The present invention relates to the field of microfluidics and in particular to devices and methods for sorting objects in microfluidic channels. These devices and methods allow for fast and robust sorting in two-way and multi-way setups. They also enable sorting over extended periods of time.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a particle detection device and a particle detection method that can individually and continuously detect a wide range of particles. The objective is achieved by a particle detection device including: a particle separation channel through which particles are separated according to particle sizes in a perpendicular direction to the flow of fluid; and two or more particle recovery channels that are connected to and branched from the particle separation channel, in which each of the particle recovery channels includes a particle detection unit that includes an aperture and an electric detector.

To provide a technology of optimizing a suction condition of a microparticle. The present technology provides an optimizing method of a suction condition of a microparticle including: a particle number counting step of detecting a time point when a microparticle passes through a predetermined position on a main flow path through which liquid containing the microparticle flows, sucking the microparticle from the main flow path to a microparticle suction flow path by the microparticle suction flow path with a predetermined suction force, and counting the number of microparticles sucked into the microparticle suction flow path; and a step of determining an elapsed time from passage through the predetermined position with which the suction by the microparticle suction flow path should be performed on the basis of a time from the time point when the microparticle passes through the predetermined position on the main flow path until the suction is performed and the number of counted microparticles.

To optimize an imaging range in a depth direction in terms of a relationship with a resolution, an OCT apparatus includes a signal processor that determines a reflected light intensity distribution of an imaging object on the basis of a spectrum of a detected interference light. The signal processor performs spectrum conversion, having a conversion characteristic with which a light source spectrum is converted to a Gaussian distribution curve, on the spectrum of the interference light, and determines the reflected light intensity distribution by Fourier-transforming a spectrum resulting from the spectrum conversion. In the conversion characteristic, the light source spectrum and the Gaussian distribution curve have center wavelengths differing from each other.

The disclosure provides a method of detecting heterogeneity of disease in a cancer patient comprising (a) performing a direct analysis comprising immunofluorescent staining and morphological characteristization of nucleated cells in a blood sample obtained from the patient to identify and enumerate circulating tumor cells (CTC); (b) isolating the CTCs from the sample; (c) individually characterizing genomic parameters to generate a genomic profile for each of the CTCs, and (d) determining heterogeneity of disease in the cancer patient based on the profile. In some embodiments, the cancer is prostate cancer. In some embodiments, the prostate cancer is hormone refractory.

Methods to detect contaminants in a solution and applications thereof are described. Generally, solutions are printed onto a substrate and then imaged via Raman spectroscopy, which can be utilized to detect signals derived from contaminants.

The present disclosure is related to a method of producing a microfluidic sorting apparatus. The method includes providing an injection-molded substrate comprising a network of channels; bonding an insulating film to an upper surface of the substrate to cover the network of channels; and depositing a conductive film on the insulating film. The substrate can be separated from the conductive film.

Methods of classifying flow cytometer data are provided. Methods of interest include receiving a first gate and flow cytometer data, expanding the first gate to generate a second gate, and determining sets of flow cytometer data encompassed by each of the first gate and the second gate to classify the flow cytometer data. In embodiments, methods also involve recording a subset of the classified flow cytometer data and optionally adjusting the first and/or second gates based on the recorded data. In some cases, the subject methods include sorting particles associated with the classified flow cytometer data based on the first and second gates. Systems and computer-readable storage media for practicing the invention are also provided.

A passive, hydrodynamic technique implemented using a microfluidic device to perform co-encapsulation of samples in droplets and sorting of said droplets is described herein. The hydrodynamic technique utilizes laminar flows and high shear liquid-liquid interfaces at a microfluidic junction to encapsulate samples in the droplets. A sorting mechanism is implemented to separate sample droplets from empty droplets. This technique can achieve a one-one-one encapsulation efficiency of about 80% and can significantly improve the droplet sequencing and related applications in single cell genomics and proteomics.

The multi-parameter data produced via flow cytometry and other biological analyses techniques can generate enormous amounts of data, which can take extensive time and/or computational resources to complete. Embodiments provided herein allow for adaptive sub-sampling of such data prior to analysis, allowing for such analyses to be performed while satisfying certain performance criteria. Such performance criteria may include, for example, keeping the latency of the analysis below a specified duration. This can allow analysis of data to be performed in real time as the data is generated, e.g., as flow cytometry data is generated by a cell counter or other flow cytometry instrument. This can also permit for data analyses to be iteratively developed or improved in less time by adaptively sub-sampling the data prior to re-analysis, so that the total time between iterations is reduced.