A method is provided for testing for presence of a particulate selected from the group consisting of: a microorganism, a fungus, a bacteria, a spore, a virus, a mite, a biological cell, a biological antigen, a protein, a protein antigen, and a carbohydrate antigen. The method includes (a) collecting, in a tube (22), fluid that potentially contains the particulate, (b) using a plunger (24) to push the fluid through a filter (26) disposed at a distal portion of the tube or at a distal end of the plunger, and subsequently, (c) while the filter is inside the tube, ascertaining if any of the particulate was trapped by the filter by applying a particulate-presence-testing-facilitation solution to the filter. Other embodiments are also described.

A method is provided for testing for presence of a particulate selected from the group consisting of: a microorganism, a fungus, a bacteria, a spore, a virus, a mite, a biological cell, a biological antigen, a protein, a protein antigen, and a carbohydrate antigen. The method includes (a) collecting, in a tube (22), fluid that potentially contains the particulate, (b) using a plunger (24) to push the fluid through a filter (26) disposed at a distal portion of the tube or at a distal end of the plunger, and subsequently, (c) while the filter is inside the tube, ascertaining if any of the particulate was trapped by the filter by applying a particulate-presence-testing-facilitation solution to the filter. Other embodiments are also described.

A system and method for automated single cell capture and processing is described, where the system includes a deck supporting and positioning a set of sample processing elements; a gantry for actuating tools for interactions with the set of sample processing elements supported by the deck; and a base supporting various processing subsystems and a control subsystems in communication with the processing subsystems. The system can automatically execute workflows associated with single cell processing, including mRNA capture, cDNA synthesis, protein-associated assays, and library preparation, for next generation sequencing.

A temperature control device (2) comprises a number of active thermal sites (6) disposed at respective locations on a substrate (10), each comprising a heating element (13) for applying a variable amount of heat to a corresponding site of a medium and a thermal insulation layer (16) disposed between the heating element and the substrate. At least one passive thermal region (8) is disposed between the active thermal sites (6) on the substrate (10), each passive thermal region (8) comprising a thermal conduction layer (18) for conducting heat from a corresponding portion of the medium to the substrate (10). The thermal conduction layer (18) has a lower thermal resistance in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the substrate (10) than the thermal insulation layer (16). This enables precise control over both heating and cooling of individual sites in a flowing fluid, for example.

An example system includes an array of retaining features in a microfluidic cavity, an array of thermally controlled releasing features, and a controller coupled to each releasing feature in the array of releasing feature. Each retaining feature in the array of retaining features is to position capsules at a predetermined location, the capsules having a thermally degradable shell enclosing a biological reagent therein. Each releasing feature in the array of releasing features corresponds to a retaining feature and is to selectively cause degradation of the shell of a capsule. Each releasing feature is to generate thermal energy to facilitate degradation of the shell. The controller is to selectively activate at least one releasing feature in the array of thermally controlled releasing features to release the biological reagent in the capsules positioned at the retaining feature corresponding to the activated releasing feature.

An apparatus for gene amplification includes a gene amplification chip including a well configured to accept a sample that is loaded into the well; the gene amplification chip being configured to: thermally dissolve the sample in the well so that a microbe present in the sample is thermally dissolved in the well to release genes in the microbe; and amplify the released genes in the well. The apparatus for gene amplification also includes a temperature controller configured to control a thermal dissolution temperature and a gene amplification temperature of the well.

Disclosed is a method of performing a non-isothermal nucleic acid amplification reaction, wherein the temperature at which the method is performed is non-isothermal and subject to a reduction of at least 2° C. during amplification process steps. The present invention provides an improved nucleic acid amplification technique having one or more advantages over existing techniques including, for example, decreased reaction time, increased yield, and decreased non-specific amplification products.

Systems and methods for conducting designated reactions utilizing a base instrument and a removable cartridge. The removable cartridge includes a fluidic network that receives and fluidically directs a biological sample to conduct the designated reactions. The removable cartridge also includes a flow-control valve that is operably coupled to the fluidic network and is movable relative to the fluidic network to control flow of the biological sample therethrough. The removable cartridge is configured to separably engage a base instrument. The base instrument includes a valve actuator that engages the flow-control valve of the removable cartridge. A detection assembly held by at least one of the removable cartridge or the base instrument may be used to detect the designated reactions.

A nucleic acid amplification method includes a step of heating a first region of a container housing a droplet containing a target nucleic acid and a sample necessary for amplification of the target nucleic acid to a denaturation temperature of the target nucleic acid and heating a second region different from the first region to a synthesis temperature of the target nucleic acid, and an amplification step of repeating a cycle through a denaturation stage at which the droplet housed in the container is moved to and retained in the first region and a synthesis stage at which the droplet is moved to and retained in the second region at a plurality of times. At the amplification step, periods of part of cycles of the plurality of cycles are made shorter than periods of the other cycles.

A data receiver thread is continuously executed to receive in which signals indicating a fluid parameter. A predetermined time quantity of the signals is repeatedly buffered. Upon completion of the buffering of each predetermined time quantity of the signals, a data processing thread is initiated that executes on the just completed buffered predetermined time quantity of signals. Upon completion of each data processing thread, data from the just completed data processing thread is passed to a data plotting thread. Results of the data plotting thread are displayed on a portable electronic device while the data receiver thread is being executed.