OpenDrop is a new design for an open source digital microfludics platform for research purposes. The device uses recent electro-wetting technology to control small droplets of liquids. Potential applications are lab on a chip devices for automating processes of digital biology. How ever the present design should also open the technology to other field and allow experimentation to find new applications. Including the field of art, music, games and education.
The design approach chosen relies strongly on Do-It-Your-Self (DIY) and Low-Cost. To aim is to only use standard and widely-available components, materials, and production processes. We try to avoid parts that aren’t available to individual customers or processes that require expensive setup costs. Also all design files and software required to operate your hardware are shared under open licenses.
We commit to Best Practices for Open-Source Hardware (OSHWA)
We respect The {unspoken} rules of Open Source Hardware
We support the GOSH-Mainifesto for Global Open Science Hardware
We were strongly inspired by the great work of:
- Wheeler Microfluidics Laboratory and their open source DropBot and Microdrop software.
- Pioneering work “Electronic Fluid Transistor” by Cytonix, see also US6143496 patent
- Yiyan Li at all, University of Nevada with their very useful paper
A Fast Fabricating Electro-wetting Platform to Implement Large Droplet Manipulation - California NanoSystems Institute
- Electrowetting_from_basics_to_applications – The basics of Electrowetting
Project Overview
We belive in the potential of an ecosystem of Digital Biology. The developpement of a platform will allow colaboration and innovation with limited resources.