Application Cases

Experiment Name: Experiment on Charging and Sorting Droplets in a Microfluidic Chip

Research Direction: Droplet Manipulation and Sorting Technology in Microfluidic Chips

Experimental Content: Droplets are charged via an electrostatic induction mechanism, and deflection sorting of charged droplets is achieved using a non-uniform electric field. The charging signal generated by a signal generator is amplified by the ATA-2161 high-voltage amplifier and applied to the charging electrode, enabling charge accumulation on the droplet surface. Under the influence of an electric field generated by deflection electrodes, the charged droplets are deflected directionally into the target collection channel. The experiment analyzed the effects of droplet generation frequency, charging voltage, pulse width, and other factors on sorting accuracy, validating the system's high viability and efficiency in droplet sorting.

Test Equipment: Signal generator, ATA-2161 high-voltage amplifier, high-voltage DC power supply, high-speed camera, microfluidic chip, etc.

Experimental Process:

Figure 1: Experimental setup for droplet charging and sorting in a microfluidic chip

Figure 2: Experiment on droplet charging and sorting in a microfluidic chip

This experiment established a droplet charging and sorting test platform using a signal generator, ATA-2161 high-voltage amplifier, high-voltage DC power supply, and high-speed camera. The signal generator output charging pulse signals, which were amplified by the ATA-2161 power amplifier and applied to the charging electrode to achieve charge accumulation on the droplets. The high-voltage DC power supply generated a deflection electric field to guide the charged droplets into the target channel. The high-speed camera monitored the droplet generation and sorting process, while a fluorescence detection system was used to evaluate sorting accuracy and cell viability, verifying the system's high efficiency and viability.

Experimental Results:

Figure: Process of single droplet charging and sorting

Figure: Droplet deflection results under different charging durations

Experimental results demonstrated that the electrostatic induction sorting system based on the ATA-2161 high-voltage amplifier achieved high-precision droplet manipulation through temporal regulation and electric field optimization. The charging pulse width was set as integer multiples (n=1-10) of the droplet generation time (0.625 ms), enabling control over the number of droplets sorted per trigger (4/6/8/10). Through temporal calibration, parameter matching, and structural optimization, the system achieved sub-millisecond sorting control capability, providing a reliable solution for the precise manipulation of highly viable cells and microbeads.

Recommended Power Amplifier: ATA-2161

Figure: ATA-2161 high-voltage amplifier specifications and parameters