A collector device of environmental exposure is provided. This device may be used to collect and, after technical upgrade, monitor environmental exposure in personal and stationary settings. By coupling with advanced genomic analysis and chemical analysis technologies, the device and its accompanying methodology are capable of detecting environmental agents of diverse nature, many of which could pose health risks if going unaware of or uncontrolled. This type of information provides much needed clues to reconstruct and pinpoint the course of disease etiology at both personal and epidemic scales. By combining personal exposome and personal omics analyses, we can recapitulate with the intention to then prescribe treatment plans with unprecedented precision.

Disclosed herein is a low cost and rapid microfluidic based method and test device for quantifying male fertility potential. The device can simultaneously measure three critical semen parameters rapidly, namely live sperm concentration, motile sperm concentration, and sperm motility. The device includes a transparent substrate and a top sheet with two holes therethrough and an intermediate sheet sandwiched between the substrate and the top sheet. The wells formed by holes form a concentration measuring well (C) and a motility well (M) formed by the top sheet with these two holes bonded to the intermediate sheet. A colorimetric agent is located on the top surface of the intermediate sheet at the bottom of each well which changes color when in contact with sperm. In the motility well a porous membrane is located on top of the colorimetric agent and a liquid buffer may be placed on the top surface of the porous membrane. Applying part of a sperm sample to the C well results in direct contact of any live sperm with the colorimetric agent causing a color change, applying part of the sperm sample to the M well results in live sperm with sufficient motility to swim vertically down through the liquid buffer and through the porous membrane to the colorimetric agent. Evaluating the intensities of the color change of the colorimetric agents before and after contact with the sample gives a measure of total concentration of live sperm and motile sperm from which sperm motility is calculated.

Disclosed herein is a low cost and rapid microfluidic based method and test device for quantifying male fertility potential. The device can simultaneously measure three critical semen parameters rapidly, namely live sperm concentration, motile sperm concentration, and sperm motility. The device includes a transparent substrate and a top sheet with two holes therethrough and an intermediate sheet sandwiched between the substrate and the top sheet. The wells formed by holes form a concentration measuring well (C) and a motility well (M) formed by the top sheet with these two holes bonded to the intermediate sheet. A colorimetric agent is located on the top surface of the intermediate sheet at the bottom of each well which changes color when in contact with sperm. In the motility well a porous membrane is located on top of the colorimetric agent and a liquid buffer may be placed on the top surface of the porous membrane. Applying part of a sperm sample to the C well results in direct contact of any live sperm with the colorimetric agent causing a color change, applying part of the sperm sample to the M well results in live sperm with sufficient motility to swim vertically down through the liquid buffer and through the porous membrane to the colorimetric agent. Evaluating the intensities of the color change of the colorimetric agents before and after contact with the sample gives a measure of total concentration of live sperm and motile sperm from which sperm motility is calculated.

Example aspects of a collector for a seizure detection device, a seizure detection device, and a method of detecting a seizure are disclosed. The collector for a seizure detection device can comprise a collector material configured to collect volatile organic compounds given off from a patient's skin; a wrapping configured to isolate the collector material from an external environment; a heater comprising a heating element, the heating element configured to emit a thermal pulse to desorb the volatile organic compounds from the collector material; and a mesh layer configured to prevent the collector material from contacting the patient's skin, wherein the collector material is received between the wrapping and the mesh layer.

Techniques and apparatus for generating encoded representations of compounds are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may include at least one memory, and logic coupled to the at least one memory. The logic may be configured receive analytical information associated with at least one compound, generate at least one encoded representation of the at least one compound, the encoded representation comprising at least one segment representing at least one property of the at least one compound using a plurality of symbols. Other embodiments are described.

Techniques and apparatus for generating encoded representations of compounds are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may include at least one memory, and logic coupled to the at least one memory. The logic may be configured receive analytical information associated with at least one compound, generate at least one encoded representation of the at least one compound, the encoded representation comprising at least one segment representing at least one property of the at least one compound using a plurality of symbols. Other embodiments are described.

This invention relates to a micro-device for detecting volatile compounds comprising: an input (E) and an output (S); collection means (2) for taking a gas sample containing at least one compound to be detected; sampling means enabling a gas volume of 100 mL or less to be sampled, arranged after the collection means; injection means (3) of said gas sample; separation means (5) of the compound to be detected in the gas sample; compound detection means (6); and a gas circulation circuit (1) located downstream of the collection means and passing through the sampling means, injection means (3), separation means (5) and detection means (6);
characterized in that the gas circulation circuit (1) has a volume of between 0.2 cm.sup.3 and 2.0 cm.sup.3.

An odor analysis system is provided to analyze odors present at a particular location and perform a preliminary identification of the odors while still at the location. The odor analysis system can have an odor processing device that collects samples of the odors and provides a series of odor notes to a user. The odor notes can be based on the separated and concentrated molecules in the collected sample. The odor analysis system can also include a hand-held computing device with a user interface that permits the user to enter information, both verbally and through touch input, about the series of odor notes provided by the odor processing device. The information entered by the user about the series of odor notes along with retention index information about the series of odor notes can be to perform a preliminarily identification of the molecules associated with the odors present at the location.

Provided are methods of preparing, detecting, and/or assaying an analyte of interest from a sample. The methods utilize functionalized silicon membranes, such as, for example, functionalized silicon nanomembranes. Samples that can be used in the methods may be biological samples, food samples, environmental samples, industrial samples, or a combination thereof. Also provided are kits to perform methods of the present disclosure.

The present invention relates to a device and a method for dynamic fractionation of a dispersed phase in a fluid. The device comprises a fractionation channel and from a first to a third injection ports. A first and a second confining fluids are injectable through the first and second injection ports, respectively. An elution fluid for transporting the dispersed phase is injectable into the channel through a third injection port which is arranged between the first and second injection ports. An end portion of the channel comprises from a first to a third terminal portion respectively arranged in correspondence to the first to the third injection ports and having a geometry such that the first and second confining fluids respectively have a first and second predefined flow rate and the elution fluid have a third predefined flow rate which is larger than the first and second predefined flow rates.