Method of detecting a target nucleic acid. In an exemplary method, at least two thermal zones of different temperature may be created using a heating assembly. A first emulsion and a second emulsion may be formed. The first and second emulsions may be thermally cycled by passing them through tubing in a spaced relation to one another, with the tubing being wound around a central axis of the heating assembly and extending through each thermal zone multiple times. Thermally cycling may promote amplification of the target nucleic acid in droplets of each emulsion. Droplets of each emulsion may be passed through a detection channel located downstream of the tubing. Fluorescence may be detected from the droplets being passed through the detection channel.

Provided herein are methods, systems, and apparatus related to sensing and measuring various components in non-homogenized solutions. Also provided herein are systems for sensing a property of a solution containing one or more components. Also provided herein are methods for determining fat content in a non-homogenized solution.

A portable electronic device is operable in a particulate matter concentration mode where the portable electronic device uses a self-mixing interferometry sensor to emit a beam of coherent light from an optical resonant cavity, receive a reflection or backscatter of the beam into the optical resonant cavity, produce a self-mixing signal resulting from a reflection or backscatter of the beam of coherent light, and determine a particle velocity and/or particulate matter concentration using the self-mixing signal. The portable electronic device is also operable in an absolute distance mode where the portable electronic device determines whether or not an absolute distance determined using the self-mixing signal is outside or within a particulate sensing volume associated with the beam of coherent light. If not, the portable electronic device may determine a contamination and/or obstruction is present that may result in inaccurate particle velocity and/or particulate matter concentration determination.

A particle measurement system and method of operation thereof are described. The system and method render a characteristic for a set of particles measured while passing through a measurement volume. The system includes a source that generates a particle-laden field containing the set of particles. The system further includes a sensor that generates a raw particle data corresponding to the set particles passing through the measurement volume of the particle measurement system, where the raw particle data comprises a set of raw particle records and each of one of the raw particle records includes a particle data content. A preconditioning stage carries out a preconditioning operation on the particle data content of the set of raw particle records to render a conditioned input data. A machine learning stage processes the conditioned input data to render an output characteristic parameter value for the set of particles.

Metal oxide gel particles, may be prepared with a desired particle size, by preparing a low-temperature aqueous metal nitrate solution containing hexamethylene tetramine as a feed solution; and causing the feed solution to flow through a first tube and exit the first tube as a first stream at a first flow rate, so as to contact a high-temperature nonaqueous drive fluid. The drive fluid flows through a second tube at a second flow rate. Shear between the first stream and the drive fluid breaks the first stream into particles of the metal nitrate solution, and decomposition of hexamethylene tetramine converts metal nitrate solution particles into metal oxide gel particles. A metal oxide gel particle size is measured optically, using a sensor device directed at a flow of metal oxide gel particles within the stream of drive fluid. The sensor device measures transmission of light absorbed by either the metal oxide gel particles or the drive fluid, so that transmission of light through the drive fluid changes for a period of time as a metal oxide gel particle passes the optical sensor. If a measured particle size is not about equal to a desired particle size, the particle size may be corrected by adjusting a ratio of the first flow rate to a total flow rate, where the total flow rate is the sum of the first and second flow rates.

Metal oxide gel particles, may be prepared with a desired particle size, by preparing a low-temperature aqueous metal nitrate solution containing hexamethylene tetramine as a feed solution; and causing the feed solution to flow through a first tube and exit the first tube as a first stream at a first flow rate, so as to contact a high-temperature nonaqueous drive fluid. The drive fluid flows through a second tube at a second flow rate. Shear between the first stream and the drive fluid breaks the first stream into particles of the metal nitrate solution, and decomposition of hexamethylene tetramine converts metal nitrate solution particles into metal oxide gel particles. A metal oxide gel particle size is measured optically, using a sensor device directed at a flow of metal oxide gel particles within the stream of drive fluid. The sensor device measures transmission of light absorbed by either the metal oxide gel particles or the drive fluid, so that transmission of light through the drive fluid changes for a period of time as a metal oxide gel particle passes the optical sensor. If a measured particle size is not about equal to a desired particle size, the particle size may be corrected by adjusting a ratio of the first flow rate to a total flow rate, where the total flow rate is the sum of the first and second flow rates.

The invention provides devices that generate monodisperse droplets from a bulk liquid. The devices include a shearing mechanism, a holder for a vessel containing a liquid, and an optical system that transmit light to, and detects light from, liquid in the vessel. The invention also provides methods of using such devices to produce monodisperse droplets.

A fluid handling device according to the present invention is a fluid handling device for arranging a plurality of particles in one column while separating the particles from one another, to recover the same from a mixed solution in which the plurality of particles are collected in a surface layer or a bottom layer of a liquid. The fluid handling device according to the present invention comprises: an immersed portion for immersion in the liquid; a particle intake port opening in a surface of the immersed portion; a liquid intake port opening in a surface of the immersed portion; a particle flow passage; a liquid flow passage; a merging portion where the particle flow passage and the liquid flow passage merge; and a merged flow passage disposed downstream of the merging portion.

A microfluidic apparatus for separating a droplet of an emulsion in a microfluidic environment is described. The microfluidic apparatus includes a flow cell comprising a first microfluidic channel configured for flowing a first fluid through the flow cell and a second microfluidic channel configured for flowing a stream of a second fluid through the flow cell. The microfluidic apparatus further comprises a first electrode positioned at the first microfluidic channel and a second electrode positioned at the second microfluidic channel on an opposite side of the interface with respect to the first electrode. The first electrode, the second electrode, and the first and second microfluidic channels are configured to generate a non-uniform electric field gradient in the microfluidic apparatus.

The present invention discloses a system for detecting the concentration of non-metal particles in a fluid and detection method thereof. The detection system comprises a particle morphology detection device, a metal particle detection device, and a detection pipeline, the particle morphology detection device and the metal particle detection device being connected to each other and wound around the detection pipeline. The detection method comprises: S1, detecting the concentration of fluid particles; S2, detecting the concentration of fluid metal particles; and S3, detecting concentration of fluid non-metal particles. By means of the detection system and the detection method, the concentration of non-metal particles in a fluid can be more accurately detected, and the detection accuracy is improved.