A microfluidic system includes a hydrophobic fluidic platform and a heater. The platform includes a plurality of electrode cells operably connected to a voltage source and a controller. The heater is configured to fuse first and second vesicles. The first and second vesicles encapsulate first and second DNA precursors, respectively. The fusing combines the first and second DNA precursors. In another embodiment, a microfluidic system includes a fluidic platform including a plurality of electrode cells, a vesicle mover, and a reaction facilitator. The vesicle mover is configured to move first and second vesicles to a selected cell of the plurality of electrode cells. The reaction facilitator is operably connected to the selected cell. A method includes providing a fluidic platform comprising a plurality of cells; moving first and second vesicles encapsulating first and second reagents, respectively, to a first cell; and fusing the first and second vesicles.

The present disclosure, in some aspects, provides devices useful for determining a target nucleic acid profile of a sample. The device comprises an enrichment module, a reaction module and a nucleic acid sequencer. In other aspects, the present disclosure provides kits, components and compositions (such as consumables) of the devices and methods of using the devices described herein.

Disclosed in one aspect is a method for performing a complete blood count (CBC) on a sample of whole blood by metering a predetermined amount of the whole blood and mixing it with a predetermined amount of diluent and stain and transferring a portion thereof to an imaging chamber of fixed dimensions and utilizing an automated microscope with digital camera and cell counting and recognition software to count every white blood cell and red blood corpuscle and platelet in the sample diluent/stain mixture to determine the number of red cells, white cells, and platelets per unit volume, and analyzing the white cells with cell recognition software to classify them.

A system for biological analysis includes a housing, a block assembly within the housing having a sample block and a baseplate, a heated cover and a cover carrier. The sample block receives a sample holder comprising an RFID tag. A first drive mechanism generates relative movement between the sample block and the baseplate along a first axis. A second drive mechanism generates relative movement between the heated cover and the cover carrier along a second axis that is different from the first axis. Based on a first command the first drive mechanism releasably engages the sample block and operates the second drive mechanism to releasably engage the heated cover with the cover carrier. The system also includes first and second RFID antennas that receive RFID data from the sample holder RFID tag that is read by at least one RFID reader.

The disclosure relates to multi-well plates having fluidic connections between neighboring wells that are useful to produce a cell culture substrate and compliant with American National Standards Institute of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (ANSI/SLAS) microplate standards

A container for collecting a sample is provided that can include a housing, an enclosure pivotally coupled to and slidably engaged with the housing, and a sample holder slidably engaged with and received within the enclosure. The sample holder can include a substrate configured to receive the sample. The container in a first configuration can include the enclosure being engaged with the housing to enclose and seal the substrate within an interior volume of the container. The container in a second configuration can include the enclosure exposing the substrate to the ambient environment.

A fluidic device (1) configured to drive movement of fluid under centrifugal force comprises a central region about a central rotational axis (X) of the device and a peripheral region extending radially outwards from the central region. A fluid reservoir (4) provided in the central region of the device receives a fluid sample and communicates with at least one fluidic system (6), which extends radially outwards from the fluid reservoir (4) into the peripheral region of the device. Each fluidic system (6) comprises a fluid analysis chamber (12) configured to retain a portion of a fluid sample for analysis. A fluidic channel arrangement (26) is configured to enable fluid communication between the fluid reservoir (4) and the fluid analysis chamber (12), and movement of the fluid sample through the fluidic channel arrangement is driven by the centrifugal force created by rotational motion of the device about the central rotational axis (X). A valve mechanism (8) is arranged between the fluid reservoir (4) and the analysis chamber (12) and is configured to prevent fluid flow through that portion of the fluidic channel arrangement (26) when the speed of rotation of the device is less than a predetermined value. A cut-out portion of the device (24) may help to correctly locate the fluidic device (1) within an assay apparatus. An apparatus for driving rotational motion of the fluidic device and a method for moving a fluid sample within the fluidic device are also described.

The invention relates to a device for analyzing solid biological elements and to a device for implementing same. The device comprises a plate (1) of tubes, the lower ends (2) of which are perforated and the upper ends (4) of which are open on the tube plate (1) to allow the introduction of an element to be analyzed (5), a deep-well plate (6) into which the tube plate (1) is inserted and a lifter (7) for raising the tube plate (1) from the deep-well plate (6). Each tube (3) in the tube plate (1) comprises at least one opening (9) toward its upper end (4) to allow air to pass through and each tube (3) can be closed at its upper end (4) with a stopper (8). The invention is applicable particularly in the medical, agri-food and forensic science fields.

The present invention relates to a sample container handling system (1), having a sample container receptacle (2) and a support element (20). The sample container receptacle (2) in turn has: holding structures (4, 5) which are each configured to hold a respective sample container (3) and which are disposed about a rotation axis (6), and a base (7) having a support region (8) for supporting the sample containers (3) held by way of the holding structures (4, 5), wherein the base (7) furthermore has a side (10) that faces away from the support region (8) and at least one through opening (11) which from this side (10) extends to the support region (8). The support element (20) is connectable to the base (7) of the sample container receptacle (2) in such a manner so as to receive the latter, wherein the support element (20) has at least one protrusion (25, 26, 27) which, when the support element (20) receives the sample container receptacle (2), extends through the at least one through opening (11) and for lifting one or more sample containers (3) projects from the support region (8). The invention furthermore relates to a system having the sample container handling system (1) and a pressure container having a reaction chamber in which the sample container receptacle (2) is able to be received or is received.