A device for dispensing one or more microdroplets is provided. The device comprising a microfluidic chip having an oEWOD structure configured to create an optically-mediated electrowetting (oEWOD) force, the microfluidic chip includes a first region and a second region, wherein said first and second regions are separated by a constriction; wherein the first region is adapted to receive and manipulate one or more microdroplets dispersed in a carrier fluid at first flow rate; and wherein the second region is configured to receive the microdroplet via the constriction from the first region and transfer said microdroplet to an outlet port of the microfluidic chip in a second flow rate; wherein the second region is configured to receive said microdroplet via the constriction from the first region by application of an optically -mediated electrowetting (oEWOD) force; and wherein the second flow rate in the second region is higher than the first flow rate in the first flow region. A method and apparatus for dispensing one or more microdroplets are also provided.

A microfluidic droplet generator that includes a body, an inlet arranged adjacent an upper surface of the body, and a sample reservoir adapted to contain a reservoir fluid that is immiscible in water. The sample reservoir includes a floor and a sidewall coupled to the floor. The floor extends along a horizontal axis and the sidewall extends along a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to the horizontal axis. The microfluidic droplet generator also includes one or more microchannels fluidly connecting the inlet to the sample reservoir. Each of the microchannels includes an inlet end and a reservoir end, and the reservoir end of each of the microchannels intersects the sidewall of the sample reservoir at a location beneath the upper surface of the body.

A droplet generating method includes the steps of providing a micro-pipe having an outlet end; providing a liquid driving device to generate a flow of a first liquid; locating and positioning the micro-pipe which extends along a vertical longitudinal axis; connecting the liquid driving device with the micro-pipe so that the first liquid flows and is emitted out from the outlet end; providing a container, which is positioned at least in-part below the micro-pipe and adapted to contain a second liquid including a liquid surface disposed at a position located between a highest and a lowest positions; and either vertically or horizontally vibrating the micro-pipe, and thereby forming a plurality of droplets of the first liquid emitted from the outlet end at a position below the liquid surface of the second liquid.

An operation method of a multiplex slide plate device is provided. First, the multiplex slide plate device is assembled, including a slide plate, a sacrificial layer and a housing. The slide plate has reaction vessels, and the sacrificial layer has a microfluidic channel composed of an injection channel, a main channel and a distal channel. A sample solution is injected to the injection channel, such that the sample solution flows from the injection channel through the main channel to the distal channel, wherein the sample solution loads into the reaction vessels. Afterwards, an oil is injected to the injection channel, such that the oil flows from the injection channel through the main channel to the distal channel, wherein the oil removes the sample solution not loaded into the reaction vessels. Next, the sacrificial layer is heated to melt, and the melted sacrificial layer is mixed with the oil.

A microfluidic device can include a plurality of channels defined in a substrate and a plurality of rails defined in a substrate. Each channel can comprise a respective channel inlet, a respective channel outlet, and one or more respective non-miscible fluid inlets fluidly coupled to the channel inlet. Each rail can comprise a rail inlet, and each channel outlet can be coupled to a respective rail inlet. One or more fluids introduced via the channel inlets can form first, second, and third droplets, respectively, and the plurality of rails can comprise first, second, and third rails configured such that droplets disposed on the rails form a tripartite droplet interface bilayer (DIB) network.

A method of manipulating microdroplets having an average volume in the range 0.5 femtolitres to 10 nanolitres comprised of at least one biological component and a first aqueous medium having a water activity of a.sub.w1 of less than 1 is provided. It is characterised by the step of maintaining the microdroplets in a water-immiscible carrier fluid which further includes secondary droplets having an average volume less than 25% of the average volume of the microdroplets up to and including a maximum of 4 femtolitres and wherein the volume ratio of carrier fluid to total volume of microdroplets per unit volume of the total is greater than 2:1. The method may be employed for example with microdroplets containing biological cells or with microdroplets containing single nucleoside phosphate such as are prepared in a droplet-based nucleic acid sequencer. The method is suitable for controlling for example cellular, chemical or enzymatic processes and/or microdroplet size in microdroplets or single nucleotide nucleic acid sequencing.

A system and method for isolating and analyzing single cells, wherein the system includes: an array of wells defined at a substrate, each well including an open surface and a well cavity configured to capture cells in one of a single-cell format and single-cluster format, and a fluid delivery module including a fluid reservoir superior to the array of wells through which fluid flow is controlled along a fluid path in a direction parallel to the broad face of the substrate; and wherein the method includes: capturing a population of non-cell particles into the array of wells in single-particle format; releasing, from the non-cell particles, a set of probes into the array of wells; capturing a population of cells into the array of wells in single-cell format; releasing biomolecules from each captured cell into the array of wells; and generating a set of genetic complexes comprising the biomolecules associated with a single captured cell and a subset of probes within individual wells of the array of wells.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for serial flow emulsion processes. Systems and methods as described herein result in reduced cross-contamination.

Devices, systems, and their methods of use, for generating droplets are provided. One or more geometric parameters of a microfluidic channel can be selected to generate droplets of a desired and predictable droplet size.

Sample analysis systems and methods using assay surfaces, assay processing units (APUs), assay processing systems (APSs), and laboratory systems are disclosed. An assay surface includes a sample processing component comprising a plurality of regions, including at least one wash region and at least one storage region configured to hold a plurality of solid supports moveable through the regions under a magnetic force, and a detection component configured to receive the solid supports. An APU includes an assay surface receiving component, a magnetic element configured to generate a moveable magnetic field, and one or more processors configured to move the magnetic field. An APS includes one or more assay surfaces and an APU. A laboratory system includes one or more APSs and a controller for parallel processing. Sample processing and detection methods are disclosed with a reduced sample volume and/or shortened processing time and/or higher sensitivity.