A method for localizing a test region of interest on an assay membrane to determine the contours of the test region and enable calibration of the location of the test region such that the same region can be localized to image an analyte of interest after an assay run. Pre-localization of the test region limits the contours of the detection area to only the test region with a reasonable margin such that background noise received by the detector can be minimized. By limiting the region of detection to a pre-localized test region improved accuracy can be achieved in flow assay membrane tests, in particular in automated analyzer systems.

This disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for molecular diagnostics. Certain embodiments include a piston cycled from a first position proximal to a first end of a housing, to a second position proximal to a second end of the housing, and back to the first position proximal to the first end of the housing. In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to devices, methods, and systems for molecular diagnostics that do not comprise a piston.

Methods and systems configured to automatically calibrate a pipette to a reference standard. The system comprising: a robotic arm, a pressing-device, configured to firmly hold a pipette and to press a plunger-button of the pipette, a rotating-device configured to rotate/dial a wheel-button of the pipette, at least one liquid source, at least one scaling element, at least one input-device configured to receive real-time input-data, and at least one processor, in communication with the input-device configured to analyze the input-data and accordingly to: control the motion of the robotic arm, control the rotating-device, control the pressing-device, evaluate calibration of the pipette, in reference to a chosen standard, and output a calibration report for the pipette.

Automated pipetting systems and methods are disclosed for aspirating and dispensing fluids, particularly biological samples. In one aspect, a liquid dispenser includes a manifold and one or more pipette channels. The manifold includes a vacuum channel, a pressure channel, and a plurality of lanes. Each lane includes an electrical connector, a port to the pressure channel, and a port to the vacuum channel. The pipette channels can be modular. Each pipette channel includes a single dispense head and can be selectively and independently coupled to any one lane of the plurality of lanes. In some aspects, a valve in the pipette channel is in simultaneous fluid communication with a pressure port and a vacuum port of the manifold. The valve selectively diverts gas under pressure and gas under vacuum to the dispense head in response to control signals received through the electrical connector of the manifold.

System that enables urine testing in a home environment. A user may apply a urine sample to a card containing multiple tests, and capture an image of the card using a phone; an analysis system executing on the phone or in the cloud may analyze the image and determine test results. The test card and analysis system may compensate for variability in lighting conditions and time of exposure to the urine sample, which are difficult to control in a home environment. The test card may contain fiducial markers of known colors; the analysis system may adjust colors in the captured image based on appearance of these markers. Color adjustments may also compensate for nonuniform lighting across the card. The card may also contain time indicators that change appearance over time after urine is applied, and the analysis system may use these indicators to calculate the time of exposure.

A hand-held microfluidic testing device is provided that includes a housing having a cartridge receiving port, a cartridge for input to the cartridge receiving port having a sample input and a channel, where the channel includes a mixture of Raman-scattering nanoparticles and a calibration solution, where the calibration solution includes chemical compounds capable of interacting with a sample under test input to the cartridge and the Raman-scattering nanoparticles, and an optical detection system in the housing, where the optical detection system is capable of providing an illuminated electric field, where the illuminating electric field is capable of being used for Raman spectroscopy with the Raman-scattering nanoparticles and the calibration solution to analyze the sample under test input to the cartridge.

The present technology provides for an apparatus for detecting polynucleotides in samples, particularly from biological samples. The technology more particularly relates to microfluidic systems that carry out PCR on nucleotides of interest within microfluidic channels, and detect those nucleotides. The apparatus includes a microfluidic cartridge that is configured to accept a plurality of samples, and which can carry out PCR on each sample individually, or a group of, or all of the plurality of samples simultaneously.

Provided is a device including at least one well and an amplifiable reagent contained in a specific copy number in the at least one well. In a preferable mode, the device includes information on the specific copy number of the amplifiable reagent. In a more preferable mode, the device includes information on uncertainty as the information on the specific copy number, and the information on uncertainty includes a coefficient of variation CV of the amplifiable reagent, and the coefficient of variation CV satisfies a relational expression: CV<1/Vx, where x represents an average specific copy number of the amplifiable reagent. In a particularly preferable mode, the device includes a plurality of wells in which the amplifiable reagent is contained, and the amplifiable reagent is contained in each of the wells in the same specific copy number. The invention may use microscopes to verify the number of cells comprising the amplifiable reagent, i.e. nucleic acid, in each of the wells. The device may be used for calibrating a PCR apparatus.

This patent application describes an integrated apparatus for processing polynucleotide-containing samples, and for providing a diagnostic result thereon. The apparatus is configured to receive a microfluidic cartridge that contains reagents and a network for processing a sample. Also described are methods of using the apparatus.

Systems and methods are disclosed for enhancing the consistency of performance of assays, such as multiplexed assays, by printing features in a particular pattern, such that the outer edge of the pattern has a shape that is substantially similar to the shape of the test well. For example, the pattern is a ring pattern, such that the outer edge of the ring pattern is circular or oval along the bottom of multiplexed wells. The assay substrates prepared according to the methods described result in more accurate, precise, and sensitive chemical and/or biological analyses.