A cartridge includes: a first reservoir capable of accommodating a sample liquid; a sheath liquid conduit; a sterilization filter; a mixer; a nozzle; a droplet collection member; and a check valve. The sterilization filter is provided at the sheath liquid conduit. The check valve is connected to a waste-droplet collection member. A sample liquid flow path and a sheath liquid flow path are isolated from a surrounding environment around the cartridge and are maintained in a sterile state. The sample liquid flow path extends from the first reservoir to the droplet collection member. The sheath liquid flow path extends from the sterilization filter to the droplet collection member.

The present invention discloses a microstructured discrimination device for separating hydrophobic-hydrophilic fluidic composites comprising particulate and/or fluids in a fluid flow. The discrimination is the result of surface energy gradients obtained by physically varying a textured surface and/or by varying surface chemical properties, both of which are spatially graded. Such surfaces discriminate and spatially separate particulate and/or fluids without external energy input. The device of the present invention comprises a platform having bifurcating microchannels arranged radially. The lumenal surfaces of the microchannels may have a surface energy gradient created by varying the periodicity of hierarchically arranged microstructures along a dimension. The surface energy gradient is varied in two regions. In one pre-bifurcation region the surface energy gradient generates a fluid flow. In the other post-bifurcation region, there is a difference in surface energy proximal to the bifurcation such that different flow fractions are divided into separate channels in response to different surface energy gradients in each of the post-bifurcation channels. Accordingly, fluids of different hydrophobicity and/or particulate of different hydrophobicity are driven into separate channels by a global minimization of the fluid system energy.

A device and method for separation of components of a sample, in particular for pressure separation of immiscible or liquid systems with limited miscibility having at least one first chamber with a U- or V-shaped bottom wherein at least one aperture with a diameter within the range of 1 to 100 μm, preferably 1 to 40 μm, is provided in the first chamber and at least the surface of each aperture is hydrophilized or hydrophobized is disclosed. The device further has a second chamber surrounding the outside of the bottom of the first chamber. The invention also provides a method for separating components of a sample using this device and additionally enables parallel arrangement for plurality of separating conditions and serial arrangement for plurality of separated samples at the same time.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a nucleic acid extraction microfluidic chip, and a nucleic acid extraction device and method. The nucleic acid extraction microfluidic chip includes a channel plate including: a mixed lysis zone, an extraction zone adjacent to the mixed lysis zone, a gas-pressure driven port in communication with an exterior, a first type of channel communicating the mixed lysis zone with the extraction zone, and a second type of channel communicating the extraction zone with the gas-pressure driven port; a cover plate opposite to the channel plate, wherein the cover plate includes a sample inlet and a liquid inlet through hole in a location corresponding to the mixed lysis zone; and a solution accommodating cavity, on a side of the cover plate away from the channel plate, wherein the solution accommodating cavity communicates with the mixed lysis zone of the channel plate through the liquid inlet through hole.

A magnetic particle manipulating apparatus includes a magnetic force source moving mechanism, an operation controller configured to control operation of the magnetic source moving mechanism, an openable cover for covering the device holder, a pressing mechanism provided on the cover to press the tubular device held by the device holder when the cover is closed so that warpage of the tubular device is corrected, an open/close state detector provided so as to detect an open/close state of the cover. The operation controller is configured to execute the processing operation only in a case where the open/close state detector detects that the cover is closed.

One aspect of the present invention provides a nucleic acid extraction device. The nucleic acid extraction device includes a container which stores each of a cleaning solution and an eluting solution, a water level sensor configured to detect amounts of the cleaning solution and the eluting solution which are stored in the container, a tube sensor configured to sense a sample tube disposed on a sample tube accommodation portion, and an operation initiation portion configured to determine whether the cleaning solution and the eluting solution which are necessary for a nucleic acid extraction operation are provided on the basis of the number of such sample tubes which is sensed by the tube sensor and the amounts of the cleaning solution and the eluting solution which are sensed by the water level sensor.

The present disclosure pertains to sample preparation devices useful for affinity capture and purification that include one or more internal structures that comprise a reservoir, a well, a fluid passageway, sorbent particles, and a filter element that blocks passage of the affinity sorbent particles, which sample preparation devices combine the attributes of both dispersive and flow through designs into a single sample preparation device. The present disclosure also pertains to kits that contain and methods that use such sample preparation devices.

Devices that can transport biological materials are described. The devices incorporate capillary channeled fibers that can effectively transport living cells as well as other biological materials such as nutrients, growth factors, waste materials, etc. The devices can include a sorptive material at one end of the fibers that can improve transport of materials through the devices. The devices can differentially transport different cell types, particularly when the fibers are held in a vertical orientation. Diagnostic devices that incorporate the capillary channeled fibers are described that can be utilized to separate cell types from one another. Tissue engineering scaffolds that incorporate the capillary channeled fibers are described that can more efficiently transport materials into and out of the scaffolds.

Magnetic beads having cell components of interest are translated between a sequence of processing wells in a tray without need for pipetting. The circular tray contains one or more sequences of wells each interconnected by a respective channel. The tray is rotated about a central axis and a magnet, an agitator, and a heater provided external to the tray enable magnetic bead translation, mixing, and incubation, respectively. The magnet proximate a well forms a cluster of beads. Manipulation of the tray in rotation and elevation results in translation of the cluster from one well, through a channel, and into an adjacent well. The well containing a cluster may be rotationally positioned in front of the agitator, the agitator extended into contact with the well, followed by mechanical agitation. The heater, disposed beneath the tray, may accept a well lowered thereto for selective heating.

The present invention provides a disposable pipette tip for dispersive solid phase extraction (SPE) that allows for rapid, automatable purification of large biomolecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins and polypeptides without the need for additional tools such as centrifuges, magnetic plates or vacuum manifolds. The pipette tip is designed for optimal biomolecule isolation while maintaining sample integrity. Optimized methods of using the dispersive pipette extraction system for isolation of large biomolecules are also provided.