An embodiment for a microfluidic device is provided. The device comprises two areas, arranged side-by-side, and a trigger channel. They include a first area, which is delimited by a first liquid pinning barrier, and a second area, which is delimited by a second liquid pinning barrier. The latter extends parallel to the first liquid pinning barrier to delimit a corridor. The trigger channel extends through the corridor between the two areas. In addition, the trigger channel connects the first liquid pinning barrier with the second liquid pinning barrier, allowing a first liquid pinned at the first liquid pinning barrier and a second liquid pinned at the second liquid pinning barrier to be contacted, each, by a reverse flow of the second liquid in the trigger channel and thereby start mixing at a level of the corridor, in operation. The invention is further directed to related methods of operation.

An ultrasonic transmitter (95) and detector (e.g., integrated as an ultrasound transducer) utilized in a feedback control system automatically monitors and/or detects surface profile (e.g., shape) of the liquid-air interface and adjusts the flow rate of sampling liquid to ensure that experimental conditions remain consistent at the time of sample introduction during serial samplings. The feedback control can provide for automated adjustment of the surface profile of the liquid-air interface in accordance with changes in desired set point according to an experimental workflow (e.g., automated adjustment between an interface corresponding to a vortex sampling set point and an overflow cleaning set point). Improvements in desorption efficiency and quality of mass spectrometry data by degassing of the liquid solvent utilized within the sampling interfaces, and/or utilization in a feedback control system for generating data indicative of a surface profile of the liquid-air interface within the interface's sampling port may be realized.

An analytical toilet is disclosed. The toilet includes a bowl for receiving excreta, a mechanism that uses a consumable for analyzing a sample of excreta, a storage structure for storing the consumable, a sensor that detects at least one property of the consumable, and a processor that generates an alert when the property is outside a predetermined parameter. The property the sensor detects can be used to determine at least one of the identity of the consumable, the quantity or supply of the consumable, or a property related to the suitability of the consumable.

Certain types of automated medical analysis equipment are used to analyze blood or other fluids. The equipment may thus use various diluents or reagents that allow the blood or other fluids to be run through the analysis equipment for analysis and data collection. Disclosed is a diluent preparation module that combines purified water and reagent concentrate for use by this equipment. Also disclosed is a diluent preparation unit that combines more than one diluent preparation modules for redundancy and back-up purposes. Also disclosed are systems for supplying the Diluent prepared by the diluent preparation module or diluent preparation unit to one or more analytic instruments.

Described herein is a method of analyzing nutrient content in soil, the method comprising a) obtaining a soil sample, b) adding a liquid to the soil sample to form a soil slurry, c) flowing the soil slurry through a filter, whereby the filter is oriented such that the soil slurry flows downward through the filter at least partially under the effects of gravity. d) blending a reagent composition with the soil slurry to form a soil mixture, and e) measuring an absorbance of the soil mixture.

The subject disclosure provides systems, computer-implemented methods, and clinical workflows for meso-dissection of biological specimens and tissue slides by incorporating annotation and inter-marker registration modules within digital pathology imaging and meso-dissection (or milling) systems. Images of a reference slide a milling slide may be acquired using the same imaging system, with the annotations on the image associated with the milling slide being based on the inter-marker registration. Each image along with its respective annotations and meta-data may be associated with a project or a case, and stored in an image management system. A same-marker registration may be used to map annotations from the annotated image of the milling slide to a live image of the milling slide. The milling slide may be milled based on the annotations, with milled tissue output into a contained that is labeled in association with the labeled input slides.

The subject disclosure presents systems and methods for improved meso-dissection of biological specimens and tissue slides including importing one or more reference slides with annotations, using inter-marker registration algorithms to automatically map the annotations to an image of a milling slide, and dissecting the annotated tissue from the selected regions in the milling slide for analysis, while concurrently tracking the data and analysis using unique identifiers such as bar codes.

A method and system for sampling a solid sample material can include the step of mounting the sample material on a support. A sample surface is coated with a surface treatment composition in a dry deposition process. A solvent supply conduit for supplying solvent to the sample surface and a solvent exhaust conduit for withdrawing solvent from the sample surface can be provided. Solvent is flowed from the solvent supply conduit to the surface treatment composition and the sample surface such that the solvent contacts the surface treatment composition. A laser beam is directed from a laser source to the sample and the surface treatment composition. The laser beam will ablate the sample and the surface treatment composition in portions intersected by the laser beam. Ablated sample material enters the solvent liquid and will be transported with the solvent away from the sample surface through the solvent exhaust conduit.

The present invention provides a fluidic device in which solutions of different concentrations can be easily obtained. The fluidic device includes: a first substrate and a second substrate which are stacked in a thickness direction; an undiluted solution introduction flow path which has an undiluted solution introduction port and which is constituted of a groove part provided on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate; a first circulation flow path which is constituted of a groove part having an annular shape and having a shared part that shares part of a flow path with the undiluted solution introduction flow path and a non-shared part which is not shared with the undiluted solution introduction flow path and which is connected to a diluting solution introduction port; a second circulation flow path which is provided independently of the first circulation flow path and which is constituted of a groove part having an annular shape and having a shared part that shares some flow path with the undiluted solution introduction flow path and a non-shared part which is not shared with the undiluted solution introduction flow path and which is connected to a diluting solution introduction port; and/or a third circulation flow path which is constituted of a groove part having an annular shape and having a shared flow path that shares part of a flow path with the first circulation flow path and a non-shared flow path which is not shared with the first circulation flow path and which is connected to a diluting solution introduction port, wherein the undiluted solution introduction flow path includes a valve at both ends of the shared part.

A method and kit for detecting SARS-CoV-2 virus antigen present in an oropharyngeal lavage includes swishing and gargling a mouth rinse to distribute the same around the inside of the oral cavity and throughout an oropharyngeal space of the user. An absorbent end of a test stick is inserted into the oral cavity to collect liquid contents therefrom, the liquid contents including the mouth rinse and particles retrieved therefrom. The absorbent stick is removed and positioned vertically in a support stand while results are determined. Alternatively, the liquid contents are deposited from the oral cavity into a collection device, and the absorbent end of the test stick is inserted into the collection device and positioned vertically such that the test stick is retained in the collection device with the absorbent end of the test stick facing downwardly. An indicator on the test stick displays whether SARS-CoV-2 virus antigen is detected.