Methods of concentrating beads in a droplet and/or loading beads on a fluidic device are provided, including among other things, a method of concentrating beads in a droplet, the method comprising: (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising: (i) an interior droplet operations volume; and (ii) a reservoir exterior to the interior volume; (iii) a droplet established in a liquid path extending from the reservoir into the interior volume; (b) providing magnetically responsive beads in the portion of the droplet which is in the reservoir; (c) magnetically attracting the magnetically responsive beads through the liquid path into the portion of the droplet which is in the interior volume; and (d) forming a droplet comprising one or more of the magnetically responsive beads in the interior volume.

An automated system is provided for performing slide processing operations on slides bearing biological samples. In one embodiment, the disclosed system includes a slide tray holding a plurality of slides in a substantially horizontal position and a workstation that receives the slide tray. In a particular embodiment, a workstation delivers a reagent to slide surfaces without substantial transfer of reagent (and reagent borne contaminants such as dislodged cells) from one slide to another. A method for automated processing of slides also is provided.

An automated system is provided for performing slide processing operations on slides bearing biological samples. In one embodiment, the disclosed system includes a slide tray holding a plurality of slides in a substantially horizontal position and a workstation that receives the slide tray. In a particular embodiment, a workstation delivers a reagent to slide surfaces without substantial transfer of reagent (and reagent borne contaminants such as dislodged cells) from one slide to another. A method for automated processing of slides also is provided.

A fluidic device holder configured to orient a fluidic device. The device holder includes a support structure configured to receive a fluidic device. The support structure includes a base surface that faces in a direction along the Z-axis and is configured to have the fluidic device positioned thereon. The device holder also includes a plurality of reference surfaces facing in respective directions along an XY-plane. The device holder also includes an alignment assembly having an actuator and a movable locator arm that is operatively coupled to the actuator. The locator arm has an engagement end. The actuator moves the locator arm between retracted and biased positions to move the engagement end away from and toward the reference surfaces. The locator arm is configured to hold the fluidic device against the reference surfaces when the locator arm is in the biased position.

A microfluidic chip orients and isolates components in a sample fluid mixture by two step focusing, where sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a sample input channel in one direction, such that the sample fluid mixture becomes a narrower stream bounded by the sheath fluids, and by having the sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a second direction further downstream, such that the components are compressed and oriented in a selected direction to pass through an interrogation chamber in single file formation for identification and separation by various methods. The isolation mechanism utilizes external, stacked piezoelectric actuator assemblies disposed on a microfluidic chip holder, or piezoelectric actuator assemblies on-chip, so that the actuator assemblies are triggered by an electronic signal to actuate jet chambers on either side of the sample input channel, to jet selected components in the sample input channel into one of the output channels.

A multi-channel system for classifying particles in a mixture of particles according to one or more characteristics including a common source of electromagnetic radiation for producing a beam of electromagnetic radiation and a beam splitter for producing multiple beams of electromagnetic radiation for directing multiple beams of electromagnetic radiation to each interrogation location associated with each flow channel of the multi-channel system.

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

The invention relates to the detection of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). In a particular aspect, the invention relates to methods for detecting DHA and EPA by mass spectrometry and kits for carrying out such methods.

A microfluidic device includes an input port for inputting a particle-containing liquidic samples into the device, a retention member, and a pressure actuator. The retention member is in communication with the input port and is configured to spatially separate particles of the particle-containing liquidic sample from a first portion of the liquid of the particle containing fluidic sample. The pressure actuator recombines at least some of the separated particles with a subset of the first portion of the liquid separated from the particles. The device can also include a lysing chamber that receives the particles and liquid from the retention member. The lysing chamber thermally lyses the particles to release contents thereof.

A microfluidic chip orients and isolates components in a sample fluid mixture by two-step focusing, where sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a sample input channel in one direction, such that the sample fluid mixture becomes a narrower stream bounded by the sheath fluids, and by having the sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a second direction further downstream, such that the components are compressed and oriented in a selected direction to pass through an interrogation chamber in single file formation for identification and separation by various methods. The isolation mechanism utilizes external, stacked piezoelectric actuator assemblies disposed on a microfluidic chip holder, or piezoelectric actuator assemblies on-chip, so that the actuator assemblies are triggered by an electronic signal to actuate jet chambers on either side of the sample input channel, to jet selected components in the sample input channel into one of the output channels.