Hydrophobic valve

1. A device including a hydrophobic valve for liquids having an appreciable surface tension comprising magnetic particles, said device comprising

at least first and second substrates each having a functionalized surface that includes at least one surface region having one of a hydrophilic and hydrophobic characteristic, wherein the functionalized surface of the first substrate comprises a patterned surface having at least first and second hydrophilic areas separated from one another by at least one hydrophobic area, wherein the first and second substrates are disposed with a distance to one another in a sandwiched, parallel fashion, in such way that said functionalized surfaces are facing one another; and

a traveling magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field and to controllably move the magnetic field from a boundary between the first hydrophilic area and the hydrophobic area, to the second hydrophilic area.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the functionalized surface of the second substrate has hydrophobic properties and comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of

silanized substrates,

fluorocarbon-coated substrates,

substrates being equipped with a Lotus effect,

thiol-coated substrates,

self-assembled monolayers,

polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE),

structural amorphous metal (SAM).

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the liquids are aqueous liquids.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the traveling magnetic field generator includes at least one selected from the group consisting of

at least one permanent magnet and

at least one electromagnet.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate has a hydrophilic surface.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate has a hydrophobic surface.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the functionalized surface of the second solid substrate is hydrophobic and has a contact angle hysteresis of at least 27°.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a microfluidic device.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the width of at least one hydrophobic area is smaller than the widths of the first and second hydrophilic areas.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the device is comprises a lab-on-a-chip.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a Lab-on-a-chip device.

12. The device of claim 11 , further comprising at least one device from the group consisting of:

Cell sample preparation device

Sampler agitation unit (stirrer)

Nucleic acid isolation device

Nucleic acid purification device

Nucleic add extraction device

Sample preparation device

Immunoassay

Electrophoresis device

Nucleic add hybridization unit

PCR thermocycler

Fluorescence read out unit on-chip chemical reaction applications.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the travelling magnetic field generator comprises a magnet and a rail on which the magnet travels in parallel to the first and second substrates to move the magnetic field from the boundary between the first hydrophilic area and the hydrophobic area, to the second hydrophilic area.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the travelling magnetic field generator comprises an array of electromagnets configured to be turned on and off in a coordinated manner to move the magnetic field from the boundary between the first hydrophilic area and the hydrophobic area, to the second hydrophilic area.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the travelling magnetic field generator comprises an array of electromagnetic coils disposed on a printed circuit board in parallel with the first and second substrates, wherein the array of electromagnetic coils is configured to be turned on and off in a coordinated manner to move the magnetic field from the boundary between the first hydrophilic area and the hydrophobic area, to the second hydrophilic area.

16. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a static magnetic generator comprising one of a permanent magnet and an electromagnet, configured to generate a static magnetic field, wherein the static magnetic field is stronger than the magnetic field generated by the travelling magnetic field generator.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wherein the functionalized surface of the second substrate is completely hydrophobic.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wherein the functionalized surface of the second substrate is completely hydrophilic.

19. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second hydrophilic areas of the functionalized surface of the first substrate are each completely surrounded by one or more hydrophobic areas.

20. A method for controlling liquid flow in a microfluidic device comprising a hydrophobic valve for liquids having an appreciable surface tension comprising magnetic particles, the device comprising: at least two planar solid substrates with a functionalized surface each, wherein at least a first solid substrate has a pattered surface comprising at least two hydrophilic areas separated from one another by at least one hydrophobic area, wherein the two planar substrates are disposed with a distance to one another in a sandwiched, parallel fashion, in such way that said functionalized surface are facing one another, and wherein the valve further comprises a magnetic actuator, in which at least one first hydrophilic area is loaded with an aqueous liquid comprising magnetic particles, said method comprising

a) creating a magnetic field at a position near a first hydrophilic area

b) travelling the magnetic field in a direction parallel to the directions of the two planar solid substrates from a position near a first hydrophilic area to a position near a second hydrophilic area;

c) the travelling magnetic field, on its way, passing by a position near a hydrophobic area which separates the said hydrophilic areas;

d) thereby creating, at least temporally, a passage of aqueous liquid bridging the hydrophobic area which separates the said hydrophilic areas; in such way that aqueous liquid may pass, at least temporally, from the first hydrophilic area to the second hydrophilic area.