A pipette tip includes a body and projections. In the body, a flow passage in which liquid from the syringe flows and an ejection opening that ejects the liquid, which has flowed through the flow passage, to the outside are formed. The ejection opening is formed in a distal end portion. The projections are provided on the distal end portion and protrude from a region around the ejection opening in the ejection direction of liquid. The projections are partially disposed around the central axis of the body. Even in a case where a residual droplet adheres to the ejection opening, the residual droplet does not adhere to an injection opening of a sample container, because the projections guard a region around the residual droplet.

In various implementations, a dropper for a bottle may include a bulb with a flange and an extended leg. The dropper may be used as a cap, in some implementations, with or without a skirt. The dropper may inhibit leaks from a bottle when the dropper is used as a cap for the bottle.

A sample container holding mechanism is for holding a sample container 6, and includes a hook member 9 and a stopper member 10. The hook member 9 suspends and holds the sample container 6 in a state where the sample container 6 is inclined with respect to a vertical direction. The stopper member 10 restricts the rotation of the sample container 6 when the sample container 6 is rotated around the hook member 9.

A microfluidic cartridge, configured to facilitate processing and detection of nucleic acids, comprising: a top layer comprising a set of cartridge-aligning indentations, a set of sample port-reagent port pairs, a shared fluid port, a vent region, a heating region, and a set of Detection chambers; an intermediate substrate, coupled to the top layer comprising a waste chamber; an elastomeric layer, partially situated on the intermediate substrate; and a set of fluidic pathways, each formed by at least a portion of the top layer and a portion of the elastomeric layer, wherein each fluidic pathway is fluidically coupled to a sample port-reagent port pair, the shared fluid port, and a Detection chamber, comprises a turnabout portion passing through the heating region, and is configured to be occluded upon deformation of the elastomeric layer, to transfer a waste fluid to the waste chamber, and to pass through the vent region.

The invention relates to the preparation of samples on mass spectrometric sample supports with dispensing of liquids, and particularly to devices and methods to clean the dispenser. During dispensing of hundreds of samples, solved material may crystallize over time as deposit at the capillary tip of the dispenser, which impedes the vertical detachment of the drop in the medium and long run. Therefore, frequently cleaning the capillary tip is essential for a robust operation of the preparation device. The invention proposes to automatically clean the dispenser tip by creating a drop of washing fluid, such as pure solvent, fully enclosing the dispenser tip. The washing fluid is fed through a channel outside the central dispenser capillary to a location slightly above the capillary tip. The size of the hanging drop of washing fluid is photometrically regulated and monitored to prevent it from falling off prematurely.

A dropper dispenser comprising: a fluid reservoir (1) including at least one movable wall (11) so as to put the fluid in the reservoir (1) under pressure; a cannula (24) having an outlet (25) that is designed to form a drop of fluid; and a valve (3) that is arranged between the reservoir (1) and the cannula (24) so as to control firstly the flow of fluid from the reservoir (1) into the cannula (24), and secondly the flow of fluid, and possibly air, from the cannula (24) into the reservoir (1), the valve (3), when subjected to sufficient pressure from the fluid in the reservoir (1), defining an opening (33) having a flow section that is proportional to the force exerted on the movable wall (11) of the reservoir (1); the dropper dispenser being characterized in that it further comprises a valve-opening limiter (27) so as to limit the opening (33) of the valve (3) while fluid is flowing from the reservoir (1) into the cannula (24), so as to create additional head loss that reduces the flow of fluid through the cannula (24).

A fluid specimen collection receptacle includes a cup containing a chamber and an open end and a lid for connection with the cup open end and closing the cup chamber. A closure and a specimen collection needle are connected with the lid and a reservoir is arranged beneath the lid and connected with the closure for rotation relative to the lid between open and closed positions. The closure affords access to the needle when the closure is in the open position and prevents access to the needle when the closure is in the closed position. The reservoir includes a chamber closed by a portion of the lid when the closure is in the open position. When the closure is rotated to the closed position, the reservoir is opened for communication with the cup chamber to release an absorbent material from the reservoir chamber into the cup chamber to solidify any residual fluid specimen within the cup chamber.

A microfluidic device and method for fabrication includes a microfluidic channel that has a closed portion, which comprises: a liquid pathway formed by a wetting area; and an anti-wetting area extending along and contiguously with the liquid pathway. The anti-wetting area is configured so as to provide a vent to evacuate gas along the anti-wetting area.

A microfluidic device and method for fabrication includes a microfluidic channel that has a closed portion, which comprises: a liquid pathway formed by a wetting area; and an anti-wetting area extending along and contiguously with the liquid pathway. The anti-wetting area is configured so as to provide a vent to evacuate gas along the anti-wetting area.

An apparatus for collecting, storing and transferring a liquid specimen includes a first cup for collecting a liquid specimen and a lid attachable to the first cup for closing an opening in the first cup. The lid defines a protruding collar, the lid and the collar define an aperture extending through the lid and a length of the collar. The apparatus further includes a transfer assembly including a tube having first and second ends, the first end defining a point, the second end configured for insertion through the aperture in the collar for transferring a liquid specimen from the first cup through the tube. The first end of the tube extends through a bottom of a second cup and into the second cup. The first end of the tube configured for insertion into an evacuated vial for transferring a liquid specimen from the first cup to the vial.