In one aspect of the invention, a method includes determining an amount of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) in dialysate flowing through a dialysis system using a CO.sub.2 sensor associated with the dialysis system, determining, using a pH sensor associated with the dialysis system, a pH level of the dialysate, and calculating a level of bicarbonate in the dialysate based at least in part on the determined amount of CO.sub.2 measured in the gas and the determined pH level of the dialysate.

A method of crystallization is disclosed, the method comprises the steps of providing a microfluidic system comprising at least three channels having at least one junction; providing within the at least three channels a continuously flowing water-immiscible carrier-fluid, a continuously flowing first aqueous fluid comprising a crystallization target, and a continuously flowing second aqueous fluid comprising a precipitant; forming at least one plug comprising the first and second aqueous fluids by partitioning the aqueous fluids with the flowing carrier-fluid at the junction of the at least three channels, flowing the at least one plug through an outlet port into a tubing, and stopping the flow of the at least one plug in the tubing, wherein the crystallization target forms a crystal in the tubing.

The present invention relates to methods for amplifying nucleic acids in micro-channels. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods for performing a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a continuous-flow microfluidic system and to methods for monitoring real-time PCR in such systems.

Methods and apparatus are described for the processing (for example washing, incubation, etc.) of particles in which the particles suspended in a first fluid are introduced under laminar flow conditions into at least one first microchamber or first region of the same, in which a second fluid is introduced under laminar flow conditions into at least one second region of the microchamber or of a second microchamber, in such a way as not to mix with the first fluid, and in which at least one field of force acting on the particles is activated in the microchamber(s), to provoke a shift of the particles alone in a predetermined direction and to transfer the same in suspension into the second fluid; an apparatus is preferably used including at least three microchambers n microchambers arranged in sequence with each other in one direction and each connected with the microchamber immediately before it and after it with two orifices offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of sequence of the microchambers.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for monitoring the amplification of DNA molecules and the dissociation behavior of the DNA molecules. A method according to one embodiment of the invention may include the steps of: forcing a sample of a solution containing real-time PCR reagents to move though a channel; and while the sample is moving through an analysis region of the channel, performing the steps of: (a) cycling the temperature of the sample until the occurrence of a predetermined event; (b) after performing step (a), causing the sample's temperature to gradually increase from a first temperature to a second temperature; and (c) while the step of gradually increasing the sample's temperature is performed, using an image sensor to monitor emissions from the sample.

A system for processing a biological sample can include a droplet generation assembly comprising a plurality of first reservoirs configured to contain an aqueous sample and a plurality of second reservoirs configured to contain a carrier fluid immiscible with the aqueous sample. The plurality of first reservoirs and the plurality of second reservoirs can be arranged to be in respective flow communication in pairs of reservoirs comprising a first reservoir of the plurality of first reservoirs and a second reservoir of the plurality of second reservoirs constituting a plurality of pairs of reservoirs. The droplet generation assembly can further include a flow control system configured to control a pressure in the plurality of pairs of reservoirs so as to generate a flow of a series of volumes of the aqueous sample separated by the carrier fluid. The system can further include a thermocycling system.

A business method for use in classifying patient samples. The method includes steps of collecting case samples representing a clinical phenotypic state and control samples representing patients without said clinical phenotypic state. Preferably the system uses a mass spectrometry platform system to identify patterns of polypeptides in said case samples and in the control samples without regard to the specific identity of at least some of said polypeptides. Based on identified representative patterns of the state, the business method provides for the marketing of diagnostic products using representative patterns. The present invention relates to systems and methods for identifying new markers, diagnosing patients with a biological state of interest, and marketing/commercializing such diagnostics. The present invention relates to systems and methods of greater sensitivity, specificity, and/or cost effectiveness.