Provided herein is an all-in-one saliva collection apparatus that collects saliva to allow for the filtration of saliva in order to separate saliva components, such as extracellular proteins and nucleic acids that are not present in intact cells, from the intact cells and debris remaining in the extracted sample. The filtered saliva samples can be aliquoted into two fractions for protein and/or nucleic acid analysis. The present invention further describes long term storage at ambient temperatures of filtered salivary nucleic acids, and long term storage at ambient temperatures of filtered salivary proteins added to an ethanol solution. The filtered cell-free saliva samples have diagnostic usefulness.

A sample handling method may include drawing an encapsulating liquid from an encapsulating-liquid input; discharging the drawn encapsulating liquid (a) onto a free surface of a carrier liquid in a carrier-liquid conduit comprising a stabilisation feature and (b) proximate to the stabilisation feature, the encapsulating liquid being immiscible with the carrier liquid, so that the discharged encapsulating liquid does not mix with the carrier liquid, floats on top of the carrier liquid, and is immobilised by the stabilisation feature; drawing a sample liquid from a sample-liquid input; and discharging the drawn sample liquid, the sample liquid being immiscible with the encapsulating liquid and with the carrier liquid, so that the sample liquid does not mix with the encapsulating liquid or with the carrier liquid.

An interface is provided for storing microfluidic samples in a nanoliter sample chip. A fluid access structure provides a fluid access region to a selected subset of sample wells from an array of sample wells. A fluid introduction mechanism introduces a sample fluid to the fluid access region so that the sample wells in the selected subset are populated with the sample fluid without the unselected sample wells being populated with the sample fluid.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

This invention concerns a sampling procedure for an aqueous hydrosoluble polymer solution flowing in a main circuit, enabling a sample to be collected to undergo at least one analysis under ambient air giving at least one property of the hydrosoluble polymer characterised in that a stabilizing solution is added to the aqueous hydrosoluble polymer solution, according to a discontinuous addition method, before or after sampling from the main circuit, so as to obtain a sample comprising a mixture of aqueous hydrosoluble polymer solution and stabilizing solution in which the hydrosoluble polymer is protected against attacks it may undergo in an atmosphere containing at least 10% by volume of oxygen.

The present invention generally relates to a sample receiving device for releasably storing a substance. The sample receiving device includes a lid having a reservoir for retaining the substance, and a pierceable barrier sealing the substance within the reservoir; and b) a funnel for receiving a sample and configured for closure by the lid. The funnel is configured for releasable attachment to a sample receptacle such that a sample can be provided to the funnel and travel through the channel in the funnel into the sample receptacle. Further, the funnel includes one or more cutting ribs for cutting the pierceable barrier such that upon cutting of the pierceable barrier the substance is released from the reservoir, flows through the channel in the funnel and into the sample receptacle to be mixed with the sample. The present invention also provides a kit for collecting and storing biomolecules.

A sample handling method may include drawing an encapsulating liquid from an encapsulating-liquid input; discharging the drawn encapsulating liquid (a) onto a free surface of a carrier liquid in a carrier-liquid conduit comprising a stabilisation feature and (b) proximate to the stabilisation feature, the encapsulating liquid being immiscible with the carrier liquid, so that the discharged encapsulating liquid does not mix with the carrier liquid, floats on top of the carrier liquid, and is immobilised by the stabilisation feature; drawing a sample liquid from a sample-liquid input; and discharging the drawn sample liquid, the sample liquid being immiscible with the encapsulating liquid and with the carrier liquid, so that the sample liquid does not mix with the encapsulating liquid or with the carrier liquid.

A filter assembly is provided for collecting samples in a fluid environment, the assembly utilizing a laminar convective flow to cause the flow of a preservative/fixative and a filtrate through a filter. A substantially concave dead space around the filter is flushed free of the preservative and the differential in density of the preservative and filtrate causes the more dense fluid to collect in the reservoir and preserve the collected specimen.