There is provided a microfluidic device comprising: a microfluidic device for preparing a cell model, comprising: a housing having at least three layers; a first inlet area at a top layer and at one end of the housing for receiving a first mixture comprising cells; a second inlet area at the top layer and at an opposite end of the housing for receiving a second mixture containing one or more agents or one or more pathogens; and a plurality of microchannels through which the first mixture and/or the second mixture flows into corresponding wells, wherein each microchannel has an end in fluid communication with the first inlet area, and another end in fluid communication with the second inlet area. There are also provided methods comprising using the device.

A method for sorting motile cells includes introducing an initial population of motile cells into an inlet port of a microfluidic channel, the initial population of motile cells having a first average motility; incubating the population of motile cells in the microfluidic channel; and collecting a sorted population of motile cells at an outlet port of the microfluidic channel. The sorted population of motile cells has a second average motility higher than the first average motility.

A microfluidic device and method of assaying for immune cell exhaustion therewith are provided. The microfluidic device includes a moveable rod positioned across a chamber of a microfluidic device adjacent a first end thereof. Target cells are mixed into a hydrogel and the hydrogel is injected into the chamber about the moveable rod. The hydrogel is polymerized in. the chamber and the moveable rod is removed from the hydrogel so as to form a passageway in the hydrogel. The passageway is filled with a solution including immune cells. The immune cells migrate/diffuse into the hydrogel. A gradient of nutrients is formed in the chamber from. the first end to a second end of the chamber. One or more biopsies of the hydrogel may be taken at user selected location(s) of the chamber.

Methods and apparatus for driving flow in a microfluidic arrangement are provided. In one disclosed arrangement, the microfluidic arrangement comprises a first liquid held predominantly by surface tension in a shape defining a microfluidic pattern on a surface of a substrate. The microfluidic pattern comprises at least an elongate conduit and a first reservoir. The area of contact between the substrate and a portion of the first liquid that forms the elongate conduit defines a conduit footprint. The area of contact between the substrate and a portion of the first liquid that forms the first reservoir defines a first reservoir footprint. The size and shape of each of the conduit footprint and the first reservoir footprint are such that a maximum Laplace pressure supportable by the first liquid in the elongate conduit without any change in the conduit footprint is higher than a maximum Laplace pressure supportable by the first liquid in the first reservoir without any change in the first reservoir footprint. A delivery member having an internal lumen leading to a distal opening through which liquid can be delivered is provided. Liquid is pumped into the microfluidic pattern through the distal opening while the distal opening is held in a delivery position. The delivery position is such that the liquid enters the microfluidic pattern via the elongate conduit and drives a flow of liquid into the first reservoir.

The present disclosure relates to a microfluidic device capable of mimicking a biological microenvironment thereby achieving control of a microenvironment with time through control of the diffusion of target elements between chambers by interrupting or generating fluid flow inside a channel, and a method for manufacturing the same, and the microfluidic device according to an aspect of the present disclosure can mimic the biological microenvironment which changes constantly with time via a simple temporary operation of generating or interrupting fluid flow in the channel mechanically and can control diffusion via a simple method, and accordingly, a complicated microenvironment can be reproduced since the number and arrangement of diffusion chambers and channels can be designed variously.

A high throughput microdroplet-based system for single cell assays in microdroplets is provided. The system can include microdroplet sorting. Methods of use of the system are provided.

A microfluidic device includes: a first microfluidic channel; a second microfluidic channel extending along the first microfluidic channel; and a first array of islands separating the first microfluidic channel from the second microfluidic channel, in which each island is separated from an adjacent island in the array by an opening that fluidly couples the first microfluidic channel to the second microfluidic channel, in which the first microfluidic channel, the second microfluidic channel, and the islands are arranged so that a fluidic resistance of the first microfluidic channel increases relative to a fluidic resistance of the second microfluidic channel along a longitudinal direction of the first microfluidic channel such that, during use of the microfluidic device, a portion of a fluid sample flowing through the first microfluidic channel passes through one or more of the openings between adjacent islands into the second microfluidic channel.

The invention relates to a migration device (100) having a sample chamber (102), a migration matrix (105) arranged in the sample chamber (102), and a fluid outlet (103). The migration device (100) also has a discharge structure (104), which is designed to discharge fluids from the sample chamber (102) to the fluid outlet (103). The invention also relates to methods for operating the migration device and to the use of a migration device for determining the migration ability of ameboidally mobile cells.

The disclosure relates to microfluidic devices and methods of use thereof for monitoring the directionality, velocity, and migration persistence of neutrophils or other cells in the absence of chemical gradients for the purposes of detecting and quantifying abnormal neutrophil motility phenotypes, using low sample volumes and with minimal activation of the neutrophils. The devices and methods can be used to diagnose sepsis in subjects suspected of having sepsis or at risk of developing sepsis. The devices and methods can also be used to monitor the responses of patients to sepsis therapies.

A method for the preparation of one or more microfluidic chemotactic device prototypes wherein channel and/or barrier dimensions and chemo-attractant and/or cell binding agent concentration and/or type are varied for developing an optimized microfluidic chemotaxis device for a particular cell type and chemo- attractant type as well as instructions for use of same. This process may also require determination of cell density and cell solution volume.