This disclosure is directed to a device and a system for picking a target analyte of a suspension. A picker introduces at least one force, such as by a magnetic gradient and/or by a pressure gradient, to extract the target analyte from a sample.

A MEMS-based particle manipulation system which uses a particle manipulation stage and optical confirmation of the manipulation. The optical confirmation may be camera-based, and may be used to assess the effectiveness or accuracy of the particle manipulation stage. In one exemplary embodiment, the particle manipulation stage is a microfabricated, fluid valve, which sorts a target particle from non-target particles in a fluid stream. The optical confirmation stage is disposed in the microfabricated fluid channels at the input and output of the microfabricated sorting valve. Deep learning techniques are brought to bear on the camera output to increase speed, accuracy and reliability.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can include a method comprising: providing a plurality of cells to a microchannel, the microchannel coated in at least one cell adhesion entity and comprising a compressive surface and a first outlet, the compressive surface defining a compression gap, flowing the plurality of cells through the microchannel, wherein the flowing comprises: compressing the plurality of cells underneath the compressive surface; and exposing the plurality of cells to the at least one cell adhesion entity, wherein the exposing causes a first portion of the cells having a first adhesion property to temporarily bind to the cell adhesion entity; and collecting the first portion of cells at the first outlet; wherein the compression gap has a height of from 75% to 95% an average diameter of the plurality of cells.

A method for separating particles in a biofluid includes pretreating the biofluid by introducing an additive, flowing the pretreated biofluid through a microfluidic separation channel, and applying acoustic energy to the microfluidic separation channel. A system for microfluidic separation, capable of separating target particles from non-target particles in a biofluid includes at least one microfluidic separation channel, a source of biofluid, a source of additive, and at least one acoustic transducer coupled to the microfluidic separation channel. A kit for microfluidic particle separation includes a microfluidic separation channel connected to an acoustic transducer, a source of an additive, and instructions for use.

Particle processing systems and methods utilize a sort monitoring system to monitor an operational characteristic for a particle sorting system. The operational characteristic may be related to the performance and operation of a sorter or a group of sorters in the particle sorting system. The operational characteristic may be monitored based on monitoring particles for an output of a sorter or of a group of sorters. Operational characteristics which may be monitored include sort error, sort fraction, yield, purity and recovery percentage. The sort monitoring system may evaluate the monitored operational characteristic, for example, as related to sort performance, and take an action, for example, a corrective action or a notifying action, based on the evaluation of the operational characteristic.

A microfluidic device comprises at least one inlet for receiving a sample comprising target cells and non-target cells; a first spiral channel portion having an upstream end in a central region and a downstream end in a peripheral region, the upstream end being coupled to the inlet, the first spiral channel portion being configured such that the target cells and the non-target cells occupy different streams at the downstream end; a first waste outlet arranged to couple with streams of non-target cells at the downstream end of the first spiral channel portion; a link channel portion arranged to couple with streams of target cells at the downstream end of the first spiral channel portion; a second spiral channel portion having an upstream end in a peripheral region and a downstream end in a central region, the upstream end of the second channel portion being coupled to the link channel portion, the second spiral channel portion being configured such that the target cells and the non-target cells occupy different streams at the downstream end; a second waste outlet arranged to couple with streams of non-target cells at the downstream end of the second spiral channel portion; and a sample outlet arranged to couple with streams of target cells at the downstream end of the second spiral channel portion.

The invention relates to a nozzle for flow cytometry, the housing of which is tapering towards an outlet and in which a feed tube is arranged for a core flow liquid, the outlet opening of which is arranged at a distance from the outlet of the housing. The outlet of the housing forms the outlet of the nozzle. The housing of the nozzle extends from its outlet, which is arranged at its first end to its opposite second end, and has an inlet for a sheath flow liquid connected with the internal volume. The nozzle is characterized in that in the housing a leading element that promotes the alignment of particles extends from both sides of the feed tube.

Disclosed herein are microfluidic actuators for selecting objects in a fluid stream comprising a plurality of objects. In some embodiments, the actuator comprises an object detection means adapted for, upon arrival of an object, identifying whether an object is an object of interest. It further comprises a heater adapted for generating a jet flow for deflecting an object of interest from the fluid stream and a controller for activating the heater as function of the detection of an object of interest using a nucleation signal. The controller is adapted for obtaining temperature information of the heater and for adjusting a nucleation signal for the heater taking into account the obtained temperature information. Also disclosed are microfluidic systems and diagnostic devices comprising the microfluidic actuators of the disclosure, as well as methods of use thereof.

A method for performing contactless ODEP for separation of CTCs is provided with the steps of obtaining patients' blood with rare cell suspected CTCs; adding at least one fluorescent antibody binding to CTCs into the blood; staining the blood; injecting the stained blood with fluorescent dye into an ODEP device and then performing fluorescent image identification; trapping the CTCs with at least one fluorescent antibody in the ODEP device by creating an image pattern and then generating an ODEP force; Separating the trapped CTCs from other non-CTCs cells; absorbing the trapped CTCs; and obtaining a high purity of CTCs. An apparatus for performing contactless ODEP for separation of CTCs is also provided.

The present disclosure provides devices, kits, and methods for focusing/enriching and/or separating/sorting submicron size particles, including biological entities such as exosomes and other submicron size extracellular vesicles. Devices, kits, and methods of the present disclosure utilize ferrohydrodynamic manipulation to focus populations of submicron particles into a stream for enrichment and/or further sort various sub-populations of submicron particles based on size differences.