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one counter-electrode separate from said first electrodes. 
     
     
         3 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein said separate counter-electrode is an earth line located on or under the top surface of, or inserted into, the said partially-wetting layer. 
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second track positioned opposite to and separated from the first track, so that a space is formed between said first and second tracks, with said second track including a non-wetting layer with a bottom surface on one side of said space and a top surface on the other side. 
     
     
         5 . A device according to  claim 4 , wherein said non-wetting layer of said second track is partially wetting. 
     
     
         6 . A device according to  claim 4 , wherein said second track includes a top layer that is electrically insulating, semiconducting or conducting, located on one side of the top surface of the said non-wetting layer. 
     
     
         7 . A device according to  claim 4 , wherein said second track includes one or more counter-electrodes located between said non-wetting layer and the said top layer. 
     
     
         8 . A device according to  claim 7 , wherein said second track includes a dielectric insulating layer located between said non-wetting layer and the said counter-electrode(s). 
     
     
         9 . A device according to said partially-wetting layer of said first track and/or of the said second track includes non-wetting zones and wetting zones, with said wetting zones being reactive functionalised zones. 
     
     
         10 . A device for handling drops between two displacement by electrowetting planes, including two tracks separated by a space, the device comprising:
 the first track includes:
 an electrically insulating substrate with a top surface, 
 at least two first electrodes with a top surface and a bottom surface, resting by their bottom surface on said top surface of said electrically insulating substrate, with each of said first electrodes being interdigitated with at least one other of these said first electrodes, 
 a non-wetting layer with a bottom surface and a top surface, located on one side of the top surface of the said first electrodes, 
   the second track includes:
 a partially-wetting layer with a top surface and a bottom surface, 
   
       where said partially-wetting layer of the said first track and/or of said second track includes non-wetting zones and wetting zones, and where the said wetting zones are reactive functionalised zones. 
     
     
         11 . A device according to  claim 10 , wherein said first track includes a dielectric insulating layer located between the top surface of the said first electrodes and the bottom surface of the said non-wetting layer. 
     
     
         12 . A device according to  claim 10 , further comprising an earth line located on or under the top surface of, or inserted into, the said non-wetting layer. 
     
     
         13 . A device according to  claim 10 , wherein said second track includes a layer that is electrically insulating, conducting or semiconducting, located on one side of the top surface of the said non-wetting layer. 
     
     
         14 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein said electrically insulating substrate of said first track is transparent. 
     
     
         15 . A device according to  claim 14 , wherein said electrically insulating substrate of said first track is a glass substrate. 
     
     
         16 . A device according to  claim 9 , wherein said wetting zones are openings in non-wetting zones. 
     
     
         17 . A device according to  claim 9 , wherein said wetting zones are biochemically functionalised and reactive. 
     
     
         18 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein said non-wetting layer and/or said non-wetting zones of said partially-wetting layer, are non-wetting in relation to water and therefore hydrophobic, and said wetting zones are wetting in relation to water and therefore hydrophilic. 
     
     
         19 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein said non-wetting layer and/or said non-wetting zones of the said partially-wetting layer are in tetrafluoroethylene polymer. 
     
     
         20 . A method for the manufacture of the device according to  claim 1 , in which the creation of said partially-wetting layer of said first track or the said second track includes:
 a stage for the creation of a mask in a photosensitive material, by deposition of the said photosensitive material onto a substrate, then photolithography, and then development of the said photosensitive material,   a stage for the deposition of a non-wetting material onto the said mask,   at least one annealing stage before dissolution,   a stage for the dissolution of the said mask,   at least one annealing stage after dissolution.   
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein the annealing temperature of said annealing stage before dissolution is lower than the annealing temperature of said annealing stage after dissolution. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein said stage for the deposition of a non-wetting material onto said mask is a stage for the deposition of a tetrafluoroethyene polymer. 
     
     
         23 . A system for the microfluidic analysis of a liquid sample, characterised in that it includes:
 at least one means for preparing the liquid sample with at least one outlet, at least one drop handling device according to  claim 1 , coupled by one of its inlets to one of the outlets of the said preparation means, and with at least one outlet,   at least one analysis means coupled by one of its inlets to one of the outlets of the said drop handling device.   
     
     
         24 . A system according to  claim 23 , wherein said preparation means includes one or more loading reservoirs or docks. 
     
     
         25 . A system according to  claim 23 , wherein said analysis means is a mass spectrometer, a fluorescence detector, or a UV light detector. 
     
     
         26 . A system according to  claim 23 , wherein the system is integrated into a microlaboratory. 
     
     
         27 . A device according to  claim 15 , wherein said wetting zones are openings in non-wetting zones. 
     
     
         28 . A device according to  claim 27 , wherein said wetting zones are biochemically functionalised and reactive. 
     
     
         29 . A device according to  claim 28 , wherein said non-wetting layer and/or said non-wetting zones of said partially-wetting layer, are non-wetting in relation to water and therefore hydrophobic, and said wetting zones are wetting in relation to water and therefore hydrophilic. 
     
     
         30 . A device according to  claim 29 , wherein said non-wetting layer and/or said non-wetting zones of the said partially-wetting layer are in tetrafluoroethylene polymer. 
     
     
         31 . A method for the manufacture of the device according to  claim 10 , in which the creation of said partially-wetting layer of said first track or the said second track includes:
 a stage for the creation of a mask in a photosensitive material, by deposition of the said photosensitive material onto a substrate, then photolithography, and then development of the said photosensitive material,   a stage for the deposition of a non-setting material onto the said mask,   at least one annealing stage before dissolution,   a stage for the dissolution of the said mask,   at least one annealing stage after dissolution.   
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein the annealing temperature of said annealing stage before dissolution is lower than the annealing temperature of said annealing stage after dissolution. 
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein said stage for the deposition of a non-wetting material onto said mask is a stage for the deposition of a tetrafluoroethyene polymer. 
     
     
         34 . A system for the microfluidic analysis of a liquid sample, characterised in that it includes:
 at least one means for preparing the liquid sample with at least one outlet,   at least one drop handling device according to  claim 10 , coupled by one of its inlets to one of the outlets of the said preparation means, and with at least one outlet,   at least one analysis means coupled by one of its inlets to one of the outlets of the said drop handling device.   
     
     
         35 . A system according to  claim 34 , wherein said preparation means includes one or more loading reservoirs or docks. 
     
     
         36 . A system according to  claim 34 , wherein said analysis means is a mass spectrometer, a fluorescence detector, or a UV light detector. 
     
     
         37 . A system according to  claim 34 , wherein the system is integrated into a microlaboratory.