The present disclosure is to provide a method of mounting a membrane filter and a microfluidic device including the membrane filter, which are capable of increasing a flow pressure of a fluid. A salt matrix is attached to a region of a surface of the membrane filter that adjoins the filter support structure and is exposed toward the movement passage. A membrane filter and a microfluidic device including the membrane filter, which are capable of increasing a flow pressure of a fluid.

Methods and devices are disclosed for a separation device. A separation device includes a separation module having a separation membrane separating an interior of the separation module into a retentate compartment and a permeate compartment. The retentate compartment includes at least one retentate channel, a feed port fluidly coupled to the at least one retentate channel and a retentate port. The permeate compartment includes at least one permeate channel disposed within the permeate compartment and a permeate port fluidly coupled to the at least one permeate channel. a retentate collector fluidly connected to the retentate port. The device further includes a feed reservoir, a permeate reservoir, a fluidic gate located between the feed reservoir and the separation module, a vent located between the retentate channel and the permeate channel end adjacent the retentate port and a pressure differential source applied across the separation module.

The present invention provides for simple and rapid filtering of biological samples, whereby a sample can be analyzed in the same device or a different device. In one preferred example, a membrane filter 12 that is particularly useful for the filtration of samples comprising viruses along with other biological materials that need be separated from the viruses is used. A lateral flow device 10 incorporating a filter membrane/membrane filter 12 is also disclosed.

Methods and systems are provided for a stem cell organ device including an array of alternating stem cell channels and fluid channels. In one example, a method may include loading a stem cell channel with stem cells and flowing blood through a fluid channel in order to allow an exchange of molecules between the stem cells and the blood.

Fluidic devices and related methods are generally provided. The fluidic devices described herein may be useful, for example, for diagnostic purposes (e.g., detection of the presence of one or more disease causing bacteria in a patient sample). Unlike certain existing fluidic devices for diagnostic purposes, the fluidic devices and methods described herein may be useful for detecting the presence of numerous disease causing bacteria in a patient sample substantially simultaneously (e.g., in parallel). In some embodiments, the fluidic devices and methods described herein provide highly sensitive detection of microbes in relatively large fluidic samples (e.g., between 0.5 mL and about 5 mL), as compared to certain existing fluidic detection (e.g., microfluidic) devices and methods. In an exemplary embodiment, increased detection sensitivity of microbial pathogens present in a patient sample (e.g., blood) is performed by selectively removing human nucleic acid prior to sensitive detection of microbial infection. In some embodiments, the fluidic device allows for the identification of microbial pathogens directly from unprocessed blood without having to conduct blood culturing processes.

A porous membrane for use in an electroosmotic pump for pumping a fluid by electroosmotic transport, the porous membrane comprising: first and second opposite surfaces and a net fluid flow direction extending in the porous membrane between said opposite surfaces, wherein when a given amount of charge flows through the porous membrane from the first to the second opposite surface more electroosmotic transport of the fluid will occur than when the same amount of charge flows through the porous membrane from the second to the first, opposite surface.

This disclosure provides, among other things, a filtration device comprising an open bottomed multi-well plate, a planar spacer that comprises apertures, and a porous capillary membrane. In the device, the planar spacer is sandwiched between the multi-well plate and the porous capillary membrane and the planar spacer is bonded to both the multi-well plate and the porous capillary membrane via an adhesive. Kits and methods of making the device are also provide.

An compact hydraulic manifold for transporting shear sensitive fluids is provided. A channel network can include a trunk and branch architecture coupled to a bifurcation architecture. Features such as tapered channel walls, curvatures and angles of channels, and zones of low fluid pressure can be used to reduce the size while maintaining wall shear rates within a narrow range. A hydraulic manifold can be coupled to a series of microfluidic layers to construct a compact microfluidic device.

Microstructure separation filters are provided herein, as well as chromatography and other separation devices. An exemplary filter device includes a microstructure filter has a plurality of layers of alternating sacrificial and/or structural material which have been etched to create inlet channels and outlet channels. Adjacent ones of the inlet channels and the outlet channels are spaced apart from one another by cross channels that filter a fluid from the inlet channels to the outlet channels. The cross channels include filter features formed by etching away of a portion of the layers. The device also includes a housing configured to receive the microstructure filter.

A phase-separation device and method of use is provided for separating immiscible liquids. The phase-separation device has a porous membrane with a filter surface having a non-planar contour that forms a receiving cavity to receive a liquid mixture. The filter surface is configured to impede flow of a polar liquid into the porous membrane and permit flow of a non-polar liquid into the porous membrane.