How does ACX inst work?
The lab-on-a-chip (LOC) system allows sophisticated experimental procedures to be integrated on a chip. The electrodes and drivers in traditional digital microfluidics are simply connected passively. The number of wires and connection pads limit scalability, while the number of electrodes limits the application. Conventional technology can only generate/manipulate low-resolution droplets and is not ready for single-cell applications. ACX inst's active-matrix digital microfluidics (AM-DMF) platform connects with Flat-Panel technology, which was initially developed for the display industry. We create smaller, higher-resolution pixels with transistors as the switching element. ACX inst's AM-DMF platform enables higher-throughput, parallel, and more precise manipulation of micro-discrete droplets simultaneously. The droplet-sample automatic processing based on the electrowetting concept is used in the fields of chemistry, biology, and medicine. It is seamlessly connected to the state-of-the-art biological, chemical, and medical manufacturing line.
Active-Matrix digital microfluidics (AM-DMF)

Electrowetting-on-dielectric, thin-film transistors, and flat-panel technologies are combined to manipulate surface tensions and move droplets using an electrical field and a sequenced driving electric signal.

Electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD)
Digital microfluidics (DMF) is a liquid-handling technique based on droplets. The droplets on the chip serve as transporters for a variety of reaction materials, including biochemical reagents, cells, proteins, DNA, and RNA. DMF allows software-reconfigurable operations on individual droplets, such as move, combine, split, and dispense from reservoirs by manipulating picolitre to microlitre droplets in electric fields. Meanwhile, it can accommodate a variety of experiments because of its modular functional components (temperature control, magnetic attraction, fluorescence detection, etc.).
Thin film transistor (TFT)
TFT is an active switching element in large-area electronics technology. It is brought in as digital microfluidic chip's basic circuit unit, turning the droplet driving electrode on and off. Currently, there are three types of mature TFT technologies: a-Si (amorphous silicon), LTPS (low-temperature polysilicon), and IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide). Corresponding TFT technology can be flexibly selected based on required chip performance and cost.
Flat-Panel (FP)
ACX inst's chip manufacturing process is compatible with flat-panel technology, which was originally utilized in the display industry, achieving a complex integrated circuit structure depending on high-precision and mature semiconductor manufacturing processes. Our chip can reach nearly 100% yield by collaborating with display flat-panel manufacturers expertizing on large-scale TFT Flat-Panel production technology, Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), and Laser Repair technology.
Great accuracy
Volume CV<3%
Droplet volume ~100 pl
High stability
Stable movement ~ 72hr
Massive production-ready
Broad applications
Sample-in & Answer-out
Lab automation on a chip