A method of dispensing a graded material includes generating droplets of a first working material, the droplets having a size in the range of 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers, adding the droplets of the first working material into a carrier fluid to create a first emulsion, wherein addition of the droplets of the first working material is controlled to create gradient in the emulsion, mixing the first emulsion to create a homogenous, graded mixture, and dispensing the homogenous, graded mixture onto a surface.

In a manufacturing method of a laminate structure according to the invention, a manufacturing apparatus of the laminate structure is used, which apparatus comprises material containers for the glue paste components, a separate pump for each glue paste component, which pumps are arranged to pump the components of the glue paste to be manufactured through the outlet pipes to the mixing unit. Furthermore, the glue paste manufacturing apparatus comprises a control unit of the glue manufacturing apparatus, which control unit is arranged to determine the mutual mixing ratio of the glue components at the starting moment of the glue manufacturing process, to start the pumping of the different glue components in connection with the starting of the mixing unit, to pump the glue components with component-specific pumps to the mixing unit in a mixture ratio determined by the control unit, and that the control unit is arranged to adjust the ratio of the glue components as a function of time so that the open time of the glue coming out from the mixing unit shortens towards the end of the gluing process, whereby the clamping time of the elements of the laminate to be glued together shortens so as to be as long as the clamping time of the glue layer having the shortest open time, upon the expiry of which all the glue layers of the laminate structure have reached the target hardness.

A system for printing biomaterials can include a mixer having a longitudinal axis. The mixer can define a flow channel that extends along the longitudinal axis. The mixer can have at least one inlet configured to receive a first printable biomaterial and a second printable biomaterial and an outlet spaced from the inlet along the longitudinal axis. One or more mixing elements positioned within the flow channel between the inlet(s) and the outlet of the mixer. The mixing element(s) can be configured to control a spatial distribution of the first and second printable biomaterials across and along the longitudinal axis.

A robotic microfluidic incubator system has a thin transparent sidewall and close proximity of the embryo/oocyte/cultured cells to the sidewall allow close approach of a side view microscope with adequate focal length for mid to high power. This arrangement permits microscopic examination of multiple culture wells when arranged in rows (linear or along the circumference of a carousel). Manual or automated side to side movement of the linear well row, or rotation of the carousel, allows rapid inspection of the contents each well. Automated systems with video capability also allow remote inspection of wells by video connection or Internet connection, and automated video systems can record oft-hours inspections or time lapse development in culture (i.e. embryo cell division progression, or axon growth in neuron cell cultures).

A robotic microfluidic incubator system has a thin transparent sidewall and close proximity of the embryo/oocyte/cultured cells to the sidewall allow close approach of a side view microscope with adequate focal length for mid to high power. This arrangement permits microscopic examination of multiple culture wells when arranged in rows (linear or along the circumference of a carousel). Manual or automated side to side movement of the linear well row, or rotation of the carousel, allows rapid inspection of the contents each well. Automated systems with video capability also allow remote inspection of wells by video connection or Internet connection, and automated video systems can record oft-hours inspections or time lapse development in culture (i.e. embryo cell division progression, or axon growth in neuron cell cultures).

A robotic microfluidic incubator system has a thin transparent sidewall and close proximity of the embryo/oocyte/cultured cells to the sidewall allow close approach of a side view microscope with adequate focal length for mid to high power. This arrangement permits microscopic examination of multiple culture wells when arranged in rows (linear or along the circumference of a carousel). Manual or automated side to side movement of the linear well row, or rotation of the carousel, allows rapid inspection of the contents each well. Automated systems with video capability also allow remote inspection of wells by video connection or Internet connection, and automated video systems can record oft-hours inspections or time lapse development in culture (i.e. embryo cell division progression, or axon growth in neuron cell cultures).

In one embodiment, a selective plane illumination microscopy system for capturing light emitted by an illuminated specimen, the system including a specimen support having a top surface configured to support a specimen holder and an opening configured to provide access to a bottom of the specimen holder, and a selective plane illumination microscopy optical system positioned beneath the specimen support, the optical system configured to illuminate the specimen with a sheet of excitation light and including an excitation objective, a detection objective, and an open-top, hollow imaging element that is configured to contain a liquid, wherein the imaging element is positioned within the opening of the specimen support and optical axes of the objectives are aligned with the imaging element such that the axes pass through the imaging element and intersect at a position near the top surface of the specimen support.

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for manipulating fluids. The apparatus may include a microfluidic structure including inlet channels (1 and 2) and outlet channels (306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, and 314) oriented among bifurcated (5), trifurcated (6) and merging junctions (7 and 8). The apparatus splits and merges fluids flowing in the channels to produce successive dilutions of the fluids within the outlet channels. Multiple apparatus may be combined in serial, parallel, combined serial and parallel and/or stacked configurations. One or more apparatus may be used alone or to provide various devices or chambers with the diluted fluids.

In one embodiment, a selective plane illumination microscopy system for capturing light emitted by an illuminated specimen includes a specimen stage having a top surface adapted to support a specimen holder and an opening adapted to provide access to a bottom of the holder, and a selective plane illumination microscopy optical system positioned beneath the stage, the optical system including an excitation objective, a detection objective, and an open-top, hollow prism that is adapted to contain a liquid, wherein the prism is positioned within the opening of the stage and optical axes of the objectives are aligned with the prism such that the axes pass through the prism and intersect at a position near the top surface of the specimen stage.

Methods and systems are provided for mixing component materials and dispensing a gradient product comprising a continuously varied composition of matter. The method includes delivering, by multiple dispensing devices actuated by a motor, component material to a connector where each of multiple connector inputs receives component material from a respective one of the multiple dispensing devices. The component material is forwarded to a mixing tube connected to a single output of the connector. The mixing tube receives the component material from each of the multiple dispensing devices via the connector and mixes the component material. A dispensing nozzle connected to the mixing tube, receives a continuously varying mixture of materials from the mixing tube and dispenses the continuously varying mixture of materials onto a collection bed to form a gradient product comprising a continuously varying composition of matter. An electronic processor controls the varied composition of matter of the gradient product.