Disclosed herein are devices, systems, and methods for sorting a particle based on a characteristic of a particle.

Systems and methods are provided for high-efficiency transport of single particles for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Single particles may be delivered to the mass spectrometer for quantification of trace elements. The systems may include droplet generation, conveyance module, capillary tubing, and/or an integrated inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torch, which may allow for the sequential transportation of single particles.

Methods described herein provide a way to reduce or eliminate drag and adhesion of a substance flowing over a surface by creating a vapor cushion via evaporation of a phase-changing material of or on the surface or encapsulated within textures of the surface. The vapor cushion causes the flowing substance to be suspended over the surface, greatly reducing friction, drag, and adhesion between the flowing substance and the surface. The temperature of the flowing substance is above the sublimation point and/or melting point of the phase-changing material. The phase-changing material undergoes a phase change (evaporation or sublimation) upon contact with the flowing substance due to local heat transfer from the flowing substance to the material, generating a vapor cushion between the solid or liquid material and the flowing substance.

A microfluidic system includes an electro-wetting on dielectric (EWOD) device and a control system that controls actuation voltages applied to the element array of the EWOD device to perform manipulation operations as to fluid droplets. The control system applies a sequence of actuation voltages to a portion of the array elements associated with a droplet to maintain the droplet in a desired droplet state corresponding to a predetermined droplet property. The sequence of actuation voltages includes an actuation-on period in which the portion of the array elements associated with the droplet is actuated and an actuation-off period in which the portion of the array elements associated with the droplet is not actuated, and the actuation-off period is non-zero. The control system may apply a sequence of actuation voltages comprising a predetermined duty cycle, and/or the actuation voltages may be applied in accordance with a sensor based intervention.

An apparatus provides precise steering of inkjet droplets to a substrate by use of multipole arrangement with electrodes on a resistive plate. There may be droplet detection based on charge sensing. A hexagonal spiral deposition pattern on a target substrate allows fast uniform printing covering a nearly circular hexagonal area. There may be six electrodes arranged to form a cubic enclosure, and injected droplets may be merged within the enclosure, and their charge controlled by merging of source droplets of differing charges to provide a net charge for biasing onward steering.

A single junction sorter for a microfluidic particle sorter, the single-junction sorter comprising: an input channel, configured to receive a fluid containing particles; an output sort channel and an output waste channel, each connected to the input channel for receiving the fluid therefrom; a bubble generator, operable to selectively displace the fluid around a particle to be sorted and thereby to create a transient flow of the fluid in the input channel; and a vortex element, configured to cause a vortex in the transient flow in order to direct the particle to be sorted into the output sort channel.

A dual balance electrode trap having an outer chamber, a droplet dispenser holder removably coupled to the top surface of the outer chamber, and a rod holder having a central opening and four peripheral openings that are sized and shaped to allow four respective quadrupole metal rods to pass therethrough. The droplet dispenser holder has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a through hole that extends from the dispenser holder top surface to the droplet dispenser bottom surface. The through hole has a larger diameter portion adjacent to the top surface and a smaller diameter portion adjacent to the bottom surface, thereby preventing a droplet dispenser distal tip from extending entirely through the hole and contacting electrodes in the DBET. The rod holder is configured to be removably coupled to the quadrupole metal rods so that a location of the rod holder relative to the metal rods is adjustable.

A method and a system for resolving a crystal structure of a crystal at atomic resolution by collecting X-ray diffraction images. The method includes the steps: a) ejecting a droplet of fluid comprising single or multiple of crystal into an ultrasonic acoustic levitator; b) levitating the droplet of fluid with the crystal in the ultrasonic acoustic levitator; b) monitoring the position and the spinning of the droplet with a visualization apparatus; c) applying X-ray to the crystal, the X-ray stemming from an X-ray source; and d) detecting the X-ray diffraction images from the crystal irradiated by the X-ray source by an X-ray detector being capable to capture two dimensional diffraction patterns.

This invention discloses methods for producing modified cellulose, modified nanocellulose, modified nanocellulose functionalized with other functional species, and derivatives thereof. The present invention also provides cellulose, nanocellulose, and their derivatives that are safe to use inside an animal or human body and are biocompatible without costly purification. These cellulose or nanocellulose materials can be used in many different applications, including carrier for pharmaceutical active agents and other medical devices.

A microfluidic system includes an electro-wetting on dielectric (EWOD) device and a control system that controls actuation voltages applied to the element array of the EWOD device to perform manipulation operations as to fluid droplets. The control system applies a sequence of actuation voltages to a portion of the array elements associated with a droplet to maintain the droplet in a desired droplet state corresponding to a predetermined droplet property. The sequence of actuation voltages includes an actuation-on period in which the portion of the array elements associated with the droplet is actuated and an actuation-off period in which the portion of the array elements associated with the droplet is not actuated, and the actuation-off period is non-zero. The control system may apply a sequence of actuation voltages comprising a predetermined duty cycle, and/or the actuation voltages may be applied in accordance with a sensor based intervention.