Microfluidic devices and methods thereof; the devices including: SNDA components; each SNDA component comprising: a primary channel; secondary channels; and nano-wells that are each open to the primary channel and are each connected via vents to the secondary channel; the vents are configured to enable passage of gas solely from the nano-wells to the secondary channel, such that when a fluid is introduced into the primary channel it fills the nano-wells, and the originally accommodated gas is evacuated via the vents and the secondary channel/s; a common inlet port, configured to enable a simultaneous introduction of the fluid into all the primary channels of the different SNDA components; individual inlet ports, configured to enable individual introduction of fluid, each into a different primary channel of a different SNDA component; and at least one outlet port, configured to enable evacuation of the gas out of all the secondary channels.

A multi-well plate comprising: inlet wells configured to contain liquid; walled observation windows located between the inlet wells, each observation window being associated with a respective inlet well; detection wells, each being disposed below a respective observation window and being associated with the respective inlet well associated with the respective observation window; outlet wells located between the inlet wells and the observation windows, each outlet well being associated with a respective inlet well and a respective detection well; inlet channels, disposed in first groups, each first group providing fluid communication between an inlet well and a respective detection well; outlet channels, disposed in second groups, each second group providing fluid communication between a detection well and a respective outlet well. The inlet channels are configured to prevent passage of the liquid from the inlet wells to the respective detection wells if no external force is applied to the liquid.

An assay cartridge for detecting a target component in a liquid sample is provided. The cartridge comprises: a sample collection unit configured to introduce the liquid sample into the cartridge; a fluid pathway commencing at its proximal end at the sample collection unit and extending distally through the cartridge including: one or more capture components immobilised within the fluid pathway; one or more detection reagents provided proximally of or level with the capture components each contained within a liquid droplet.

An apparatus configured for mixing the contents of one or more fluid containers includes a fluid container support platform configured to hold one or more fluid containers. The fluid container support platform is configured to index the container to one or more specified locations and to be moved in an orbital path about an orbital center independently of the rotation about the central axis of rotation. The apparatus further includes an indexing drive system configured to effect indexing movement of the container support platform and a vortex drive system configured to effect powered orbital movement of the container support platform about the orbital center. An evaporation limiting insert placed within containers reduces exposure of the fluid contents of the container to atmospheric air, thereby reducing susceptibility of the fluid contents to evaporation.

An apparatus for separating an interlocked cap and receptacle comprises a top wall and a cap removal station. The cap removal station comprises an opening, a raised collar for engaging and releasing interlocking elements of the cap and receptacle, and tabs on a side of the top wall opposite the raised collar for retaining the receptacle within the opening when the cap is separated from the receptacle. A method for separating an interlocked cap and receptacle comprises moving the cap and receptacle in a first direction into a cap removal station, contacting interlocking elements of the cap and receptacle with a raised collar to thereby release the interlocking elements, retaining the receptacle within the cap removal station; and with the interlocking elements released and the receptacle retained within the cap removal station, moving the cap in a second direction opposite the first direction to separate the cap from the receptacle.

A miniaturized, automated method for controlled printing of large arrays of nano- to femtoliter droplets by actively transporting mother droplets over hydrophilic-in-hydrophobic (“HIH”) micropatches. The technology uses single or double-plate devices where mother droplets can be actuated and HIH micropatches on one or both plates of the device where the droplets are printed. Due to the selective wettability of the hydrophilic micropatches in a hydrophobic matrix, large nano- to femtoliter droplet arrays are created when mother droplets are transported over the arrays. The parent droplets are moved by various droplet actuation principles. Also, a method using two plates placed one top another while being separated by a spacer. One plate is dedicated to confirming and guiding parent droplets by using hydrophilic patches in a hydrophobic matrix, while the other plate contains HIH arrays for printing of the droplets. When the parent droplet guidance plate is rotated over the plate dedicated to printing of nano- to femtoliter droplets, the droplets are dispensed inside the HIH array utilizing their selective wettability. The methods allow the parent droplets to move over the HIH arrays many times, providing advantages for performing bio-assays or miniaturized materials synthesis in nano- to femtoliter sized droplets. With controlled evaporation of the dispensed droplets of solution, large arrays of printed material can be generated in seconds. The methods provide a nano- to femtoliter droplet printing technique for a wide variety of applications, e.g., protein- or cell-based bio-assays or printing of crystalline structures, suspensions of nanoparticles or microelectronic components.

Provided herein are methods and systems for biochemical analysis, including compositions and methods for processing and analysis of small cell populations and biological samples (e.g., a robotically controlled chip-based nanodroplet platform). In particular aspects, the methods described herein can reduce total processing volumes from conventional volumes to nanoliter volumes within a single reactor vessel (e.g., within a single droplet reactor) while minimizing losses, such as due to sample evaporation.

Disclosed herein are microfluidic devices and systems for amplifying and detecting a target polynucleotide, comprising: one or more wells for receiving one or more substrates; a droplet generation channel in fluid communication with the one or more wells, wherein the microfluidic channel is adapted to generate droplets; and a chamber in fluid communication with the droplet generation channel, and adapted to collect droplets generated by the droplet generation channel, and further adapted to perform nucleic acid amplification in droplets, and further adapted to detect light signal from droplets. Also disclosed are methods of using the same.

The present disclosure relates to a method for separating an aqueous liquid comprising biological material into at least two cavities, the use of a polysiloxane having at least one hydroxy group in such a method, as well as a system for separating an aqueous liquid into at least two cavities.