G01K17/006

Device and method for detecting a target analyte

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a calorimeter for detecting the presence of a target analyte in a fluid sample. The calorimeter can include a support structure, a hermetically-sealed, thermally decoupled central reaction zone associated with the support structure, at least one droplet transport region, and detection electronics. The at least one droplet transport region can be associated with the support structure and configured to merge a reagent droplet with a sample droplet including the fluid sample to form a reaction droplet in the central reaction zone. The detection electronics can be in electrical and/or thermal communication with the central reaction zone and associated with the support structure. The calorimeter can be configured to detect a heat of reaction produced by a reaction event between the target analyte and a capture reagent upon formation of the reaction droplet.

Nanostructure sensors and sensing systems

Various sensors and arrays of sensors that utilize nanostructures or carbon structures, such as nanotubes, nanotube meshes, or graphene sheets, are disclosed. In some arrangements, at least a pair of contacts are electrically coupled with a given nanostructure or carbon structure to sense a change.

Stage-type fast scanning calorimetry which can be integrated with other structure characterization approaches

A cooling-heating stage-type fast scanning calorimeter capable of being integrated with other microscopic structure characterization techniques. The cooling-heating stage-type fast scanning calorimeter includes a sample chamber provided with light transmission and reflection transparent windows on the walls thereof, a cooling-heating stage provided with internal heating elements and coolant channels for temperature control and also provided with a transmission hole, a sample chamber temperature control system and a fast calorimetric system. The cooling-heating stage-type fast scanning calorimeter has the advantages that the fast calorimetric system with heating/cooling rates is miniaturized into the cooling-heating stage, and reflection and transmission windows as well as the transmission hole of the cooling-heating stage are used for in-situ integration of calorimetry and microscopic structure characterization; and through program-controlled rapid response, dynamic compensation of sample temperature disturbances caused by incident light in structure measurement is achieved, and sample temperature is stabilized, thus facilitating precise isothermal research.

Layered structures on thin substrates

A thin substrate has a layered structure on one surface, and can also have a layered structure on the other. Each layered structure can include a part of at least one patterned layer that, if patterned by photolithography, would frequently result in damage to the substrate due to fragility. For example, the substrate could be a 3 mil (76.2 m) or thinner polyimide film and one patterned layer could be a semiconductor material such as vanadium oxide, while another could be metal in electrical contact with semiconductor material. The layer part, however, can be patterned by a printing operation or can include a printed patterned artifact such as an uneven boundary or an alignment. The printing operation can be direct printing or printing of a mask for etching or liftoff or both. The layered structure can include an array of cells, each with layer parts on each substrate surface.

Automatic isothermal titration microcalorimeter apparatus and method of use

Automated isothermal titration micro calorimetry (ITC) system comprising a micro calorimeter with a sample cell and a reference cell, the sample cell is accessible via a sample cell stem and the reference cell is accessible via a reference cell stem. The system further comprises an automatic pipette assembly comprising a syringe with a titration needle arranged to be inserted into the sample cell for supplying titrant, the pipette assembly comprises an activator for driving a plunger in the syringe, a pipette translation unit supporting the pipette assembly and being arranged to place pipette in position for titration, washing and filling operations, a wash station for the titrant needle, and a cell preparation unit arranged to perform operations for replacing the sample liquid in the sample cell when the pipette is placed in another position than the position for titration.

BIOCHEMICAL SENSING USING MICROBUBBLES ON A CHIP USING WHISPERING GALLERY MODE RESONANCE
20180180580 · 2018-06-28 ·

A sensing and analysis system on a chip for sensing and analyzing chemical or biological analytes includes a chromatography column having an inlet and an outlet formed on the chip for temporal separation of components of analytes and at least one whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical resonator for sensing of the components. The chromatography column is formed on a first wafer layer. Each WGM optical resonator includes a hollow sealed enclosure formed at or over the inlet or the outlet of or elsewhere along the chromatography column such that a gas flowing through the chromatography column fills the hollow sealed enclosure. Each WGM optical resonator further includes an optical waveguide aligned with the sealed hollow enclosure for evanescent wave light coupling.

STOP-START METHOD IN A MICROFLUIDIC CALORIMETER
20180128693 · 2018-05-10 ·

A method for calorimetry includes flowing a first fluid through a co-flow reactor microchannel having plural inlets and an outlet, the first fluid flowing through each of the inlets, and measuring transmission of light through a Nano Hole Array (NHA) sensor to obtain a baseline extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) measurement. The flow of the first fluid is stopped, the microchannel is emptied of the first fluid, and the first fluid and a second fluid are passed through the microchannel such that a reaction occurs, the first fluid flowing through a first of the inlets and the second fluid flowing through a second of the inlets. While flowing the first and second fluids, transmission of light through the NHA sensor is measured to obtain a reaction EOT measurement. A calorimetry measurement, indicative of energy released during the reaction, is calculated as a function of the baseline and reaction EOT measurements.

THERMOCHROMIC SENSING FOR NANOCALORIMETRY
20170191881 · 2017-07-06 ·

A nanocalorimeter device includes a substrate having test cells, each test cell comprising a sample location. Each sample location includes a reaction surface suitable for an enthalpic reaction of constituents of liquid droplets, droplet movement and configured to merge the droplets, and a layer of thermochromic material thermally coupled to the reaction surface. The thermochromic material is configured to exhibit a spectral shift in light emanating from the thermochromic material in response to a change in temperature of the merged droplets.

Laser heating single-sensor fast scanning calorimeter

The present invention discloses a laser heating single-sensor fast scanning calorimeter, which comprises an FSC sample chamber, a chip sensor positioned in the FSC sample chamber and used for loading a sample, a laser heater for heating the sample, an infrared camera for shooting a sample image, a communication terminal and a control electronic element, wherein a perspective window serving as a light path channel is arranged in a center of the FSC sample chamber, and the laser heater and the infrared camera are positioned at the top of the perspective window; the infrared camera is connected with the communication terminal; one end of the control electronic element is connected with the communication terminal, and the other end of the control electronic element is connected with the laser heater and the chip sensor.

VISUALIZATION AND MANIPULATION OF MICRO-SCALE CALORIMETER CHAMBER DATA MATRICES

A method for microscale calorimeter chamber data manipulation and visualization includes receiving a dataset from a microscale calorimeter chamber. The dataset is indicative of heat release rates for a test material as a function of a temperature applied by the microscale calorimeter chamber to the test material. The method further includes generating a baseline for correcting the heat release rates for the test material based on a selected temperature interval of the dataset. The method also includes generating a modified dataset that includes modified heat release rate values for the test material based on the baseline. The method includes generating a graphical user interface and displaying, via the graphical user interface, a graphical depiction of the modified dataset.