Disclosed herein are methods, tools, pillar plates, and tool assemblies for biomolecular analysis using microarrays that reduces the likelihood of air bubbles being trapped by the microarrays. Embodiments of the tools include two clamps that have a tool mount portion and a grasping portion. The tool mount portion is configured to engage a lifting mechanism of a plate handling robot for moving a pillar plate that include microarrays. The grasping portion is configured to freely suspend the pillar plate at an inclination of a non-zero tilt angle relative to a plane normal to the tool mount portion. Embodiments of pillar plates include two protruding edges on opposite sides of the pillar plate and a plurality of pillars with one or more affixed microarrays. Embodiments of the tool assembly include the tool and the pillar plate, wherein the protruding edges are configured to engage with the grasping portions.

An expanded polytetrafluoroethylene substrate comprising a microporous microstructure, an interlayer over at least a portion of the microstructure, the interlayer containing a reactive functionality, and a functional layer attached to the interlayer, the interlayer comprising a sol-gel coating or a polyvinylalcohol. The functional layer of the substrate having functional sites with a density of at least 50 nanomoles/cm.sup.2.

A cell capture system including an array, an inlet manifold, and an outlet manifold. The array includes a plurality of parallel pores, each pore including a chamber and a pore channel, an inlet channel fluidly connected to the chambers of the pores; an outlet channel fluidly connected to the pore channels of the pores. The inlet manifold is fluidly connected to the inlet channel, and the outlet channel is fluidly connected to the outlet channel. A cell removal tool is also disclosed, wherein the cell removal tool is configured to remove a captured cell from a pore chamber.

A method of forming a high-throughput, three-dimensional (3D) microelectrode array for in vitro electrophysiological applications includes 3D printing a well plate having a top face and bottom face. A plurality of culture well each includes a plurality of 3D printed, vertical microchannels and microtroughs communicating with the microchannels. The microtroughs and the microchannels are filled with a conductive paste to form self-isolated microelectrodes in each of the culture wells and conductive traces that communicate with the self-isolated microelectrodes.

A cell capture system including an array, an inlet manifold, and an outlet manifold. The array includes a plurality of parallel pores, each pore including a chamber and a pore channel, an inlet channel fluidly connected to the chambers of the pores; an outlet channel fluidly connected to the pore channels of the pores. The inlet manifold is fluidly connected to the inlet channel, and the outlet channel is fluidly connected to the outlet channel. A cell removal tool is also disclosed, wherein the cell removal tool is configured to remove a captured cell from a pore chamber.

A system and method for isolating and analyzing single cells, including: a substrate having a broad surface; a set of wells defined at the broad surface of the substrate, and a set of channels, defined by the wall, that fluidly couple each well to at least one adjacent well in the set of wells; and fluid delivery module defining an inlet and comprising a plate, removably coupled to the substrate, the plate defining a recessed region fluidly connected to the inlet and facing the broad surface of the substrate, the fluid delivery module comprising a cell capture mode.

An analysis device employs an analysis kit including a chip provided with a capillary through which a sample flows and a cartridge superimposed on the chip and provided with a liquid reservoir. The analysis device includes a guide-in section into which the analysis kit is guided, a placement section on which the analysis kit placed so as to be supported, a pusher member that pushes the analysis kit from one side face of the analysis kit, contact members that oppose another side face on an opposite side in the horizontal direction to the one side face of the analysis kit placed on the placement section, and contact the other side face of the analysis kit being pushed in by the pusher member so as to position the analysis kit in the horizontal direction, and a measurement member that measures a component present in the sample in the analysis kit.

The invention relates to a method for preparing a substrate (105a) comprising a sample reception area (110) and a sensing area (111). The method comprises the steps of: 1) applying a sample on the sample reception area; 2) rotating the substrate around a predetermined axis; 3) during rotation, at least part of the liquid travels from the sample reception area to the sensing area due to capillary forces acting between the liquid and the substrate; and 4) removing the wave of particles and liquid formed at one end of the substrate. The sensing area is closer to the predetermined axis than the sample reception area. The sample comprises a liquid part and particles suspended therein.

Disclosed herein are formulations, substrates, and arrays. Also disclosed herein are methods for manufacturing and methods of assuring a uniformly high quality of a microarray of features that are attached to a surface of the microarray at positionally-defined locations.

Disclosed are a microfluidic testing system and control method, and a refrigerator. The microfluidic testing system comprises a microfluidic biochip, a sample stage for placing a sample cup, and a lifting mechanism for driving the sample stage to move. The microfluidic biochip is provided with a sample inlet for receiving a sample liquid. The control method comprises: starting a lifting mechanism when a sample cup holding a sample liquid is placed on a sample stage, and controlling the lifting mechanism to move the sample stage from an initial position to a testing position where the sample liquid in the sample cup comes into contact with a sample inlet, thereby realizing sample loading of the microfluidic biochip.