Methods of ejecting droplets containing a non-Newtonian fluid by an acoustic droplet ejector can include applying a tone burst of focused acoustic energy to a fluid reservoir containing a non-Newtonian fluid at sufficient amplitude to effect droplet ejection according to a tone burst pattern. The tone burst pattern may include three discrete tone burst segments, the first tone burst segment having greater duration than the second and third segments, and third segment having greater duration than the second segment. The exact durations and amplitudes of the tone burst segments can be tuned to influence the ejection properties.

The present invention provides devices and systems for use at the point of care. The methods devices of the invention are directed toward automatic detection of analytes in a bodily fluid. The components of the device are modular to allow for flexibility and robustness of use with the disclosed methods for a variety of medical applications.

A method of obtaining a numerical model is disclosed. The numerical model correlates estimated line width values to minimum pressure for gas bubble generation (MPGBG) values. An MPGBG value of each capillary tube in the reference group is measured for a liquid. A nanoparticle composition is deposited, under standard conditions, on substrate(s) from each respective reference capillary tube, to form nanoparticle lines. A line width of each of the nanoparticle lines deposited using each respective reference capillary tube is measured by a microscope apparatus. A numerical model that correlates estimated line width values to MPGBG values for the liquid is calculated.

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.

An immunoblotting instrument and a control method are provided. The immunoblotting instrument comprises an immunoblotting instrument body, and an immunoblotting instrument control device, an incubation device and a liquid feeding and sucking device that are provided on the immunoblotting instrument body, and further comprises a temperature control device for controlling the incubation environment temperature of the immunoblotting membrane. By setting the temperature control device in the immunoblotting instrument to control the temperature of the reaction environment between the immunoblotting membrane and the reagent, the immunoblotting membrane can contact and react with the reagent under the same and set environmental condition, so that the reliability of the final detection results can be improved; at the same time, each functional module is associated and controlled by the control device, so that the entire immunoblotting process is automatically completed, reducing manual intervention and improving work efficiency.

The present invention provides devices and systems for use at the point of care. The methods devices of the invention are directed toward automatic detection of analytes in a bodily fluid. The components of the device are modular to allow for flexibility and robustness of use with the disclosed methods for a variety of medical applications.

The present invention relates to methods and systems that result in high quality, reproducible, thermal melt analysis on a microfluidic platform. The present invention relates to methods and systems using thermal systems including heat spreading devices, including interconnection methods and materials developed to connect heat spreaders to microfluidic devices. The present invention also relates to methods and systems for controlling, measuring, and calibrating the thermal systems of the present invention.

A microfluidic device includes a surface, which defines a flow path for a liquid, and a liquid inlet, which is in fluid communication with said surface, so as for a liquid introduced via the inlet to advance along a propagation direction on the flow path. Also included are a set of two or more electrical contacts, and a set of electrodes which include sensing portions that extend across the flow path, transversally to the propagation direction. The electrodes are connected to the two or more electrical contacts. Also included are material spots on at least some of the sensing portions of the electrodes. Still, material spots of a same material are only on a subset of the sensing portions of the electrodes, so that the spots can alter an electrical signal detected from the electrical contacts, upon a liquid advancing along the flow path, in operation of the device.

Methods of calibration are provided. A method comprises introducing a material with cell-like properties and a known mass into a sensor on a measurement instrument to generate a calibration reading and adjusting an output module of the measurement instrument until the measurement instrument calibrates to the known mass for the material.

A solid fluorescence standard that can be used to calibrate and/or normalize a device (e.g., a scientific instrument) that is configured for generating and collecting fluorescence data. A fluorescence standard disclosed herein includes an adhesive (e.g., a low viscosity, substantially optically transparent, solvent-free, radiation curable adhesive, such as, but not limited to, a UV curable adhesive), and a selected quantity of fluorescent particles (e.g., quantum dots) dispersed in the adhesive. The adhesive and the fluorescent particles are mixed together and disposed in a sample well. The adhesive is then cured and solidified, which yields a solid fluorescence standard in the well.