A microfluidic device includes a microfluidic substrate having a porous media channel, an oil inlet port in fluid communication with the porous media channel, a fluid inlet port in fluid communication with the porous media channel, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the porous media channel. The porous media channel has a plurality of dividers that provide the porous media channel with a network of fluid pathways. A method for assessing miscibility of an oil composition and a fluid includes flowing an aliquot of a fluid through a porous media channel to displace at least an oil composition from the porous media channel, and conducting an optical investigation of the porous media channel to assess the miscibility of the oil composition and the fluid at the test pressure and test temperature.

Methods for detecting target analytes utilizing an array of wells are advantageous for detection of low concentrations of target analytes. Use of an array of wells requires sealing of the wells. The methods provided herein utilize digital microfluidics to seal wells of an array with a fluid that is immiscible with the aqueous liquid present in the wells to prevent evaporation and contamination of the aqueous fluid during analysis of signals from the wells. The disclosed method include generating a biphasic droplet composed of the immiscible fluid and an aqueous fluid. The immiscible fluid present in the biphasic droplet is moved over the array of wells to seal the wells by electrically actuating the aqueous fluid present in the biphasic droplet which in turn pulls the immiscible fluid.

Systems and methods for continuous flow polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are provided. The system comprises an injector, a mixer, a coalescer, a droplet generator, a detector, a digital PCR system, and a controller. The injector takes in a sample, partitions the sample into sample aliquots with the help of an immiscible oil phase, dispenses waste, and sends the sample aliquot to the mixer. The mixer mixes the sample aliquot with a PCR master mix and diluting water, dispenses waste, and sends the sample mixture (separated by an immiscible oil) to the coalescer. The coalescer coalesces the sample mixture with primers dispensed from a cassette, dispenses waste, and sends the reaction mixture (separated by an immiscible oil) to the droplet generator. The droplet generator converts the sample mixture into an emulsion where aqueous droplets of the reaction mixture are maintained inside of an immiscible oil phase and dispenses droplets to the digital PCR system. The digital PCR system amplifies target DNAs in the droplets. The detector detects target DNAs in the droplets. The controller controls the system to run automatically and continuously.

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.

The present disclosure provides methods, devices, systems and kits for producing polymeric microbeads, including lanthanide-encoded microbeads. Among others, the present disclosure provides methods, systems and kits for producing functionalized microbeads that include on their surfaces amphipathic moieties with free reactive groups that remain free and can be used for covalently coupling molecules or moieties of inters to the microbeads.

Micro-Organosphers, including Patient-Derived Micro-Organospheres (PMOSs), apparatuses and methods of making them, and apparatuses and methods of using them. Also described herein are methods and systems for screening a patient using these Patient-Derived Micro-Organospheres, including personalized therapies.

Methods and systems for sorting particles are provided. Methods and systems for sorting cell beads are provided. In some cases, cell beads may be sorted from particles unoccupied with cell derivatives. In some cases, singularly occupied cell beads may be sorted from unoccupied particles and multiply occupied cell beads.

The present invention relates to a method of using a microfluidic chip comprising introducing a gas into the microfluidic chip to replace the liquid that has been introduced into the microfluidic chip and forming a micro-reaction chamber in the form of a liquid-in-gas in the microfluidic chip. The present invention also relates to a method for obtaining assay data, a computer program product embodied in a computer-readable medium and a kit. The methods described in the present invention are easy to operate, low cost, versatile, enabling rapid exchange of fluids, achieving efficient separation and capture of single particles with high purity. In addition, the methods can avoid clogging the chip and facilitate recycling.

Provided is a new method for more efficiently generating emulsion particles each containing one fine particle.

The present technology provides a method of collecting fine particles, in which in a fine particle sorting mechanism having a channel structure including a main channel through which the fine particles flow, a collection channel into which particles to be collected are collected from among the fine particles, a connection channel that connects the main channel and the collection channel, and a liquid supply channel connected to the connection channel so as to supply a liquid, the method includes: a flow step of causing a first liquid containing the fine particles to flow through the main channel; a determination step of determining whether or not the fine particles flowing through the main channel are the particles to be collected; and a collection step of collecting the particles to be collected into the collection channel, and, in the collection step, the particles to be collected are collected into a second liquid that is immiscible with the first liquid in the collection channel while being contained in the first liquid.

A detection chip, a method for manufacturing a detection chip, a method for operating a detection chip, and a reaction system are disclosed. The detection chip includes a first substrate, a micro-cavity definition layer, and a heating electrode. The micro-cavity definition layer defines a plurality of micro-reaction chambers. The heating electrode is configured to release heat after being energized. The heating electrode includes a first electrode portion and at least one second electrode portion. Orthographic projections of the plurality of micro-reaction chambers on the first substrate are within an orthographic projection of the first electrode portion on the first substrate, the orthographic projections of the plurality of micro-reaction chambers on the first substrate do not overlap with an orthographic projection of the second electrode portion on the first substrate, and a resistance value of the first electrode portion is greater than a resistance value of the second electrode portion.