Fluidic multiwell bioreactors are provided as a microphysiological platform for in vitro investigation of multi-organ crosstalks for an extended period of time of at least weeks and months. The disclosed platform is featured with one or more improvements over existing bioreactors, including on-board pumping for pneumatically driven fluid flow, a redesigned spillway for self-leveling from source to sink, a non-contact built-in fluid level sensing device, precise control on fluid flow profile and partitioning, and facile reconfigurations such as daisy chaining and multilayer stacking. The platform supports the culture of multiple organs in a microphysiological, interacted systems, suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications including systemic toxicity studies and physiology-based pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic predictions. A process to fabricate the disclosed bioreactors is also provided.

A method of processing a sample in a receptacle comprising a plurality of chambers. Each of the chambers is connected to at least one other chamber by a portal and at least a first one of the chambers is formed of a flexible material. The method includes the steps of causing gas bubbles contained in the first chamber to accumulate in a portion of the first chamber, applying a compressive external force to the first chamber to cause some or all of the liquid contents of the first chamber to flow into an interconnected second chamber through a portal connecting the first and second chambers; and preventing the gas bubbles accumulated in a portion of the first chamber from flowing through the portal into the second chamber.

A fluidic module rotatable about a center of rotation includes a first compression chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a second compression chamber having a fluid inlet, a first fluid channel connected to the first chamber via the fluid inlet of the first chamber, and a second fluid channel connecting the fluid outlet of the first chamber to the fluid inlet of the second chamber. Due to rotation of the fluidic module a liquid may be centrifugally driven into the first chamber and the second fluid channel through the first fluid channel, and thereby a compressible medium may be entrapped and compressed within the second chamber. By lowering the rotary frequency and due to the resultant expansion of the compressible medium, liquid may be driven out of the second fluid channel into the first chamber, out of the first chamber into and through an outlet channel.

A device for performing a multiplex lateral flow immunoassay is provided in which a liquid sample, such as a biological sample, is simultaneously tested for the presence of multiple analytes of interest. Methods that employ the device in the simultaneous detection of multiple analytes of interest within a liquid test sample are also provided.

A liquid filling aid that is placed on a plate-shaped member and defines a reaction chamber to be filled with a liquid, the aid includes a main body, a storage section that is formed in the main body and stores the liquid, a reaction section that is a recess formed at a bottom of the main body, a communication aperture for fluid communication between the storage section and the reaction section, and an air vent for communication between the reaction section and outside air, wherein the reaction section and an upper surface of the plate-shaped member define the reaction chamber and a liquid filling method including a step of placing the liquid filling aid on the plate-shaped member, and a step of discharging the liquid in an amount equal to or larger than the volume of the reaction chamber for supply to the storage section.

Apparatus for processing liquids or liquid-based substances includes a plurality of volumes at least two of which are defined at least in part by one or more phaseguides inside the volume and/or in a conduit connected thereto for controlling aliquoting of one or more liquids or liquid-based substances inside the volume. Each volume has an upstream and downstream side with respect to meniscus advancement direction via which it may be filled with or emptied of one or more liquids or liquid-based substances. The apparatus also includes at least one common upstream-side conduit connected to supply a liquid or liquid-based substance via a plurality of the inlet or extraction conduits, a plurality of the phaseguides exhibiting a predetermined level of stability and one or more of the phaseguides exhibiting a predetermined different stability compared with the stability of at least one of the other phaseguides whereby to control the preference order in which the volumes fill and/or empty. The stability is determined by the value and radius of an acute angle along a said phaseguide at the downstream side of the phaseguide.

A fluid dispensing device includes a dispensing cylinder, a first inlet and a second inlet. The first inlet is disposed within a first container on which the fluid dispensing device is mounted. The first inlet and the second inlet are configured to facilitate intake of only one fluid into the dispensing cylinder at a given point in time. The fluid dispensing device also includes a first outlet and a second outlet. The first outlet and the second outlet are configured to dispense only one fluid out of the dispensing cylinder at a given point in time. The fluid dispensing device further includes a valve assembly fluidically coupled to the first inlet and the second inlet, and to the first outlet and the second outlet. The valve assembly is configured to control flow of the fluids within and/or out of the dispensing cylinder.

A micro liquid transfer structure includes a plurality of micro projections arranged at intervals causing a capillary action, wherein the plurality of micro projections form periodically arranged unit rows, wherein each of the unit rows comprises the micro projections arranged in one row; and liquid transfer paths that are gaps between the micro projections, wherein at least one of the liquid transfer paths is a low flow resistance liquid transfer path having a flow resistance lower than flow resistances of the other liquid transfer paths, and wherein the low flow resistance liquid transfer path is disposed along a predetermined liquid transfer direction.

An analyzing device has a main body and is configured to draw a sample liquid from a spot application section of the main body and transfer the sample liquid to a measurement chamber via a microchannel structure formed inside the main body by a centrifugal force. The spot application section has an inlet. The analyzing device includes a supplying capillary channel formed within the spot application section. The supplying capillary channel has an end connected to the inlet of the spot application section. The analyzing device also includes a holding chamber connected to another end of the supplying capillary channel and having a thickness sized to generate a capillary force to move the sample liquid. The holding chamber is formed between a first side wall and a second side wall. The first side wall and the second side wall define the holding chamber.

Non-limiting embodiments of a modified devices that comprise at least one dye for determining whether results obtained from the conductance of at least one diagnostic assay are biased, as well as kits and methods of use related thereto.