A method of detecting a target biological entity in a biofluid using a sensor, wherein the biofluid comprises a plurality of the target biological entities and nanoparticles, the sensor comprising a substrate bearing a pair of electrodes having an affinity with the nanoparticles, and wherein a region between the electrodes defines a sensing region. The method comprises: treating the biofluid with a suspension comprising a plurality of nanoparticles to obtain a treated mixture comprising bound nanoparticle-entity assemblies; introducing the treated mixture to the sensor; conditioning the sensor in the presence of the treated mixture by applying an activation voltage between the electrodes to increase a degree of connection between a surface of the pair of electrodes and at least one bound nanoparticle-entity assembly in contact with the surface of the pair of electrodes; and detecting the presence of target biological entities by using the pair of electrodes to detect a current through the at least one bound nanoparticle-entity assembly.

A reconfigurable point-of-care system, comprising an analysis device having one or more detection components to perform a diagnostic method on a sample, the sample being loaded on a microfluidic chip, wherein the analysis device provides identification information, an interface device coupled to the analysis device to provide a communication channel, and a reader unit coupled to the communication channel and having a processor to select the diagnostic method based on the identification information and reconfigure one or more components of the interface device based on the analysis device.

An electrochemical microarray chip to detect specific sequences of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) target molecules in solution using a microarray of microspots of probe molecules immobilized on an electrode. The chip pertains to both regulating the immunospecific binding to the array of probes on the electrode and their subsequent detection on the microarray spots on the monolith electrode by electrochemical methods. The device can quantitatively measure the concentration of target molecules of specific sequence at high specificity and high sensitivity.

A bioparticle observation apparatus includes a dielectrophoresis electrode that outputs a first signal causing a dielectrophoresis force to act on a bioparticle, a sensor electrode that detects an impedance difference between the bioparticle and the liquid, and a control circuit that controls the first signal so that the detected impedance difference is fixed.

A microchannel-membrane device comprises a microchannel extending through at least one electrode, the microchannel having a predetermined depth; an ionic permselective medium, such as a membrane, across the microchannel between the electrodes; and a heater, or array of heaters, embedded below the microchannel on at least one side of the permselective membrane. The heaters can be either prefabricated or dynamically patterned using laser illumination with/without photoconductive coating. The heaters are on the depletion side of the membrane and induce a vortex which limits the growth of the diffusion area. Operation of the heaters allows for controlled positioning of the end of the diffusion area and with it also the position of the preconcentrated molecule plug.

Provided herein are systems and method for measuring cell stiffness. In particular, provided herein are microelectrode configuration and systems for measuring platelet deformation and stiffness.

A group of micro-objects in a holding pen in a micro-fluidic device can be selected and moved to a staging area, from which the micro-objects can be exported from the micro-fluidic device. The micro-fluidic device can have a plurality of holding pens, and each holding pen can isolate micro-objects located in the holding pen from micro-objects located in the other holding pens or elsewhere in the micro-fluidic device. The selected group of micro-objects can comprise one or more biological cells, such as a clonal population of cells. Embodiments of the invention can thus select a particular group of clonal cells in a micro-fluidic device, move the clonal cells to a staging area, and export the clonal cells from the micro-fluidic device while maintaining the clonal nature of the exported group.

A microfluidic device can include a base an outer surface of which forms one or more enclosures for containing a fluidic medium. The base can include an array of individually controllable transistor structures each of which can comprise both a lateral transistor and a vertical transistor. The transistor structures can be light activated, and the lateral and vertical transistors can thus be photo transistors. Each transistor structure can be activated to create a temporary electrical connection from a region of the outer surface of the base (and thus fluidic medium in the enclosure) to a common electrical conductor. The temporary electrical connection can induce a localized electrokinetic force generally at the region, which can be sufficiently strong to move a nearby micro-object in the enclosure.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for an integrated dielectrophoretic (DEP) and surface plasmonic platform to quantify as little as 1 femptomolar to 1 picomolar of fluorescent molecules in low conductivity buffers.

A method includes introducing a crude oil process stream into an electro-kinetic separator (EKS), passing the crude oil process stream through an electric field generated by the EKS, and removing at least a portion of salt and solid particles from the crude oil process stream as the crude oil process stream passes through the electric field. A product stream is discharged from the EKS with reduced salt and solid particle count as compared to the crude oil process stream.