Electrode addressing method
A device for addressing an electrode array of 2 n lines of an electro-fluidic device, each line having N electrodes (n≦N). The device includes, on each line, n selection electrodes, all of the line selection electrodes being connected to 2n line selection conductors, 2 n−1 line selection electrodes of 2 n−1 lines being connected to each line selection conductor, and selection devices for selecting one or more line selection conductors.
1. A biochip for handling liquid droplets comprising:
a substrate, comprising an array of 2 n lines of electrodes, n being an integer number, each line of electrodes having N electrodes, N being an integer number, wherein n >1 and n≦N, each of said lines of electrodes being controllable to displace one droplet of liquid through electrowetting from one of said N electrodes to another one of said N electrodes;
a plurality of 2n line conductors;
each line of said 2 n lines of electrodes comprising a group of n electrodes, each electrode of said group of n electrodes of each of said lines of electrodes being connected to one of said 2n line conductors;
each one of said plurality of 2n line conductors being connected to 2 n−1 electrodes in the array of 2 n lines of electrodes, each of said 2 n−1 electrodes being in a different one of the 2 n lines of electrodes; and
a plurality of selector units, each of said line conductors receiving a signal through one of said plurality of selector units.
2. The biochip of claim 1 , wherein n is a whole number greater than or equal to three.
3. The biochip of claim 1 , wherein the selector units each include a relay.
4. The biochip of claim 1 , wherein the selector units include 2n relays, each relay being connected to only one of the line conductors.
5. The biochip of claim 1 , wherein the group of n electrodes includes electrodes arranged successively along each of the 2 n lines of electrodes.
6. The biochip of claim 1 , wherein each of the plural electrodes has a rectangular shape, with a longest side of each rectangle being arranged perpendicularly to a direction of the columns in the array.
7. The biochip of claim 1 , wherein another group of electrodes includes one electrode from each of the 2 n lines of electrodes, which are in a same column of the array, and individual electrodes of the another group of electrodes are alternately connected to a first line conductor and a second line conductor of the plurality of 2n line conductors.
8. The biochip of claim 3 , wherein the relays are each digital.
9. The biochip of claim 3 , wherein the relays are configured to select one or more rows of the array according to a binary code.
10. The biochip of claim 1 , wherein the relays are configured to consecutively activate electrodes of a selected row of the array.
11. A system comprising: the biochip of claim 1 ; and
plural containers configured to store liquid, wherein each row of the array of the biochip is individually connected to one of the plural containers.
12. A method comprising:
obtaining a biochip that includes
a substrate, comprising an array of 2 n lines of electrodes, n being an integer number, each line of electrodes having N electrodes, N being an integer number, wherein n>1 and n≦N, each of said lines of electrodes being controllable to displace one droplet of liquid through electrowetting from one of said N electrodes to another one of said N electrodes,
a plurality of 2n line conductors,
each line of said 2 n lines of electrodes comprising a group of n electrodes,
each electrode of said group of n electrodes of each of said lines of electrodes being connected to one of said 2n line conductors,
each one of said plurality of 2n line conductors being connected to 2 n−1 electrodes in the array of 2 n lines of electrodes, each of said 2 n-−1 electrodes being in a different one of the 2 n lines of electrodes, and
a plurality of selector units, each of said line conductors receiving a signal through one of said plurality of selector units; and
moving, with the biochip, the one droplet of liquid along at least one row of the array by controlling an application of a voltage to the electrodes in the at least one row of the array.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the biochip further includes plural containers each storing a liquid, wherein each row of the array of the biochip is individually connected to one of the plural containers, the method further comprising:
forming, with the biochip, a first drop of a first liquid from a first container of the plural containers;
forming, with the biochip, a second drop of a second liquid from a second container of the plural containers; and
mixing, with the biochip, the first drop and the second drop.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first liquid contains at least one of a reagent, biological samples, beads, or cells.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second liquid contains water or a biological sample.