According to an aspect of the present application, there is provided a diagnostic method for performing diagnosis on tumor cells included in a sample by using a patch which is provided as a gel type having a net-like structure forming micro-cavities, the diagnostic method including placing the sample on a plate, and using the patch that contains reagents used to detect cancer to provide the reagents contained in the patch to the plate.

Methods for determining the lateral diffusion of one or more components are provided.

A method for determining the diffusion of one or more components, the method includes the steps of (i) providing a component fluid flow having one or more components; (ii) providing a blank fluid flow; (iii) bringing the flow (i) into contact with the flow (ii) in a large cross section channel, thereby to generate two laminar flows; (iv) permitting the laminar flows generated in (iii) to flow from the large cross section channel into a small cross section channel; measuring the lateral diffusion of the one or more components from the component flow into the blank fluid flow in the small cross section channel. Also provided is a diffusion method having the steps of measuring the lateral diffusion of the one or more components from the component flow into the blank fluid flow at a plurality of diffusion times.

The present disclosure relates to a tissue diagnosis device including a plate supporter configured to support a plate on which a reaction region is placed and a sample is placed in the reaction region, a patch controller configured to support the patch which contains a labeling substance that specifically labels the target substance, and control a position of the patch relative to the reaction region so that the patch provides the labeling substance to the reaction region, and a target substance detector configured to detect the labeling substance and detect the target substance included in the tissue sample.

A static fluid and a second fluid are placed into contact along a microfluidic free interface and allowed to mix by diffusion without convective flow across the interface. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the fluids are static and initially positioned on either side of a closed valve structure in a microfluidic channel having a width that is tightly constrained in at least one dimension. The valve is then opened, and no-slip layers at the sides of the microfluidic channel suppress convective mixing between the two fluids along the resulting interface. Applications for microfluidic free interfaces in accordance with embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, protein crystallization studies, protein solubility studies, determination of properties of fluidics systems, and a variety of biological assays such as diffusive immunoassays, substrate turnover assays, and competitive binding assays.

The present invention relates to systems and methods of performing in-line mixing of assay components and delivery of such mixed components into microfluidic channels. In one aspect, a method of delivering mixed assay components is provided which comprises causing an unmixed primer solution to flow into a first mixing channel, the unmixed primer solution comprising a common reagent and a primer, holding the unmixed primer solution in the first mixing channel for at least a threshold amount of time to allow the unmixed primer solution to transition into a mixed primer solution, causing a buffer to flow into a second mixing channel, the buffer comprising the common reagent but not including a primer, and, after holding the unmixed primer solution in the first mixing channel for at least the threshold amount of time, drawing, from the first mixing channel, the mixed primer solution into a common exit channel.

A micromixer includes: a first channel plate where a first channel and a plurality of first branch channels are each formed by a non-through groove in a front surface, and a first confluence channel is formed by a non-through groove in a rear surface, and includes a first communication channel that communicates the first branch channels with the first confluence channel; a first lid plate that covers the front surface; a second channel plate where a second confluence channel is formed by a non-through groove in the front surface, and a second channel and a plurality of second branch each formed by a non-through groove in the rear surface, and includes a second communication channel that communicates the second branch channels with the second confluence channel; and a second lid plate that covers the rear surface of the second channel plate.

A micromixer includes: a first channel plate where a first channel and a plurality of first branch channels are each formed by a non-through groove in a front surface, and a first confluence channel is formed by a non-through groove in a rear surface, and includes a first communication channel that communicates the first branch channels with the first confluence channel; a first lid plate that covers the front surface; a second channel plate where a second confluence channel is formed by a non-through groove in the front surface, and a second channel and a plurality of second branch each formed by a non-through groove in the rear surface, and includes a second communication channel that communicates the second branch channels with the second confluence channel; and a second lid plate that covers the rear surface of the second channel plate.

A method for mixing liquids using an automated liquid handling system includes: aspirating liquid volumes of a first liquid and a second liquid from alternating ones of a first liquid supply and a second liquid supply into a mixing volume such that the aspirated liquid volumes form a liquid stack including a series of alternating, interfacing layers of the first and second liquids in the mixing volume; permitting the interfacing layers of the first and second liquids to mix with one another by diffusion in the mixing volume to form a mixture liquid; and dispensing the mixture liquid from the mixing volume.

A method for mixing liquids using an automated liquid handling system includes: aspirating liquid volumes of a first liquid and a second liquid from alternating ones of a first liquid supply and a second liquid supply into a mixing volume such that the aspirated liquid volumes form a liquid stack including a series of alternating, interfacing layers of the first and second liquids in the mixing volume; permitting the interfacing layers of the first and second liquids to mix with one another by diffusion in the mixing volume to form a mixture liquid; and dispensing the mixture liquid from the mixing volume.