A method of operating an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) device performs electrowetting operations on fluids dispensed into the EWOD device, which provides enhanced operation for using multiple non-polar filler fluids. The method of operating includes the steps of: dispensing a polar fluid source into the EWOD device; performing an electrowetting operation to generate an aqueous barrier from the polar fluid source, wherein the aqueous barrier separates the EWOD device into a first region and a second region that are fluidly separated from each other by the aqueous barrier; inputting a non-polar first filler fluid into the first region; inputting a non-polar second filler fluid into the second region; dispensing a polar liquid droplet into the first region; transferring the polar liquid droplet from the first region to the second region by performing an electrowetting operation to reconfigure the aqueous barrier, and performing an electrowetting operation to move the polar liquid droplet from the first region to the second region through the reconfigured aqueous barrier; and performing an electrowetting operation to reconstitute the aqueous barrier to fluidly separate the first region from the second region. The method may be performed by an EWOD control system executing program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

Microfluidic chips incorporating liquid level sensors for precise sensing of liquid levels in microfluidic system structures, e.g., channels, cavities or reservoirs without moving parts. The microfluidic system uses liquid level photosensors and use optical properties to measure liquid volumes. A light coupling emitter or waveguide transmits the light toward the fluid channel at a critical angle. Multiple light coupling emitters and photosensor array can detect light for a variety of scenarios (based on fluid refraction index) and exploit the phenomenon of critical angles to measure exact angles of reflection/refraction. The waveguide coupler(s) and photosensors are manufactured at the microscale, and use both reflected light and refracted light as monitor signals. A feedback control system (e.g., compensating for rate and tolerance drift) is devised using signals generated by the sensors upon detecting reflected or refracted sensed light for increased accuracy of detecting precise amounts of fluid volumes being dispensed.

A composition system which is a mixture of colloids forming a physical code is implanted into a product and later extracted and read to authenticate the product thus providing secure means to check the authenticity of the product against counterfeiting.

Tissue sample cassettes for receiving tissue samples include an upper tray including compartments separated by dividers, a lower tray coupled to the upper tray and having a central recess, and an absorbent material located in the recess of the lower tray. Related systems and methods for automated gross processing of tissue samples are also disclosed.

Systems and techniques for collecting and analyzing breath samples to detect one or more target analytes are disclosed.

A single-use test plate in a biological test system for determining the presence of one or more nucleic acid sequences, the test plate including a body having channels and sockets formed therein, an inlet for receiving a test sample, an air inlet, an extraction membrane, reaction zones containing a porous media with first and second reaction mixtures allowing amplification and detection of the nucleic acid species, an air outlet, a recovery reservoir, the plate being configured to feed the biological sample to be tested into the extraction membrane, then after rinsing, drying and elution of said extraction membrane, to feed the resulting eluate into the reaction zones, in order, after reaction, to deduce therefrom a result through the readout zone.

A microfluidic chip and a driving method thereof are provided. The microfluidic chip includes a base substrate, a driving circuit array, a first decoding circuit, and a second decoding circuit, the driving circuit array, the first decoding circuit, and the second decoding circuit are all integrated on the base substrate; the first decoding circuit is configured to generate and output a target scan driving signal to the driving circuit array; the second decoding circuit is configured to generate and output a target driving voltage signal to the driving circuit array; and the driving circuit array is configured to control an operation of a liquid droplet over the driving circuit array based on the target scan driving signal and the target driving voltage signal.

A method of operating an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) device performs electrowetting operations on fluids dispensed into the EWOD device, which provides enhanced operation for using multiple non-polar filler fluids. The method of operating includes the steps of: dispensing a polar fluid source into the EWOD device; performing an electrowetting operation to generate an aqueous barrier from the polar fluid source, wherein the aqueous barrier separates the EWOD device into a first region and a second region that are fluidly separated from each other by the aqueous barrier; inputting a non-polar first filler fluid into the first region; inputting a non-polar second filler fluid into the second region; dispensing a polar liquid droplet into the first region; transferring the polar liquid droplet from the first region to the second region by performing an electrowetting operation to reconfigure the aqueous barrier, and performing an electrowetting operation to move the polar liquid droplet from the first region to the second region through the reconfigured aqueous barrier; and performing an electrowetting operation to reconstitute the aqueous barrier to fluidly separate the first region from the second region. The method may be performed by an EWOD control system executing program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

The present invention relates to methods, devices and systems for associating assay information with an assay consumable used in a biological assay. Provided are assay systems and associated consumables, wherein the assay system includes a reader adapted to read/erase/write information from/to an assay consumable identifier associated with the assay consumable. Various types of assay information are described, as well as methods of using such information in the conduct of an assay by an assay system.

A method of operating an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) device performs electrowetting operations on fluids dispensed into the EWOD device, which provides enhanced operation for using multiple non-polar filler fluids. The method of operating includes the steps of: dispensing a polar fluid source into the EWOD device; performing an electrowetting operation to generate an aqueous barrier from the polar fluid source, wherein the aqueous barrier separates the EWOD device into a first region and a second region that are fluidly separated from each other by the aqueous barrier; inputting a non-polar first filler fluid into the first region; inputting a non-polar second filler fluid into the second region; dispensing a polar liquid droplet into the first region; transferring the polar liquid droplet from the first region to the second region by performing an electrowetting operation to reconfigure the aqueous barrier, and performing an electrowetting operation to move the polar liquid droplet from the first region to the second region through the reconfigured aqueous barrier; and performing an electrowetting operation to reconstitute the aqueous barrier to fluidly separate the first region from the second region. The method may be performed by an EWOD control system executing program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.