A diagnostic test system, including: a diagnostic test assembly and a diagnostic test apparatus to perform a test on a biological or environmental sample; the diagnostic test assembly includes: a sample preparation reservoir to receive the sample into a sample preparation fluid, such that a swab carrying the sample can be used to stir the preparation fluid and to wash the swab; a sample dispensing mechanism for insertion into the sample preparation reservoir; a closure to seal the sample preparation reservoir; at least one diagnostic test reservoir coupled to the sample preparation reservoir; and at least one seal between the sample preparation reservoir and the diagnostic test reservoir to prevent fluid movement between the respective reservoirs; wherein the sample dispensing mechanism is operable to disrupt the seal to allow sample fluid to enter the diagnostic test reservoir from the sample preparation reservoir, and to dispense a predetermined amount of fluid.

Devices that includes a first portion, the first portion including at least one fluid channel; a fluid actuator; an analysis sensor disposed within the fluid channel; a conductivity sensor disposed within the fluid channel; and an introducer; a second portion, the second portion comprising: at least one well, the well containing at least one material, wherein one of the first or second portion is moveable with respect to the other, wherein the introducer is configured to obtain at least a portion of the material from the at least one well and deliver it to the fluid channel, and wherein the fluid actuator is configured to move at least a portion of the material in the fluid channel.

A microporous substrate for detection of surface bound target analyte molecules includes a microporous substrate material having opposed surfaces and tapered micropores extending through the substrate with the micropores having wider openings on one side of the substrate compared to the other side. The micropores have bound therein analyte specific receptors complementary to the target molecules. When a liquid sample containing the target analyte molecules with optical probes attached to the target molecules is flowed through the substrate, they bind to their complementary analyte specific receptors and emit light. This microporous substrate structure gives an increase in the collection efficiency of light emitted from optical probes when the light is detected by a light detector spaced from the side of the microporous substrate facing the larger micropores openings compared to a light collection efficiency of light emitted from the optical probes when the micropores are straight and not tapered.

The present invention provides a test device for nucleic acid, including a sample treatment chamber, a sample reaction chamber and a test chamber which are disposed from top to bottom successively. The functions of sampling, nucleic acid purification, isothermal amplification and testing result reading by immunochromatography are integrated onto a device to prepare a simple and cute test device for nucleic acid; the device can achieve nucleic acid testing only by two rotations and can ensure that each sampling or reagent adding can reach the target area in a free falling way without any extra drainage facility. The present invention has lower costs, more convenient operation, high detection sensitivity, short time required in nucleic acid testing, and can be used for nucleic acid testing of various samples, such as human and animals.

A process and system for efficiently producing reference data that can be fed into a predictive model for predicting quality attribute concentrations in cell culture processes. A perfusion bioreactor is operated at pseudo-steady-state conditions and one or more attribute influencing parameters are manipulated and changed over time. As the one or more attribute influencing parameters are manipulated, one or more quality attributes are monitored and measured. In one embodiment, multiple quality attributes are monitored and measured in parallel. The quality attribute information is recorded in conjunction with the changes in the attribute influencing parameters. This information is then fed to the predictive model for propagating cell cultures in commercial processes and maintaining the cell cultures within desired preset limits.

The present invention provides a cassette for determining optimised solid phase extraction (SPE) purification conditions, wherein said cassette comprises: (i) a flowpath comprising a first end and a second end; and (ii) a plurality of valves oriented along said flowpath, wherein each of said plurality of valves is selectively fluidly connected to one of a number of components, wherein said components comprise: (a) 1-5 composition vials; (b) 1-3 SPE cartridges; (c) 4-10 solvent vials; (d) a water vial; and (e) a transfer line.

The present invention also provides a method for determining optimised SPE purification conditions for a compound from a composition, the method comprising: (i) provision of a cassette as defined in any of claims 1 to 7; (ii) the cassette comprising a composition of the compound in said composition vial(s) or addition of such a composition to said crude reaction vial(s); (iii) passing an aliquot of said composition into each of said 1-3 SPE cartridges; (iv) passing a particular combination of aliquots of solvent from at least 4 of said 4-10 solvent vials into one or more of the SPE cartridges, wherein the solvent in each of said 4-10 solvent vials is either a different solvent or the same solvent at different concentration; (v) eluting the compound to be purified from the or each SPE cartridge; (vi) evaluating the eluted products of step (v); and (vii) determining the optimised purification conditions by comparing the eluted products of step (v) from each cartridge and each solvent.

A system for testing for an analyte includes a test strip. The test strip includes a first flow path. The test strip further includes a heating element in communication with a heating area of the first flow path, for heating a sample in the first flow path. The test strip further includes an e-gate, the e-gate in the first flow path, the e-gate separating the heating area from a detection area of the first flow path.

The device comprises a nib (12) having a working surface (16) exposed or exposable for acquiring a biological sample and a porous structure to absorb the sample thus acquired. A reservoir (28) provides fluid under pressure to the nib via a valve (29), conveying and dispensing the sample into a reaction chamber (14), where it reconstitutes a dried-down reagent (43) to perform an analytic reaction on the sample, for example, an isothermal amplification of nucleic acid released from the sample by a membrane-disrupting agent pre-functionalised in the porous nib. The nib may be initially mounted (A) in the outlet of the reservoir or (B) in the inlet to the reaction chamber, in either case with its working surface (16) initially exposed to acquire the sample before the components of the device are assembled for performing the analytical procedure.

A system for collecting a sample of a liquid, the system including a liquid storage vessel including an opening, and a capping element configured to seal the opening of the storage vessel is provided. The capping element includes a chamber configured to store a sample of the liquid separate to the liquid storage vessel. The capping element includes a pipette element defining the chamber that is configured to store the sample of liquid taken from the storage vessel.

A biopsy container assembly having a container with a lower chamber suitable for containing a buffer liquid, and a cap coupled with the container. The cap being provided with a chamber that contains a biopsy liquid sealed by a membrane, and a crown with a toothing-suitable for tearing off the membrane of the cap. The crown is also suitable for being disposed in the container in an initial position, wherein the toothing is directed downwards in order not to interfere with the membrane of the cap when the cap is closed on the container, and in an operating position, wherein the toothing is directed upwards in order to tear off the membrane of the cap when the cap is closed on the container.