Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to analyte detection and products facilitating the collection, separation of sample components, and analyte detection. The multilayer device that allows for a rapid, easy, accurate, and efficient test of a fluid sample for analytes of interest and methods of collecting, separating components, and testing using the multilayer device are described in various embodiments of the invention.

Disclosed herein, inter alia, are devices and methods for transfer and analyses of tissue sections using carrier substrates.

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 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.

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 cutting tool is shown for cutting, handling and then ejecting disks of material cut from a sheet or like material, the tool comprising: a body having a proximal end adapted to be rotatably driven about an axis, and having a distal end including a generally cylindrical cutting portion rotatable about said axis for cutting and receiving said disks; an ejector slideable parallel with the axis and within said cylindrical cutting portion for ejecting the received cut disks; and a grip rotatably mounted to the body such that the grip can be held without substantial rotation while the body is rotated said grip being operable to cause said sliding of the ejector and for ejecting the disks.

Provided are devices and methods for sample collection and processing. A tubular body has a chamber closed at a first end by a thin penetrable barrier and open at a second end opposite the first end. The tubular body further includes a partition that divides the chamber into two adjacent compartments, wherein a first compartment of the two adjacent compartments has the partition facing opposite the open end of the chamber and a second compartment of the two adjacent compartments has the partition facing opposite the closed end of the chamber. The partition has one or more holes to allow passage of fluid from the first compartment into the second compartment. A tracking identification may be permanently affixed to the first end of the tubular body.

Apparatuses and methods for cutting a sample piece, having a shape and an outer dimension, out of a porous substrate, comprising: a puncher having an outermost dimension at a punch head; a stripping sleeve; a die having an innermost dimension that is larger than the outermost dimension of the punch head; and a fixture that holds the die in a fixed position relative to the puncher and stripping sleeve.

Specimen collection slides, methods of fabricating and methods of utilizing such specimen collection slides whereby each specimen collection slide includes a top rigid layer with an opening, a bottom rigid layer with an opening substantially the same size as the top layer opening, a middle rigid section having an opening larger than the openings in both the top and bottom layers, and a filtration media residing within the opening in the middle section. The top, bottom and middle are secured together to provide the resultant slide with thickness and rigidity that lends the slide to be utilized in automated handling processes and instruments. The middle section of the slide encases the filtration media and sandwiches it between the top and bottom layers so that the filtration media is protected from damage. Each slide may have its own unique identifier.

Disclosed herein, inter alia, are compositions and methods for efficient transfer and analyses of cellular material, tissue samples, such as tissue sections, using carrier substrates.