A moisture-tight, re-sealable container is disclosed having a lid and body. The lid and body have a non-round seal that is substantially moisture tight when the lid is seated on the body, admitting less than 1000 micrograms per day of water to a package. A reinforcement stiffens or reinforces at least a portion of the seal against inward deflection along an axis defined by the minor diameter when the lid is seated on the body. Optionally the reinforcement is at least one spline subdividing the reservoir. A method of making dispensers for objects of varying length to customize particular dispensers to dispense such objects of a particular length is also disclosed.

A tube for mixing, diluting and preserving a sample includes a hollow first container for receiving and storing a solution, the first container having first and second ends, wherein at least the first end has a through-hole, and a transport-pin located in the through-hole of the first end having a shape closely matching to the through-hole, the transport-pin including a recess with a predetermined size. The recess is suitable to be filled by a sample, wherein the transport-pin is movable between an initial position in which the recess is positioned at least partially on the outer side of the first container, and an end position in which the recess is positioned at least partially on the inner side of the first container.

A system and method for processing and detecting nucleic acids from a set of biological samples, comprising: a molecular diagnostic module configured to receive nucleic acids bound to magnetic beads, isolate nucleic acids, and analyze nucleic acids, comprising a cartridge receiving module, a heating/cooling subsystem and a magnet configured to facilitate isolation of nucleic acids, a valve actuation subsystem including an actuation substrate, and a set of pins interacting with the actuation substrate, and a spring plate configured to bias at least one pin in a configurations, the valve actuation subsystem configured to control fluid flow through a microfluidic cartridge for processing nucleic acids, and an optical subsystem for analysis of nucleic acids; and a fluid handling system configured to deliver samples and reagents to components of the system to facilitate molecular diagnostic protocols.

There is a described a patch-clamp chip for making electrical measurements on a biological sample. The patch-clamp chip comprising a plurality of layers comprising poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) forming a stack. It comprises at least a chip surface layer comprising an aperture formed therethrough and which upwardly opens on the surface, where the biological sample is provided. A microfluidic channel layer comprising PDMS extends below the plane of the chip surface layer and comprises a microfluidic channel formed therein. The aperture of the chip surface layer downwardly opens on the microfluidic channel. Electrophysiological measurements are made between an internal solution in the microfluidic channel and the external solution on the chip surface. The measurements can be performed via a bottom electrode. A plurality of apertures and corresponding microfluidic channels can be provided to perform simultaneous measurements on a plurality of samples, independently.

A flow cell with a predetermined breaking barrier in a duct region of the flow cell. The flow cell has a cut-out in a substrate of the flow cell, which forms a portion of the duct region and has an opening in a surface of the substrate. The opening is hermetically sealed by a barrier film fused and/or glued to the surface and forming the predetermined breaking barrier. A layer is provided to be arranged over the barrier film. The layer can be stretched into the cut-out on breaking of the barrier film and formation of an access to a duct region section bounded by the barrier film and the layer.

Methods and apparatus for long read, label-free, optical nanopore long chain molecule sequencing. In general, the present disclosure describes a novel sequencing technology based on the integration of nanochannels to deliver single long-chain molecules with widely spaced (>wavelength), ˜1-nm aperture “tortuous” nanopores that slow translocation sufficiently to provide massively parallel, single base resolution using optical techniques. A novel, directed self-assembly nanofabrication scheme using simple colloidal nanoparticles is used to form the nanopore arrays atop nanochannels that unfold the long chain molecules. At the surface of the nanoparticle array, strongly localized electromagnetic fields in engineered plasmonic/polaritonic structures allow for single base resolution using optical techniques.

A microporous substrate for detection of surface bound target analyte molecules includes a microporous substrate material having opposed surfaces and tapered micropores extending through the substrate with the micropores having wider openings on one side of the substrate compared to the other side. The micropores have bound therein analyte specific receptors complementary to the target molecules. When a liquid sample containing the target analyte molecules with optical probes attached to the target molecules is flowed through the substrate, they bind to their complementary analyte specific receptors and emit light. This microporous substrate structure gives an increase in the collection efficiency of light emitted from optical probes when the light is detected by a light detector spaced from the side of the microporous substrate facing the larger micropores openings compared to a light collection efficiency of light emitted from the optical probes when the micropores are straight and not tapered.

An apparatus and method for isolating bacterial particles in a sample using a container with material in temporary fluid blocking position to lower orifice in the container, a separation medium having an electrical conductivity lower than and physical density greater than that of the sample above the material that supports a sample concentrate after passing through the separation medium when exposed to centrifugal force, a heating element for liquefying the material to permit flow into a chamber past an electrode array that attracts and holds subject particles. The system allows rapid detection and isolation of particles from samples from animal, human, environmental sites, a bio-industrial reactor or a food or beverage production facility requiring relatively small volumes, short incubation times resulting in structurally intact particles for further analysis. Testing may be completed in a single unit that requires decreased technician manipulation, fewer steps and a decrease in cross-contamination.

A microfluidic chip is disclosed herein. In a specific embodiment, the microfluidic chip comprises at least one microfluidic reservoir having a wall portion and a heat transfer sealing layer cooperating with the wall portion for receiving a sample to be tested. The heat transfer sealing layer is arranged to be contiguous with the sample to be tested. The microfluidic chip further comprises an active temperature control device arranged to provide structural support to the heat transfer sealing layer and operable to control a temperature of the sample via transmission of heat through the heat transfer sealing layer. A detection module is also disclosed.

A device for performing an assay comprises a tube, a cap, an insert, and a reaction container. The tube includes a lateral flow strip disposed therein. The cap is coupled to the tube and includes a hollow interior defined at least partially therethrough. The insert is configured to be at least partially received within the hollow interior of the cap. The reaction container includes a cavity configured to store one or more fluids therein, and is rotatably coupled to the cap such that rotation of the cap relative to the reaction container causes (i) mixing of the one or more fluids and (ii) at least a portion of the mixed fluids to be delivered from the reaction container to the lateral flow strip via the insert.