{
  "patent_number": "US 12735810",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "Moving Chemical Ingredients Between Tiny Liquid Drops",
  "original_title": "Systems and methods for transfer of reagents between droplets",
  "summary": "This patent describes a method for precisely transferring a chemical ingredient from one tiny liquid droplet to another, changing the concentration of that ingredient in both drops.",
  "what_it_does": "The patent outlines a system for processing tiny liquid droplets. It involves starting with a first droplet containing a certain amount of a chemical ingredient, called a reagent, and a second droplet with a different amount of the same reagent. The second droplet might also contain a tiny bead or a biological particle. The core idea is to create specific conditions that cause the reagent to move from the first droplet into the second droplet. This process results in the first droplet having less of the reagent and the second droplet having more, as stated in the abstract. For example, a scientist could use this to add a precise amount of an enzyme from a stock droplet to another droplet containing cells for an experiment.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover methods where the reagent moves from the second droplet to the first droplet, as the transfer is specified as 'from the first droplet to the second droplet'.",
    "Does not cover processes where the droplets are merged to mix their contents, rather than transferring a reagent between distinct droplets.",
    "Does not cover the transfer of non-reagent materials, such as entire cells or inert particles, between droplets.",
    "Does not cover systems that transfer reagents between droplets without causing a decrease in the first droplet's concentration and an increase in the second droplet's concentration.",
    "Does not cover methods that involve only a single droplet or more than two droplets in a single transfer step."
  ],
  "filed": "2026-04-24",
  "granted": "2026-09-15",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": null,
  "holder_url": null,
  "inventors": [],
  "times_cited": 0,
  "tags": [
    "biotech",
    "materials",
    "semiconductors",
    "telecommunications",
    "software"
  ],
  "abstract": "The disclosure provides systems and methods for droplet processing. For example, a method can include providing a first droplet and a second droplet. In some cases, the first droplet may have a first concentration of a reagent and the second droplet may have a second concentration of the reagent. The second droplet may comprise a bead or a biological particle. The method can also include subjecting the first droplet and the second droplet to conditions sufficient to transfer the reagent from the first droplet to the second droplet, thereby decreasing the first concentration in the first droplet and increasing the second concentration in the second droplet.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12735810/systems-and-methods-for-transfer-of-reagents-between-droplets",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12735810/systems-and-methods-for-transfer-of-reagents-between-droplets/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12735810",
  "relatedPatents": []
}