A digital microfluidic device, comprising a bottom plate and a top plate. The bottom plate comprises a bottom electrode array comprising a plurality of digital microfluidic propulsion electrodes. The top plate comprises a segmented top electrode array comprising a plurality of separately voltage addressable top electrode segments. Each top electrode segment and at least two of the propulsion electrodes of the bottom electrode array form a zone within the device. A controller is operatively coupled to the top electrode array and to the bottom electrode array and is configured to provide propulsion voltages between the top plate segment and the bottom plate propulsion electrodes of at least one of the zones. The top plate and the bottom plate are provided in a spaced relationship defining a microfluidic region therebetween.

Examples herein involve sorting a droplet including a biologic sample. In a particular example, sorting a droplet including a biologic sample includes generating a droplet including a biologic sample and a pH sensitive surfactant, and heating a nucleic acid molecule in the biologic sample. The pH sensitive surfactant may change the surface tension of the droplet responsive to amplification of the nucleic acid molecule. The droplet may be sorted into one of a plurality of sorting lanes based on the surface tension of the droplet, where a sorting lane among the plurality of sorting lanes is associated with droplets including the amplified nucleic acid molecule. A determination of whether the droplet includes the amplified nucleic acid molecule may be performed by detecting passage of the droplet in one of the plurality of sorting lanes.

A high-throughput optofluidic device for detecting fluorescent droplets is disclosed. The device uses time-domain encoded optofluidics to detect a high rate of droplets passing through parallel microfluidic channels. A light source modulated with a minimally correlating maximum length sequences is used to illuminate the droplets as they pass through the microfluidic device. By correlating the resulting signal with the expected pattern, each pattern formed by passing droplets can be resolved to identify individual droplets.

A sample extraction cassette and method are provided to test for a target in a sample. The sample is obtained on a swab. The swab is inserted into a chamber in a case and into contact with a contact portion of a membrane. The contact portion of the membrane is axially moved into sequential communication with a wash fluid and a reaction fluid. The reaction fluid reacts with the target to provide a visual display corresponding to the presence of the target.

A digital microfluidic (DMF) system based on an electrowetting-on-dielectric mechanism includes a substrate, and at least one dielectric layer comprising diamond-like carbon over the substrate. The DMF system also includes a plurality of electrodes connected to the dielectric layer. A voltage source is selectively couplable to different electrodes of the plurality of electrodes.

A multi-module sample preparation device for use with a DNA sequencer is provided. The device includes several modules that are operatively connected in a manner such that a liquid sample containing DNA for analysis can be charged into the device and automatically prepared for sequencing with little or no user interaction. The device enables targeted amplification, purification, and library preparation for a liquid sample prior to being injected into a DNA sequencer.

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 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.

We describe a microfluidic structure for spacing out droplets, the structure comprising: a main channel for guiding droplets in a spacing fluid; a first inlet for introducing droplets into the main channel; and a second inlet for introducing a spacing fluid into the main channel, wherein a cross-sectional area of the main channel decreases downstream from the first inlet. We also describe a method of spacing out droplets using a microfluidic structure.

In a method of detecting a test substance, a test substance is detected using a sample analysis cartridge supplied with a sample. The sample analysis cartridge includes: a passage part having a gas-phase space; and liquid containers communicating with the passage part through openings. The liquid containers include: a first liquid container containing a first liquid containing magnetic particles; and a second liquid container containing a second liquid containing a labeled substance. The magnetic particles are sequentially transported to the liquid containers through the gas-phase space in the passage part. Thus, the magnetic particles carry a complex of the test substance and the labeled substance. The test substance is detected based on the labeled substance in the complex.