US Patent 9011662 Droplet actuator assemblies and methods of making same

The invention provides droplet actuator assemblies and systems and methods of manufacturing the droplet actuator assemblies. In certain embodiments, two-piece enclosures are used to form a droplet actuator assembly that houses a droplet operations substrate. In certain other embodiments, one-piece enclosures are used to form a droplet actuator assembly that houses a droplet operations substrate. In the plastic injection molding process for forming substrates of the droplet actuator assemblies of the present invention may utilize insert molding (or overmolding) processes for forming a gasket in at least one substrate, thereby avoiding the need for providing and installing a separate gasket component. Further, the droplet actuator assemblies may include features that allow ultrasonic welding processes to be used for bonding substrates together. The manufacturing systems of the present invention for fabricating the droplet actuator assemblies may utilize continuous flow reel-to-reel manufacturing processes.