A droplet generating method includes: providing a micro-pipe for dispensing a first liquid and a container containing a second liquid; providing a moving and locating device for positioning the micro-pipe over the container; providing a liquid driving device connecting to the micro-pipe through a connecting tube; providing a vibrating equipment connected to the micro-pipe for vibrating the micro-pipe; forming a relative periodic vibration between the micro-pipe and the container so that the outlet end of the micro-pipe is displaced to touch the second liquid in the container during a relative periodic vibration; and dispensing the first liquid in the micro-pipe out from the outlet end of the micro-pipe during the relative periodic vibration to generate a plurality of droplets of the first liquid in the second liquid which is induced by a force of the second liquid imposed on the first liquid at the outlet end.

A method for preparing a buffer solution suitable for physiologically relevant in vitro drug dissolution testing, drug solubility testing and/or drug profiling, the method comprising: (a) dispensing from a deformable container into a second container a predetermined quantity of a concentrate of the buffer solution, said deformable container having an orifice or aperture configured to dispense the concentrate in a dropwise manner and/or in a controlled stream, and (b) diluting the predetermined quantity of the concentrate with a predetermined quantity of a solvent to produce the buffer solution. A pack comprising a container and a concentrate of said buffer solution within the container, and a method for preparing the said pack, are also provided.

A micro-droplet-emulsifier to generate a micro-droplet-emulsion for application on digital polymerase chain reaction is provided. This device includes a micropipette to hold a dispersed-phase-liquid; a droplet generator that attaches to the micro-pipette and has a plurality of substantially flat micro-channels. The dispersed-phase-liquid is forced through the micro-channels to form micro-droplet-emulsion of dispersed-liquid-phase in the continuous-liquid-phase inside the chamber. The size of the micro-droplets is controlled by the shape and the aspect ratio of the micro-channels, the depth of the micro-channels and the material of the micro-droplet-generator-head that dictates the contact angle of the droplet on the micro-channels.

Apparatus for controlling motion of liquid droplets. A set of electrode pads is arranged to define one or more tracks over which liquid droplets may be induced to move over a sequence of 5 the electrode pads. A surface over the electrode pads is dielectric, smooth, and slippery to the droplets. In some cases, the smooth surface is formed as a thin layer of a second liquid that is immiscible with the liquid of the droplets. The surface has wetting affinity to the liquid that can be individually varied in a controlled manner by application of voltage to respective electrode pads. A control is designed to alter the wetting characteristic of varying-wettability portions of 10 the surface over respective electrode pads to effect induced motion of the droplets over the surface. The apparatus is designed with the smooth hydrophobic surface open, with no overlying or facing electrode or plate above the droplets.

A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for the detection of a compound of interest in a microfluidic system. A second aspect of the present invention relates to the use of the method according to the first aspect for monitoring a biological event. A further aspect of the present invention is directed to a microfluidic system and the use thereof for carrying out the method according to the first aspect.

A method and droplet dispenser for depositing single particles onto a target. For example, a single particle depositing method with improved rate of dispensing single particles and/or increased recovery of rare particles and/or with an extended applicability with different types of particles and/or operation conditions. The depositing method may be capable of increasing the rate of dispensing single cells without decreasing the recovery rate. Testing a single particle condition is combined with testing a zero particle condition and/or the particle type condition. The ejection and sedimentation regions are tested with regard to the presence of a single particle in the ejection, and further particle arrangements allowing a single particle deposition are identified and tested and/or the particle type detection is added to the dispenser control. Accordingly, the speed and recovery rate of dispensing single particles of interest can be improved.

Provided are microfluidic systems and methods for detecting, sorting, and dispensing of low abundance events such as single cells and particles, including a variety of eukaryotic and bacterial cells, for a variety of bioassay applications. The systems and methods described herein, when implemented in whole or in part, will make relevant microfluidic based tools available for a variety of applications in biotechnology including antibody discovery, immuno-therapeutic discovery, high-throughput single cell analysis, target-specific compound screening, and synthetic biology screening.

A method and system are provided for extracting a target analyte from a sample using acoustic ejection technology. The method involves applying focused acoustic energy to a fluid reservoir housing a fluid composition that contains a target analyte and comprises an upper region and a lower region, where the concentration of the target analyte in the upper region differs from that in the lower region. The focused acoustic energy is applied in a manner that is effective to result in the ejection of a fluid droplet from the fluid composition into a droplet receiver, wherein the concentration of the analyte in the droplet corresponds to either the concentration of the analyte in the upper region or the concentration of the analyte in the lower region, and wherein the concentration of the analyte is substantially uniform throughout the droplet. The fluid composition may comprise an ionic liquid, used in the extraction of ionic target analytes. Related methods and an acoustic extraction system are also provided.

An instrument for energizing molecules contained in a sample solution may include a droplet generator configured to generate droplets of the sample solution. The droplet generator illustratively has an elongated nozzle defining an orifice at one end thereof from which the droplets exit the droplet generator, and the orifice illustratively defines a first longitudinal axis centrally therethrough. A molecule energizing source is configured to produce a molecule energizing field, and is positioned relative to the nozzle orifice such that the molecule energizing field extends into at least some of the generated droplets along a direction non-parallel with the first longitudinal axis. The molecule energizing field illustratively carries energy which heats at least one of the generated droplets sufficiently to induce structural changes in at least one molecule contained in the at least one of the generated droplets.

An example device includes a first microfluidic channel in communication with a fluid reservoir to receive cell-containing fluid from the fluid reservoir. The device further includes a second microfluidic channel in communication with the fluid reservoir to receive cell-containing fluid from the fluid reservoir. The device further includes a first sensor disposed at the first microfluidic channel, a second sensor disposed at the second microfluidic channel, a first dispense nozzle disposed at an end of the first microfluidic channel, and a second dispense nozzle disposed at an end of the second microfluidic channel. The first microfluidic channel is shaped to convey cells of a first size range, and the second microfluidic channel is shaped to convey cells of a second size range that is different from the first size range.