This disclosure describes various reaction vessel configurations that include a housing component; a reaction chamber defined by the housing component; and a light absorbing layer conforming to a portion of an interior-facing surface of the housing component that defines the reaction chamber, the light absorbing layer comprising multiple discrete regions. An energy source may direct light at one or more of the discrete regions of the light absorbing layer so as to heat the discrete regions and ultimately heat a solution within a reaction chamber.

The present random access PCR reactor for biological analysis, comprises of a number of PCR reactors held on a platform, and one optical system to be shared by all of the PCR reactors on the platform. The optical system is held on a traverse mechanism to move it over any one of the PCR reactors that are ready to be imaged. Other PCR reactors on the platform can be accesses and replaced. The optical system has a lightpipe and a lightguide that distributes a uniform light over all the samples held on the reactor. The lightguide of the present optical system has a set of light reflecting structures that are strategically located to uniformly reflect an incoming light towards all the samples held in the PCR reactor that is being tested.

Disclosed herein is a multi-well plate for imaging small animals, which is designed so that a well is not shadowed at the edge thereof to be suitable for imaging of small animals. The multi-well plate for imaging small animals includes a plurality of wells each in the form of a groove formed on a plate body to store small animals, wherein each of the wells is gently slanted at a boundary with the plate body to form a groove in order to prevent the well from being shadowed at the boundary with the plate body when the well is captured from above by a camera and then imaged. Therefore, it is possible to accurately identify the positions of small animals since imaging is smoothly performed even if a small animal is located at the edge of each well.

Methods for detecting target analytes utilizing an array of wells are advantageous for detection of low concentrations of target analytes. Use of an array of wells requires sealing of the wells. The methods provided herein utilize digital microfluidics to seal wells of an array with a fluid that is immiscible with the aqueous liquid present in the wells to prevent evaporation and contamination of the aqueous fluid during analysis of signals from the wells. The disclosed method include generating a biphasic droplet composed of the immiscible fluid and an aqueous fluid. The immiscible fluid present in the biphasic droplet is moved over the array of wells to seal the wells by electrically actuating the aqueous fluid present in the biphasic droplet which in turn pulls the immiscible fluid.

A microchannel chip with which channel deformation does not occur even when high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization treatment is performed and with which strong joining performance of substrates is maintained; and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. A microchannel chip comprising: a channel substrate having a microchannel formed on at least one surface thereof; a lid substrate; and a joining layer joining the channel substrate and the lid substrate, wherein the channel substrate, the lid substrate, and the joining layer are each formed of a cycloolefin polymer, a glass-transition temperature Tg.sub.s1 of a cycloolefin polymer forming the channel substrate, a glass-transition temperature Tg.sub.s2 of a cycloolefin polymer forming the lid substrate, and a glass-transition temperature Tg.sub.2 of a cycloolefin polymer forming the joining layer have relationships: Tg.sub.s1>Tg.sub.2; and Tg.sub.s2>Tg.sub.2, and the joining layer has a thickness within a specific range.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides dual-depth thermoplastic microfluidic devices, related kits, microfluidic systems comprising the dual-depth thermoplastic microfluidic device, methods of isolating nucleic acid analytes from a liquid sample, and methods of isolating extracellular vesicles from a liquid sample.

A lysis device including a sample vessel, at least one piezo element, and a controller is disclosed. The sample vessel has a microchannel formed therein. The sample vessel has at least one port extending through a surface to the microchannel. The piezo element is attached to the surface of the sample vessel. The controller has logic to cause the controller to emit a first signal including a series of frequencies to the at least one piezo element to cause the at least one piezo element to generate ultrasonic acoustic standing waves in the sample vessel, to receive a second signal indicative of measured vibration signals from the sample vessel detected by the at least one piezo element, and to determine a resonant frequency of the sample vessel using the measured vibration signals.

A cell chip includes first, second and third elements, a dye dialysis layer, a micro-channel structure and washing solution inlet and outlet. The first element has a first hole and second holes at opposite sides of the first hole. The second element has a third hole corresponding to the first hole and fourth holes corresponding to the second holes. The dye dialysis layer is inserted between the first element and the second element and has a cell-assembly region corresponding to the first and third holes. The micro-channel structure is disposed below the cell-assembly region and between the second and the third elements. The washing solution inlet and outlet are communicatively connected to the micro-channel structure. The washing solution inlet includes the second hole and a corresponding fourth hole. A washing solution flows in the micro-channel structure through the washing solution inlet and outlet.

A portable biosensor for detecting and quantifying a target molecule in a biological sample and method of use include a biosensor fabricated with a recognition layer with an imprinted polymer, an electrode electrically coupled to the recognition layer, and a logic circuit that may include a processor and non-transitory memory with computer executable instructions embedded thereon, wherein the imprinted polymer is shaped to have a profile that substantially matches a profile of the target molecule, such that the target molecule can form-fit and bind to the imprinted polymer, thus changing an electrical property of the polymer layer that may be detected to identify the presence of the target molecule.

A biological chip, a manufacturing method thereof, an operation method thereof, and a biological detection system are provided. The biological chip includes a base substrate and a plurality of working units. The plurality of the working units are arranged on the base substrate; each of the working units includes a working element configured to be in contact with a target substance; and the working element includes a metal electrode and an electric-field-controllable surface modification layer on a surface of the metal electrode.