The present disclosure relates to a microfluidic device and a method allowing the generating and screening of combinatorial samples. A microfluidic device for producing droplets of at least one sample into an immiscible phase is provided, the device comprising a droplet maker connecting an immiscible phase channel and a sample channel having at least one sample inlet connected to at least one sample inlet channel injecting the at least one sample into the sample channel, wherein the injection of the at least one sample is controlled by at least one sample valve, so that the at least one sample flows either towards a sample waste outlet or into the at least one sample inlet channel, wherein different sample inlet channel of the at least one sample inlet channel have the same hydrodynamic resistance resulting from the length, height and width of each sample inlet channel upstream of the droplet maker.

An automated on-touch template bead preparation system is provided and includes a membrane-based emulsion generation subsystems, an emulsion PCR (ePCR) thermocycling plate and subsystem, and a continuous centrifugation emulsion breaking and templated bead collection subsystem. The emulsion generation subsystem provides uniformity in the preparation of an inverse emulsion and may be used to create large or small volume inverse emulsions rapidly and reproducibly. An emulsion-generating device is provided that can supply a continuous stream of an inverse emulsion to a thermocycling subsystem, in automated fashion. The ePCR subsystem can continuously thermocycle an inverse emulsion passed therethrough and includes static temperature zones and a consumable thermocycling plate. The continuous centrifugation subsystem can continuously break a thermally cycled inverse emulsion and collect template beads formed in the aqueous microreactor droplets of the inverse emulsion.

Nozzle Assemblies and methods of use for producing a liquid jet are disclosed that may be permit adjustable time delays between mixing of fluids and observation of reactions. An example nozzle assembly includes: a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a first channel defined therebetween, where the housing includes a gas focusing aperture defining the housing outlet; an intermediate tube disposed within the first channel of the housing, where the intermediate tube has an inlet and an outlet and defines a second channel therebetween; and a central tube disposed within the second channel of the intermediate tube, where the central tube has an inlet and an outlet and defines a third channel therebetween, where the central tube outlet is longitudinally spaced apart from the intermediate tube outlet such that the intermediate tube outlet is disposed between the central tube outlet and the gas focusing aperture's inlet.

A liquid analyzing device includes a carrier, a rotating plate, and a driving unit. The rotating plate rotatably connected with a pivot portion of the carrier contains a test liquid. The rotating plate or the driving unit has a stopping portion. When the driving unit drives the rotating plate to rotate so the stopping portion moves to a first position and interferes with the carrier, the driving unit applies driving force to the pivot portion of the carrier along a first rotation direction through the rotating plate. When the carrier rotates along the first rotation direction and the driving unit applies driving force to the rotating plate along a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, the rotating plate rotates relative to the carrier, the stopping portion moves to a second position and interferes with the carrier, and the driving unit applies driving force to the pivot portion of the carrier along the second rotation direction through the rotating plate.

Disclosed is a mixing chamber apparatus suitable for high-volume sampling (HVS) application. The mixing chamber apparatus includes, among other elements, inlet and outlet manifolds, a mixing chamber, and a tubing manifold for the introduction of clean, turbulent air into the mixing chamber. The inlet manifold defines a plurality of vapor ports that can be in fluid communication with one or more vapor sources to be sampled and mixed within the mixing chamber. Also described herein is a baffled mixing system that can be used alone or in combination with the disclosed mixing chamber apparatus.

The present invention generally relates to the manipulation of fluids using acoustic waves such as surface acoustic waves. In some aspects, one fluid may be introduced into another fluid via application of suitable acoustic waves. For example, a fluid may be added or injected into another fluid by applying acoustic waves where, in the absence of the acoustic waves, the fluid cannot be added or injected, e.g., due to the interface or surface tension between the fluids. Thus, for example, a fluid may be injected into a droplet of another fluid. Other embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems and methods for making or using such systems, kits involving such systems, or the like.

A microfluidic device and method is provided for concentrating particles in a fluid sample. The microfluidic device has a chamber, wherein the chamber has a filtering unit defining a first compartment and a second compartment, the first compartment being in fluid communication with the second compartment and being for receiving a fluid sample containing particles, the filtering unit being configured to selectively retain particles of the fluid sample based on a size of the particles, at a sub-region of the first compartment as the fluid sample flows from the first compartment to the second compartment; and an acoustic transducer configured to generate acoustic waves in the sub-region to disperse the particles.

A droplet actuator for manipulating a fluid using an electrical field includes a droplet arranged on or over an electrode. The droplet includes a set of beads arranged substantially in a monolayer on or over a surface of the droplet actuator.

A mini-fluidics cassette, for detection of at least one analyte in a sample, comprising, at least one sample inlet port, at least one reagent inlet port, at least one outlet port, at least one channel extending between said at least one sample inlet port and said at least one outlet port, at least one insertion port for a fiber optic cable light source, at least one insertion port for a fiber optic cable spectrophotometer distant said at least one insertion port for a fiber optic cable light source, wherein said at least one insertion port for a fiber optic cable light source and said at least one insertion port for a fiber optic cable spectrophotometer forms part of the at least one channel, and is proximate said at least one outlet port and forms at least one reading cell/path length for light from said fiber optic cable light source to said fiber optic cable spectrophotometer port.

A microscope slide holder comprising a slide support member and at least one acoustic source for introducing acoustic waves to a microscope slide in communication with the slide support member such that one or more fluids present on the surface of the microscope slide are contactlessly mixed.