A microfluidic device system includes a channel having an entrance and an exit, a height at the entrance being greater than a height at the exit. The height of the channel may decrease continuously from the height at the entrance to the height at the exit. Cells or particles or beads traveling through the channel become trapped based on their size and/or deformability. A visual sensor captures images of the trapped cells or particles or beads, and image software analyzes the captured images to provide size and/or deformability and/or fluorescence information. A method of fabricating such a microfluidic device includes introducing a glass wafer to an etching solution at a specific rate such that a first end of the glass wafer is etched longer than other portions of the glass wafer.

The present invention relates to a system, device, and method for the high throughput multiplexed detection of a wide number of compounds. The invention comprises of a microwell array coupled to a capture agent array to form a plurality of interfaces between a microwell and a set of immobilized capture agents. The set of capture agents comprises a plurality of distinguishable features, with each feature corresponding to the detection of a particular compound of interest. In certain embodiments, each microwell is configured to contain a single cell. The invention is therefore capable of performing a high throughput analysis of single cell profiles, including profiles of secreted compounds.

A nanopore-containing substrate includes a substrate, a membrane on the substrate, and at least one nanoscale electronic element disposed on or embedded in the membrane. The membrane defines at least one nanopore. The nanoscale electronic element is aligned with one of the nanopores such that a shortest distance between an edge of the nanoscale electronic element and the edge of the nanopore is less than 50 nm. The nanopores may be formed by etching through a dielectric layer using a solution while applying a voltage to the nanoscale electronic element relative to the solution. The nanopore-containing substrate can be used to detect or sequence a biopolymer, such as a nucleic acid. The nanopore-containing substrate may be used with a biopolymer detection and/or sequencing system.

A cell processing system includes at least one processor connectable to a source container filled with a biological fluid, the at least one processor including a spinning membrane configured to receive and separate target cells from the biological fluid, the target cells exiting at a first outlet, one or more containers selectively connected to the first outlet; and, and a magnet. The system also includes a controller coupled to the at least one processor and configured to operate the spinning membrane to receive biological fluid from the source container and to direct the target cells to one of the one or more containers, to pause to permit magnetic particles to be associated with the target cells, and to operate the spinning membrane to receive the contents of one of the one or more containers with the magnet applied to the target cells associated with the magnetic particles.

The invention provides methods and compositions useful for identifying polypeptides with desired characteristics in vitro.

Detectors and related methods and systems are described, based on a primary binding compound and a secondary binding compound used in combination with a support to detect a target in a sample.

Disclosed is a system and method for a microdevice to separate blood cells based on differences in antigen expression. Specifically, cells of the same phenotype are separated based on whether or not they are activated during infection or resting. The device of the present disclosure takes a small sample of blood and provides differential cell counts that can be used to test for infection and inflammatory response. The device can be used to identify sepsis and other infections rapidly. By measuring differences in activated white cell counts such as neutrophils, the device of the present disclosure measures physiological response to infection in hospitalized patients recovering from burns, surgeries, etc.

The present system and method are useful for the removal of immune inhibitors such as soluble TNF receptors from the body fluid of cancer patients. In some embodiments, soluble TNF-Receptors 1 and 2 are selectively removed from plasma at 80% or more efficiency. In some embodiments, the system includes an immobilized capture ligand of a single chain TNFα. The system and method are useful for the treatment of different cancer types, stages and severity.

The immunochromatographic kit includes an inspection strip which includes an insoluble carrier spreading the specimen liquid, a label-holding pad including a label substance modified with a first substance bondable to a test substance, a liquid-sending pad sending a first amplification liquid to the insoluble carrier, and an absorption pad disposed in contact with the other end of the insoluble carrier and sequentially has an inspection region including a second substance being bonded to the test substance, a confirmation region including a substance bondable to the first substance, and an amplification index region including a substance being reacted with the first amplification liquid between the label-holding pad and the absorption pad of the insoluble carrier, a first pot being disposed below the liquid-sending pad and enclosing the first amplification liquid, and a second pot being disposed above the absorption pad and enclosing a second amplification liquid in a housing case.

The present invention relates generally to an assay for detecting and differentiating multiple analytes, if present, in a single fluid sample, including devices and methods therefore.