An innovative platform enabling complex discretization and manipulation of aqueous droplets is described. The system uses simple membrane displacement trap elements to perform multiple functions including droplet discretization, release, metering, capture, and merging. Multi-layer PDMS devices with membrane displacement trap arrays are used to discretize sample into nanoliter scale droplet volumes, and reliably manipulate individual droplets within the arrays. Performance is characterized for varying capillary number flows, membrane actuation pressures, trap and membrane geometries, and trapped droplet volumes, with operational domains established for each platform function. The novel approach to sample digitization and droplet manipulation is demonstrated through discretization of a dilute bacteria sample, metering of individual traps to generate droplets containing single bacteria, and merging of the resulting droplets to pair the selected bacteria within a single droplet.

中文翻译：

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使用膜位移阱控制液滴的离散化和处理

描述了一种创新的平台，该平台能够实现水滴的复杂离散化和操纵。该系统使用简单的膜位移陷阱元件来执行多种功能，包括液滴离散化，释放，计量，捕获和合并。具有膜位移阱阵列的多层PDMS设备用于将样品离散成纳升级液滴体积，并可靠地操纵阵列中的单个液滴。性能的特点是可改变毛细管数流量，膜驱动压力，捕集阱和膜的几何形状以及捕集的液滴体积，并为每个平台功能建立了操作区域。通过稀细菌样品的离散化展示了样品数字化和液滴操作的新颖方法，