Methods are provided for the preparation of a sample using a digital microfluidic platform and the optional subsequent mass analysis of an extracted analyte. A sample is dried, optionally on a solid phase support, and contacted with digital microfluidic array. An analyte present within the dried sample is extracted into an extraction solvent by electrically addressing the digital microfluidic array to transport a droplet of extraction solvent to the dried sample spot. The extracted sample may be dried and subsequently processed on the digital micro fluidic array for derivatization. The digital microfluidic device may further include an integrated microfluidic channel having an output aperture, and the method may further include contacting a droplet containing extracted analyte with the microfluidic channel and applying a suitable electric field for generating nano-electrospray, thereby enabling the device to be directly interacted with a mass analysis device.

The present invention is related to a cutting system. It is further related to a system for obtaining a sample of plant material and method. Such a system can for instance be used for DNA analysis as part of a plant breeding program. According to the invention, the cutting system comprises a cutting device having a hollow cutting element having a cutting edge facing a leaf of a plant to be sampled, a drive unit for rotating said cutting element about a longitudinal axis of said cutting element to cut through the leaf, and a gas flow direction unit for applying a suction force through the hollow cutting element. The cutting system further comprises a control unit for controlling the drive unit and the gas flow direction unit. According to the invention, the hollow cutting element is elongated and the control unit is configured to control the gas flow direction unit and the drive unit such that said suction force is applied during said cutting through the leaf, and preferably at least prior to said cutting through the leaf.

The invention relates to a method for detecting an analyte present in a liquid specimen, characterized in that it comprises steps of: injecting said liquid specimen into a detection chamber (23), said detection chamber (23) having a non-zero volume enclosing polymeric beads (25) covered with a reagent suitable for said analyte to be detected, capturing at least one image of at least one region of the detection chamber using a sensor (30), processing said image acquired by the sensor, this comprising determining a texture level of said acquired image, and determining a concentration of said analyte depending on the texture level determined for said image.

A device for cutting off one or more sample regions from a sample carrier that contains impregnated sample material, e.g. blood, is described. The device includes: a cutting unit (103) for cutting off the one or more sample regions from the sample carrier, an optical imaging unit (101) for producing an electronic image of the sample carrier, and a processor (102) for controlling a display screen (108) to display the image (104) and one or more indicators (105, 105) each expressing the location of one sample region to be cut off. Thus, an operator of the device is enabled to monitor, without direct visual communication to the sample carrier, what region or regions of the sample carrier is/are to be cut off. As no direct visual communication with the sample carrier is needed, the working ergonomics of the operator can be improved.

A sample support has an absorbent membrane layer which is based on a nonwoven polyolefin and which has at least one take-up region with dried blood constituents. It moreover has a film layer based on a plastic, where the film layer has received antistatic pretreatment. The membrane layer and the film layer have been connected to one another mechanically in one subregion of the sample support. but the layers have moreover not been connected to one another mechanically in the take-up region. It is preferable that, when the sample support is placed onto a uniformly level surface the membrane layer covers the film layer at least in the take-up region.

Disclosed herein is a preprocessing apparatus that makes it possible to highly efficiently analyze specimens held by solid media, such as dried blood spots to be used for newborn mass screening or the like. The preprocessing apparatus includes: a preprocessing container setting part in which a preprocessing container containing a solid sample including a specimen to be analyzed and a solid medium holding the specimen is to be set; a carrying mechanism that carries the preprocessing container set in the preprocessing container setting part; and a preprocessing part that has a port for setting the preprocessing container carried by the carrying mechanism and that is configured to perform preprocessing including extraction processing for extracting the specimen from the solid sample contained in the preprocessing container set in the port.

A device for managing a sample to be analyzed comprises magnetizing equipment (302) for producing magnetic field capable of interacting, when the sample is moving to or located in a sample well, with magnetically amplifying material attached to the sample, where the magnetically amplifying material has relative magnetic permeability constant greater than one. With the aid of the magnetizing element the movement of the sample to the sample well and/or the position of the sample in the sample well can be monitored and/or controlled. The device can be, for example but not necessarily, an instrument for dispensing samples to sample wells or an optical measurement instrument.

A sampling device having a lower portion with a sample container. A cap is moveably attached with the lower portion and includes a cutting edge configured for cutting a leaf. When the cap is attached to the lower portion with a leaf there between, a leaf sample is deposited into the sample container of the lower portion. The cap includes a vent in fluid communication with the sample container such that the leaf sample is dried. A detachable label can extend from the lower portion.

A sampling device having a lower portion with a sample container. A cap is moveably attached with the lower portion and includes a cutting edge configured for cutting a leaf. When the cap is attached to the lower portion with a leaf there between, a leaf sample is deposited into the sample container of the lower portion. The cap includes a vent in fluid communication with the sample container such that the leaf sample is dried. A detachable label can extend from the lower portion.

An extraction portion which is a piece of a micro sampling chip is safely cut, and the cut extraction portion can be accommodated in a predetermined container without impairing quantitativeness of a sample.

A sample extraction tool comprises a through hole for cutting the extraction portion from the micro sampling chip by bending the micro sampling chip while inserting the extraction portion to the through hole, the sample extraction tool is configured to be attached to an upper portion of a container for accommodating the extraction portion in such a state that the through hole is disposed on an open upper surface of the container.