Disclosed are devices and methods useful for confined-channel digital microfluidics that combine high-throughput droplet generators with digital microfluidic for droplet manipulation. The present disclosure also provides an off-chip sensing system for droplet tracking.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the detection of optical emission from individual members of a sample of micro-organisms where the flow is focused in a specific region, comprising an optical device including a light source configured to emit light in a first direction to individual members of the sample and a detection device configured to detect in a field of view optical emission from the individual members emitted in a second direction opposite to the first direction and excited by the light emitted by the light source and a fluid device including a storage reservoir configured to store the sample of micro-organisms, a pumping device, in particular, a circulation pump capable of producing different pulsed pressures to affect the flow configured to circulate the sample of micro organisms in the storage reservoir and wherein a capillary channel is arranged in the storage reservoir configured to allow a flow of individual members of the sample such that one individual member only is present in the field of view of the detection device at a given time of detection of the optical emission.

The invention relates to a method for ordering, sorting and/or focusing particles in a first microfluidic channel system, the method comprising the steps of i) providing for a first microfluidic channel comprising at least a first and a second inlet and a first outlet, ii) injecting a first fluid into the channel through said first inlet, iii) injecting a second fluid into the channel through said second inlet, wherein the viscosity of the first fluid is higher than the viscosity of the second fluid, such that the two fluids flow in a laminar fashion unmixed side by side, and one of the two fluids comprises the particles to be ordered, sorted and/or focused. The invention also relates to a microfluidic channel system for sorting different particles into one droplet.

A microfluidic system configured to focus particles suspended in a fluid. One general aspect includes a microfluidic system comprising one or more substrates and a focusing channel formed in the one or more substrates and spanning a length from an inlet to an outlet for receiving a flow of particles suspended in fluid, wherein the particles have a diameter (a) and the focusing channel has a hydraulic diameter (dh).

A disposable injection moulded flow cell or cuvette for use in flow cytometer for in vitro assaying of human or animal whole blood and to an investigation method using the flow cytometer. The present disclosure provides a cuvette for use in an optical flow cytometer, comprising a cuboid sheath preparation area, a curved sample injection area with a rectangular cross section, a pyramidal shaped flow formation area, and a sample injector which is arranged in the transition area from the cuboid sheath preparation area to the curved sample injection area.

For analyzing a sample containing particles of at least two categories, such as a sample containing blood cells, a particle counter subject to a detection limit is coupled with an analyzer capable of discerning particle number ratios, such as a visual analyzer, and a processor. A first category of particles can be present beyond detection range limits while a second category of particles is present within respective detection range limits. The concentration of the second category of particles is determined by the particle counter. A ratio of counts of the first category to the second category is determined on the analyzer. The concentration of particles in the first category is calculated on the processor based on the ratio and the count or concentration of particles in the second category.

A microchip is provided, which includes a substrate including a fluid channel structure. The fluid channel structure includes a first fluid introduction channel and a second fluid introduction channel configured to meet so as to allow merging of a first fluid introduced from the first fluid introduction channel and a second fluid introduced from the second fluid introduction channel. A tapered portion is configured to be positioned after merging the first fluid and the second fluid so as to suppress a spiral flow field generated after the merging.

A cell observation system observes a cell moving in a flow path with a fluid, and includes a first imaging apparatus, a second imaging apparatus, and a control device. The first imaging apparatus includes a first optical system and a first imaging element, and captures an image of the cell at a first position in a moving direction. The second imaging apparatus includes a second optical system, in which a focus is adjusted based on a focus adjustment signal, and a second imaging element, and captures an image of the cell at a second position downstream of the first position. The control device obtains a passing position of the cell in a cross section of the flow path based on the image obtained by the first imaging element, generates the focus adjustment signal, and provides the signal to the second optical system.

A method of inseminating an animal including flowing a stream of a population of sperm cells through a channel, differentiating the sperm cells into two subpopulations of X-chromosome containing sperm cells and Y-chromosome containing sperm cells, selecting a desired subpopulation, ablating an undesired subpopulation, and collecting both the subpopulations of sperm cells including the desired subpopulation and the ablated undesired subpopulation together, wherein the collected population of sperm cells is used to fertilize an egg.

A microchip is provided, which includes a substrate including a fluid channel structure. The fluid channel structure includes a first fluid introduction channel and a second fluid introduction channel configured to meet so as to allow merging of a first fluid introduced from the first fluid introduction channel and a second fluid introduced from the second fluid introduction channel. A tapered portion is configured to be positioned after merging the first fluid and the second fluid so as to suppress a spiral flow field generated after the merging.