An incubator stand for holding a plurality of incubators in a stacked arrangement, the incubator stand comprising: a stand base; a shaft element upstanding from the stand base; and a plurality of incubator bases rotatably received on the shaft element, each incubator base forming a support for or forming part of an incubator. A stop element is also provided which prevents or limits angular displacement of each incubator base, so that each incubator base can be pivoted out from a stack of said incubator bases to in use access an incubator associated therewith without causing the stack to topple. An incubator docking system and incubator system for transferring incubators between different environmental conditions are also provided.

A fluid refining device and assembly comprises an inlet for fluid to be refined, a separation outlet and a concentration outlet for processed fluid in a refining layer, wherein the refining layer comprises a plurality of refining units arranged in a pattern, and wherein the cross section of the concentration outlet is less than the cross section of the inlet.

A microfluidic diagnostic chip may comprise a microfluidic channel, a functionalizable enzymatic sensor in the microfluidic channel, the functionalizable enzymatic sensor comprising a binding surface to bind with a biomarker in a fluid, and a microfluidic pump to pass the fluid over the binding surface. A microfluidic device may comprise a number of pumps to pump a fluid though the number of microfluidic channels and a number of microfluidic channels comprising at least one sensor to detect a change in a chemical characteristic of the fluid in response to presence of the fluid on the sensor.

This instant disclosure provides methods of processing a sample in an automated sample processing device including devices configured for the automated extraction or isolation of nucleic acids. Also provided are plungers for use in such devices and methods of sample processing. Systems for performing the described methods and employing the described plungers are also provided.

This instant disclosure provides methods of processing a sample in an automated sample processing device including devices configured for the automated extraction or isolation of nucleic acids. Also provided are plungers for use in such devices and methods of sample processing. Systems for performing the described methods and employing the described plungers are also provided.

A reagent substrate may include a reagent sample deposition area on which a sample of a reagent is deposited, and a number of diagnostic regions on which a diagnostic sample of the reagent is deposited for verification of deposition of the diagnostic sample. A reagent dispensing system may include a conveyor surface to convey a number of substrates, at least one reagent module located in-line with respect to the conveyor surface where the reagent module includes at least one reagent dispensing device to dispense a reagent on the substrates, and at least one optical sensor to verify the dispensing of the reagent at a number of diagnostic regions of the substrate.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a multiplex PCR device is disclosed. The multiplex PCR device comprises a multiplex PCR chip simultaneously carrying a plurality of mutually different nucleic acid molecules, and the invention may be characterised in that, attached spaced apart from each other on the multiplex PCR chip, there are a plurality of probes used for hybridization reactions whereby hybridization takes place specifically with mutually different amplified sequences of the nucleic acid molecules.

According to the invention there is a microfluidic chip 1 that includes at least two layers 10 forming a stack of layers, each layer of which has at least one flow channel 14; a bore 16 extending through the layers and communicating with a plurality of flow channels; and a valve 20, which has a shaft 22 with a recess 222 in a side of the shaft for fluid to flow through. The shaft is rotatably mounted in the bore, and has a first position in which the recess is aligned with each of at least two flow channels of the plurality of flow channels thereby providing a flow path between the at least two flow channels, and a second position in which the recess is unaligned with at least one of the at least two flow channels the flow path between the at least two flow channels thereby being closed. This allows a fluid flow path between two flow channels to be open and closed by rotation of the shaft so that fluid in the microfluidic chip can be redirected to allow the chip to have greater capability and by using a minimal amount of space on the chip to do so.

The present disclosure is notably directed to a microfluidic probe head (202), or MFP head, comprising a processing surface (204) having liquid injection and liquid aspiration apertures, as well as projections (205) extending from the processing surface (204). The arrangement of injection and aspiration apertures provides for a hydrodynamic flow confinement within a processing region that is formed between the processing surface (204) and a substrate (104) or sample surface (for example, the bottom of a microtiter plate sample well (102)), typically located beneath the processing surface (204). The disclosure is further directed to related microfluidic probe devices, and methods of operation of such an MFP head, notably to deposit cells on a surface.

The present disclosure is notably directed to a microfluidic probe head, or MFP head, comprising a processing surface having a liquid injection aperture and a liquid aspiration aperture thereon. The aspiration aperture is generally shaped so as to partly extend around the injection aperture on the processing surface, although such injection apertures are not completely surrounded by the slit on the processing surface. Further, fluidic and solid barriers to aspiration are considered. The disclosure is further directed to related microfluidic probe devices, and methods of operation of such an MFP head, notably to deposit cells on a surface.