There is provided a microchip comprising: a main flow path through which a liquid containing microparticles flows; and a branch flow path that branches from the main flow path. A cross-sectional area of a portion of the main flow path is substantially constant up to a branch start position or decreases toward the branch start position, and a radius of curvature R of a side wall that connects a side wall of the main flow path and a side wall of the branch flow path is 0.5 mm or less and more than 0 mm.

The present invention comprises methods and systems that use acoustic radiation pressure.

The present disclosure provides apparatuses, systems, and methods for performing particle analysis through flow cytometry at comparatively high event rates and for gathering high resolution images of particles.

Apparatus and methods for sample acquisition, including for example, samples for flow cytometry systems. Certain embodiments include a plurality of plates, valves, and conduits. In particular embodiments, the plates are stacked and the conduits extend through stack of plates, and in specific embodiments each valve is in fluid communication with a conduit.

A system is disclosed that enables the automated measurement of cellular mechanical parameters at high throughputs. The microfluidic device uses intersecting flows to create an extensional flow region where the cells undergo controlled stretching. Cells are focused into streamlines prior to entering the extensional flow region. In the extensional region, each cell's deformation is measured with an imaging device. Automated image analysis extracts a range of independent biomechanical parameters from the images. These may include cell size, deformability, and circularity. The single cell data that is obtained may then be used to in a variety of ways. Scatter density plots of deformability and circularity may be developed and displayed for the user. Mechanical parameters such as deformability and circularity may be gated or thresholded to identify certain cells of interest or sub-populations of interest. Similarly, the mechanical data obtained using the device may be used as cell signatures.

In the present technology, the timing at which suction is performed is optimized in order to enhance the microparticle separation performance in a technology for separating target microparticles in a microchip. For this purpose, the present technology provides a method of optimizing a microparticle suction condition, and the like, using a microchip having a main flow channel through which a liquid containing a microparticle flows, a microparticle suction flow channel arranged coaxially with the main flow channel, and a branch flow channel branching from the main flow channel. The method includes: a branch point specifying process of specifying a branch point at which the branch flow channel branches from the main flow channel; and a time assignment process of assigning a time T.sub.1 to be applied to suction of the microparticle.

A system is disclosed that enables the automated measurement of cellular mechanical parameters at high throughputs. The microfluidic device uses intersecting flows to create an extensional flow region where the cells undergo controlled stretching. Cells are focused into streamlines prior to entering the extensional flow region. In the extensional region, each cell's deformation is measured with an imaging device. Automated image analysis extracts a range of independent biomechanical parameters from the images. These may include cell size, deformability, and circularity. The single cell data that is obtained may then be used to in a variety of ways. Scatter density plots of deformability and circularity may be developed and displayed for the user. Mechanical parameters such as deformability and circularity may be gated or thresholded to identify certain cells of interest or sub-populations of interest. Similarly, the mechanical data obtained using the device may be used as cell signatures.

The present invention is a method and apparatus for acoustic focusing hardware and implementations.

Systems and methods for flowing particles, such as biological entities, in a fluidic channel(s) are generally provided. In some cases, the systems described herein are designed such that a single particle may be isolated from a plurality of particles and flowed into a fluidic channel (e.g., a microfluidic channel) and/or collected e.g., on fluidically isolated surfaces. For example, the single particle may be present in a plurality of particles of relatively high density and the single particle is flowed into a fluidic channel, such that it is separated from the plurality of particles. The particles may be spaced within a fluidic channel so that individual particles may be measured/observed over time. In certain embodiments, the particle may be a biological entity. Such article and methods may be useful, for example, for isolating single cells into individual wells of multi-well cell culture dishes (e.g., for single-cell analysis).

A detection device of a measured substance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has as its object the simple detection of bacteria, fungi, and other biologically related substances. A detection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has a container containing a solution and composite particles made of a measured substance and a magnetic labeling substance bonded together, a magnetic field applying part provided with a plurality of magnets arranged at a position other than a lower position than the container so that pole faces of the same magnetic poles face each other separated by predetermined intervals and applying a magnetic field so as to collect the composite particles at a predetermined region where free-space light is incident other than the bottom region of the container, an imaging unit capturing composite particles collected at the predetermined region where free-space light is incident through a region between the pole faces of the same poles facing each other, and a detecting unit detecting the composite particles based on an image captured by the imaging unit.