A disposable cartridge for mitigating cross-contamination of fluid sample reagents. The disposable cartridge includes a cartridge body defining a syringe barrel having an barrel port operative to inject and withdraw assay fluids in response to the displacement of a syringe plunger. Furthermore, the disposable cartridge includes a rotor defining a plurality of assay chambers in fluid communication with the barrel port through one of a plurality of rotor ports disposed about the periphery of the rotor. Finally, the disposable cartridge includes a flow control system between the barrel and rotor ports which prevents cross-contamination of fluid sample reagents from one assay chamber to another assay chamber.

An analyzing system is provided. The analyzing system includes a fluid container defining a sample chamber where a sample is contained in the sample chamber, and a sensor including a transparent body with a reverse face and an obverse face where the obverse face having a nanostructured surface. The nanostructured surface includes a plurality of elongate nanostructures having a respective longitudinal axis that is disposed substantially perpendicularly to the obverse face. The analyzing system includes an excitation and detection apparatus that includes an excitation source for generating a beam of polarized radiation and a corresponding radiation detector where the sensor is coupled to the fluid container such that the nanostructured surface is exposed to the sample chamber, to the sample located therein.

The invention relates to a device and a system comprising the device for bunching of sample particles. The device comprises a body, a fluid channel extending through the body, an acoustic wave guide embedded in the body, and an acoustic wave condenser embedded in the body. The fluid channel forms a fluid path the body, such that the fluid channel is configured to guide a flow of a sample fluid, in which sample particles are distributed, through the fluid channel along the fluid path. The wave guide is configured to guide an acoustic reference wave to an application region of the fluid channel. The wave condenser is configured to generate a standing acoustic wave in the application region from the reference wave for bunching the particles.

Disclosed are methods, materials and devices for approximation of blood volume in a fluid, such as in a biological fluid collected during a surgical procedure. The method and devices may include the use of an RBC flocculant, for example polyDADMAC, and an approximate blood hematocrit from the type of animal blood being evaluated, as well as a calculated RBC packing ratio corresponding to the collection device being used. Also provided is a Blood Indicator Panel (BIP), comprising a series of markings calculated from an observed red blood settlement volume, the average animal blood hematocrit, and a calculated RBC packing ratio “n” value for the collection device. A collection device with a BIP is disclosed. Pediatric (about 200 ml or 250 ml size container), adult human (about 1,000 ml -1,500 ml) and veterinary (about 500 ml - 2,500 ml) collection containers are also disclosed, that include a RBC flocculant, for use in approximating blood volume in a fluid.

Filtration apparatuses, kits, and methods for rapid isolation of intact, viable mitochondria from tissues are described with mitochondria isolated by differential filtration through nylon mesh filters. Mitochondria can be isolated in less than 30 minutes using the filtration apparatuses, kits, and methods described.

Methods and kits for isolation of cell-derived vesicles and their associated macromolecules like nucleic acids, proteins, lipids metabolites etc. from one or more blood, serum, plasma, saliva, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, breast milk, tear, conditioned culture media etc. to assist detection, prevention, and understanding of disease biology. The invention offers various advantages including simple technical solutions which are cost-effective, time-saving and scalable for large industrial outputs.

Microscale and/or mesoscale condenser arrays that can facilitate microfluidic separation and/or purification of mesoscale and/or nanoscale particles and methods of operation are described herein. An apparatus comprises a condenser array comprising pillars arranged in a plurality of columns, wherein a pillar gap greater than or equal to about 0.5 micrometers is located between a first pillar of the pillars in a first column of the columns and a second pillar of the plurality of pillars in the first column, and wherein the first pillar is adjacent to the second pillar. The first ratio can be characterized by D.sub.x/D.sub.y is less than or equal to a first defined value, wherein D.sub.x represents a first distance across the lattice in a first direction, wherein D.sub.y represents a second distance across the lattice in a second direction, and wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction.

A method is provided that includes introducing a fluid sample (19) into a fluid container (2, 502, 702) of a filtration assembly (20, 500, 720) and passing the fluid sample (19) through a porous filter (5, 705) by distally advancing a plunger (3, 610, 703) within the fluid container (2, 502, 702), thereby capturing, on or within the porous filter (5, 705) at least a portion of any particulate present in the fluid sample (19). Thereafter, a cavity (28, 628, 728) is created within the fluid container (2, 502, 702) between a distal end of the plunger and a distal end (49, 549, 749) of the fluid container (2, 502, 702) by proximally partially withdrawing the plunger (3, 610, 703) within the fluid container (2, 502, 702), while one or more vacuum-prevention openings (11, 711) are open. An extraction liquid (30) is prepared by introducing one or more extraction reagents (29) into the cavity (28, 628, 728) and bathing the porous filter (5, 705). The extraction liquid (30) is tested for the presence of a biological target. Other embodiments are also described.

A method of acoustophoresis using selection particles that alter acoustic response is provided. The method can include selecting a set of selection particles based on surface markers of a plurality of target particles to be separated using acoustophoresis. The method can include incubating the set of selection particles with the plurality of target particles in a solution such that the set of selection particles bind with the surface markers on the plurality of target particles to create a plurality of bound particles. The method can include providing the plurality of bound particles to an acoustophoresis device tuned to separate the particles based on a net acoustic contrast between each of the plurality of bound particles. The method can include receiving a plurality of output streams from the acoustophoresis device that each include a respective bound particle of the plurality of bound particles.

Two methods for quantifying fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (“FDP”) in a blood sample. The first method features obtaining a blood sample from a non-human animal, centrifuging the blood sample to obtain a first supernatant and collecting the first supernatant, centrifuging the first supernatant to obtain a second supernatant and collecting the second supernatant, diluting the second supernatant, contacting the diluted second supernatant with a reagent that contains antibodies specifically binding to FDP, and detecting an amount of antibodies specifically bound to FDP, thereby quantifying FDP in the blood sample. The second method requires subjecting the diluted second supernatant to a quantitative immunoassay that specifically detects FDP to quantify the amount of FDP in the non-human blood sample.