This invention relates to an apparatus for conducting immunoassay test. The apparatus includes a groove unit having a groove along a vertical direction configured to hold a rod-shaped portion of a probe along the vertical direction, and a push pin configured to move along a horizontal direction, the push pin being capable of residing at a first position and a second position. A tip of the push pin is capable of pressing the rod-shaped portion of the probe against the groove when the push pin resides at the first position. The distance between the tip of the push pin and the groove is larger than a diameter of the rod-shaped portion of the probe when the push pin resides at the second position.

The invention generally relates to performing sandwich assays in droplets. In certain embodiments, the invention provides methods for detecting a target analyte that involve forming a compartmentalized portion of fluid including a portion of a sample suspected of containing a target analyte and a sample identifier, a first binding agent having a target identifier, and a second binding agent specific to the target analyte under conditions that produce a complex of the first and second binding agents with the target analyte, separating the complexes, and detecting the complexes, thereby detecting the target analyte.

A novel detection system and method is presented, where a two-bead receptor method is used for capturing pathogens, with one type of bead being magnetic and having a size of 3 microns or smaller, and the other type being polymeric and having a size of 3 microns or larger. The first type is used to concentrate a pathogen; the latter is used to create a detectable signal. Fast sensitive detection is achieved by collecting the optical signal created by the distortion of a homeotropically aligned chromonic azo dye in the presence of captured pathogens.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods that use aqueous two phase systems and lateral flow assays to detect target analytes in a sample. These devices and methods may be used to diagnose a disease or condition in a biological sample, such as blood or serum. In addition, these devices and methods may be used to detect allergens in a food samples or contaminants, such as environmental toxins, in water samples. Device and kit components may be conveniently assembled in a portable container and are amenable to actuation in most settings. The devices are simple to use, requiring a non-trained operator to simply add the sample to the device. Conveniently, the time it takes to detect the target analyte is very short. Thus, the devices and methods disclosed herein provide novel and useful means for point-of-care.

A contrast-amplifying carrier for observing a sample, includes a transparent substrate bearing at least one absorbent coating suitable for behaving as an antireflection coating when it is illuminated at normal incidence at an illumination wavelength λ through the substrate and when the face of the coating opposite the substrate is in contact with a medium referred to as a transparent ambient medium, the refractive index n.sub.3 of which is lower than that of the refractive index n.sub.0 of the substrate. The absorbent coating comprises: an absorbent sublayer referred to as the contrast sublayer, deposited on the surface of the transparent substrate; and an absorbent layer referred to as the sensitive layer, distinct from the contrast sublayer and comprising between 1 and 5 sheets of a graphene-type material. Methods for producing and for using such a contrast-amplifying carrier are also provided.

A compact optical imaging system including a single filter and a light source that provides lateral illumination for bead detection in digital assays. The light source is configured to emit light toward the detection vessel. The single filter is positioned to receive light reflected from a sample in the detection vessel, that originated from the light source, and receive an output from a sample in the detection vessel. A detector is configured to receive a portion of the reflected light and a portion of the output that passes through the single filter.

A test strip and kit for testing mycophenolic acid and a preparation method of the test strip are described. The test strip includes a bottom plate and a sample pad, a glassfiber membrane, a nitrocellulose membrane and an absorbent paper which are successively lapped on a surface of the bottom plate, the sample pad is treated by a sample pad treatment fluid; the glassfiber membrane is treated by a glassfiber membrane treatment fluid; the glassfiber membrane is coated by a mycophenolic acid specific-antibody conjugate; the nitrocellulose membrane is provided with a detection line and a quality control line; and a mycophenolic acid protein conjugate is sprayed on the detection line.

The present disclosure relates to protein-polymer conjugates comprising an engineered binding oligomer protein and a polymer for detection of a ligand of interest, methods, compositions and kits thereof.

According to one embodiment, a molecule detecting device includes a capturing section, a releasing section, and a detecting section. The capturing section is configured to, by combining a target molecule and a solubilizing agent with each other and thereby creating a composite body, capture the target molecule in a carrier liquid. The releasing section is configured to make the composite body release the target molecule therefrom in the carrier liquid. The detecting section is configured to carry out detection of the target molecule in the carrier liquid.

It is an object of this disclosure to provide systems, devices, and methods for the direct use of fluorescent reporters that measure multiaxial and dynamic shear flows that occur invitro or in vivo across a surface of interest, where shear flows canbe measured, quantified and/or correlated to physiological changes in cells or tissues in real time. In certain embodiments, this disclosure contemplates imaging or visualizing the shear field applied to a surface, e.g., a surface of cells or inner lining of a blood vessel, the lumen of pumping lymphatics, within the bile duct, vessels with significant leakage, inflamed endothelium, tumor vasculature, or other systems.