The present invention discloses a method for preparing a micro-channel array plate, comprising the steps of : (1) arranging a first optical fiber glass rod and a second optical fiber glass rod closely, melting the two glass rods into a whole at a high temperature to obtain a melted glass rod, drawing the melted glass rod at least one time into a longer and thinner glass rod than the melted glass rod, and cutting the drawn glass rod into small pieces to obtain a micro-channel array plate blank, wherein the corrosion resistance of the first optical fiber glass rod and the second optical fiber glass rod to the same corrosive liquid is different; (2) corroding the micro-channel array plate blank by a corrosive liquid to obtain a micro-channel array plate crude product with through holes; and (3) conducting hydrophobic treatment on the micro-channel array plate crude product to obtain the micro-channel array plate.

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.

Described herein are systems relating to a continuous-flow instrument that includes all necessary components for digital droplet quantification without the need to introduce key reagents or collect and transfer droplets between stages of instrument operation. Digital quantification can proceed without any additional fluid or consumable handling and without exposing fluids to risk of external contamination.

A detection chip, a using method for the same, and a reaction system. The detection chip includes a first substrate, a micro-cavity defining layer, and a heating electrode. The micro-cavity defining layer is on the first substrate and defines a plurality of micro-reaction chambers. The heating electrode is on the first substrate and is closer to the first substrate than the micro-cavity defining layer, and is configured to heat a plurality of micro-reaction chambers. The orthographic projection of the plurality of micro-reaction chambers on the first substrate is within the orthographic projection of the heating electrode on the first substrate.

Microfluidic pumps are provided that use electrowetting to manipulate the location of one or more droplets of a working fluid (e.g., water) in order to pump tears, blood, laboratory samples, carrier fluid, or some other payload fluid. The working fluid is separated from the payload fluid by one or more droplets of an isolating fluid that is immiscible with the working fluid. The working fluid is manipulated via electrowetting, by applying voltages to two or more electrodes, to repeatedly move back and forth. Forces, pressures, and/or fluid flows exerted by the working fluid are coupled to the payload fluid via the droplet(s) of isolation fluid and reed valves, diffuser nozzles, or other varieties of valve can act as flow-rectifying elements to convert the coupled forces into a net flow of the payload fluid through the pump.

Provided herein, among other aspects, are methods and apparatuses for analyzing particles in a sample. In some aspects, the particles can be analytes, cells, nucleic acids, or proteins and contacted with a tag, partitioned into aliquots, detected by a ranking device, and isolated. The methods and apparatuses provided herein may include a microfluidic chip. In some aspects, the methods and apparatuses may be used to quantify rare particles in a sample, such as cancer cells and other rare cells for disease diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment.

Disclosed herein is a novel method of producing monodisperse aqueous droplets, as well as a novel microfluidic droplet generator. In some examples, the method comprises flowing an aqueous solution through a microchannel and into a sample reservoir of the microfluidic droplet generator, wherein monodisperse droplets of the aqueous solution form by step-emulsification at a step change in height at an intersection of a reservoir end of the microchannel and a sidewall of the sample reservoir. In some examples, the aqueous solution is a hydrogel precursor solution and monodisperse droplets of the hydrogel precursor solution form by step-emulsification at the step change in height at the intersection of the reservoir end of the microchannel and the sidewall of the sample reservoir. In some examples, the monodisperse droplets of the hydrogel precursor solution are incubated under conditions suitable for gelation to form hydrogel beads.

Systems and methods for in-context editing of web pages in which the production format of a web page is visible while the web page is being edited, and the editable image is not distorted by the editing tools. In one embodiment, a system includes a server computer, a client computer and a transmission channel coupled between them. The server computer receives a request for a web page from the client computer and responsively transmits a web page containing in-context editing tools to the client computer. The client computer operate alternately in a first mode in which the in-context editing tools are superimposed on a web page image, or a second mode in which the web page image is displayed, but the in-context editing tools are hidden. The tools overlay in the first mode does not alter the production format of the web page image as displayed in the second mode.

A microfabricated sheath flow structure for producing a sheath flow includes a primary sheath flow channel for conveying a sheath fluid, a sample inlet for injecting a sample into the sheath fluid in the primary sheath flow channel, a primary focusing region for focusing the sample within the sheath fluid and a secondary focusing region for providing additional focusing of the sample within the sheath fluid. The secondary focusing region may be formed by a flow channel intersecting the primary sheath flow channel to inject additional sheath fluid into the primary sheath flow channel from a selected direction. A sheath flow system may comprise a plurality of sheath flow structures operating in parallel on a microfluidic chip.

System for performing a flow-based assay. The system may comprise a droplet generator to produce an emulsion including droplets in a carrier fluid. The system also may comprise a thermocycler including two or more temperature-controlled zones and also including a channel connected to the droplet generator for receiving the emulsion. The channel may form a single-pass continuous fluid route traversing the temperature-controlled zones multiple times, such that droplets passing through the channel are thermally cycled. The system further may comprise a detection station downstream from the thermocycler and configured to detect a signal from the droplets after such droplets have been thermally cycled by passing through the channel.