The invention relates to a process for the obtainment of suspended double-flat SU-8 Janus chips by means of SU-8 photolithography to create an arrangement of ordered SU-8 chips on a substrate and soft lithography to create a planar printed arrangement or a planar printed array on each chip, said process comprising steps for forming a solidified membrane that is peeled off and dissolved in an aqueous medium. Furthermore, the invention relates to the suspended double-flat SU-8 Janus chips and to a suspended array comprises at least two different suspended double-flat SU-8 Janus chips. Lastly, the invention relates to barcoding chips and to sensing devices comprising said suspended double-flat SU-8 Janus chips or said suspended array.

To provide a microstructure equipped with a mechanism for selectively detecting marker molecules expressed or secreted by individual cells forming a cell population, a method for fabricating such a microstructure, and specific solutions for detecting and identifying molecules to be detected using such a microstructure, the present invention provides a method for fabricating a hemispherical shell-shaped microstructure made of a thin film of a desired thickness and diameter, in which a material surface capable of fixing a probe for detecting a biomolecule is arranged on the inner surface, and a method for detecting a target biomolecule using such a thin film.

The present invention relates to the field of droplet microfluidics, particularly relates to a droplet sorting chip. The droplet sorting chip disclosed herein is provided with a cavity area, which can accommodate impurities such as fibers entering the droplet sorting chip, can effectively prevent clogging and collision and fusion of droplets caused by impurities, and ensure smooth droplet sorting.

A system and method for lysing of whole blood for CO-Ox measurement uses a lysing chamber for acoustic lysing of whole blood in a module in which the lysing chamber is separate from a CO-Ox measurement chamber. The disclosed acoustic lysing system and method avoids the expense and complexity of chemical lysing methods and allows the whole blood sample to be lysed while under continuous flow through the lysing chamber. The acoustic lysing chamber is provided upstream from a CO-Ox measurement chamber. The separation of the lysing chamber from the Co-Ox measurement chamber provides freedom to arrange and orient various optical components and/or other CO-Ox measuring components around the CO-Ox measurement chamber. The decoupling of the lysing chamber from the CO-Ox measurement chamber allows for more efficient design of the ultrasonic lysing transducer and CO-Ox measurement optics.

A heat pump that includes a thermoelectric device(s) and a heat sink having a raised portion with a top surface for thermally coupling with a planar face of the thermoelectric device(s). The raised portion of the heat sink includes an outer periphery and a raised central region surrounded by a void region to provide more uniform thermal conductivity when clamped within an assembly. The raised central region is shaped in an any shape corresponding to a shape of uneven thermal conductivity due to clamping pressure applied to the heat sink. The void region can be substantially contiguous and entirely circumscribe the central raised region. The device can optionally include discrete supports formed of a less thermally-conductive material within the void region. The supports can be elastomeric, such as O-rings, and disposed within pockets defined within the void region.

The detection chip includes a first substrate, a micro-cavity defining layer, a hydrophilic layer, and a hydrophobic layer. The micro-cavity defining layer is on the first substrate and defines a plurality of micro-reaction chambers. Each of the plurality of micro-reaction chambers includes a reaction trap, and the reaction trap includes a sidewall and a bottom. The micro-cavity defining layer includes a spacing region between the plurality of micro-reaction chambers, and the spacing region includes a first region adjacent to the sidewall, and a second region non-adjacent to the sidewall. The hydrophilic layer covers the sidewall and the bottom of each of the plurality of micro-reaction chambers, and the hydrophobic layer covers the second region.

Systems and methods taught herein enable simultaneous forward and side detection of light originating within a microfluidic channel disposed in a substrate. At least a portion of the microfluidic channel is located in the substrate relative to a first side surface of the substrate to enable simultaneous detection paths with respect to extinction (i.e., 0°) and side detection (i.e., 90°). The location of the microfluidic channel as taught herein enables a maximal half-angle for a ray of light passing from a center of the portion of the microfluidic channel through the first side surface to be in a range from 25 to 90 degrees in some embodiments. By placing at least the portion of the microfluidic channel proximate to the side surface of the substrate, a significantly greater proportion of light emitted or scattered from a particle within the microfluidic channel can be collected and imaged on a detector as compared to conventional particle processing chips.

Isolating or identifying a cell based on a physical property of said cell can include providing a cell suspension; passing said suspension through a microfluidic channel that includes a constriction; passing the cell suspension through the constriction; and, contacting said cell suspension solution with a compound. The constriction can be sized to preferentially deform a relatively larger cell compared to a relatively smaller cell.

According to the present invention there is provided an assembly comprising, a needle unit comprising n hollow needles wherein n is greater than one, and wherein each hollow needle can receive a respective sample fluid; a flow cell unit comprising m flow cells wherein m is greater than one, each flow cell having an input and an output, and a test surface on which ligands can be provided located between the input, and output; a means for consecutively moving sample fluids, from each of said n hollow needles respectively, into all said m flow cells, so that said sample fluids flow consecutively through the same flow cells. There is further provided a corresponding method of screening a sample fluid for molecules which can bind to predefined ligands.

A flow control and processing cartridge used in a nucleic acid analysis apparatus includes a cartridge body and a reaction chip. The cartridge body includes plural chambers for storing at least one sample and plural biochemical reagents and buffers, and plural channels connected with the plural chambers. The reaction chip is in conjunction with the cartridge body and includes plural detection wells, at least one main fluid channel connected with the detection wells and adapted to dispense the sample into the detection wells, and at least one gas releasing channel connected with the detection wells and adapted to release gas from the detection wells.