A system for loading pipette tips. A system for accommodating pipette tips is provided, comprising a tray having openings for accommodating pipette tips in a plate, wherein the openings have at their upper end a surrounding contour which has curved surface area corresponding to a section of a spherical washer, and pipette tips having at their upper end an offset forming a contact surface for the surrounding contour of the tray's opening, wherein the shape of the contact surface corresponds to the section of a spherical washer so that the centers of both spheres of surrounding contour and contact surface are congruent

A device includes a first container having a floor and walls extending from the floor to an opening opposing the floor. The walls include opposing ledges at an interior of the first container. A second container has a first open end, sides, and a second end opposing the first open end. The second end has at least one hole adapted to receive a biopsy specimen cup. The first and second containers are made from opaque materials. A translucent panel has a notch in an edge thereof. The translucent panel is disposed on the ledges and spans the interior of the first container. The opening of the first container is sized to slidingly receive the second container wherein the first open end of the second container rests on the translucent panel. A light source is disposed in the first container between the translucent panel and the floor of the first container.

This disclosure describes various reaction vessel configurations that include a housing component; a reaction chamber defined by the housing component; and a light absorbing layer conforming to a portion of an interior-facing surface of the housing component that defines the reaction chamber, the light absorbing layer comprising multiple discrete regions. An energy source may direct light at one or more of the discrete regions of the light absorbing layer so as to heat the discrete regions and ultimately heat a solution within a reaction chamber.

A sample processing assembly for treatment of a sample on a substrate includes a mounting surface for the substrate and a closure body configured to releasably retain a cover member. The closure body is movable between an open position and a substantially closed position. When a substrate is placed in the assembly and the closure body is in the substantially closed position while retaining a cover member, a reaction chamber is formed for processing a sample. A cover member for use with the sample processing assembly is also provided.

A dispensing device which has a dispensing channel extending between a supply opening and an output opening into the course of which a pump, a selection valve and a dispensing valve are connected. The selection valve is also connected to a pressurised air source. The dispensing device allows a dispensed output of a fluid, wherein a buffer channel portion is filled by the pump in a pump dispensing phase, to which buffer channel portion pressure is applied from the pressurised air source during a pressurised air dispensing phase such that a precise fluid output is subsequently possible by clocked actuation of the dispensing valve until the target fluid amount has been reached.

An exemplary mobile impedance-based flow cytometer is developed for the diagnosis of sickle cell disease. The mobile cytometer may be controlled by a computer (e.g., smartphone) application. Calibration of the portable device may be performed using a component of known impedance value. With the developed portable flow cytometer, analysis may be performed on two sickle cell samples and a healthy cell sample. The acquired results may subsequently be analyzed to extract single-cell level impedance information as well as statistics of different cell conditions. Significant differences in cell impedance signals may be observed between sickle cells and normal cells, as well as between sickle cells under hypoxia and normoxia conditions.

A cell evaluation device includes: a porous membrane having a first main face and a second main face; a first passage having a first passage portion facing a first area on which cells are placed in the first main face of the porous membrane; a second passage having a second passage portion facing a second area in the second main face of the porous membrane, the second area being positioned backside of the first area; and a first electrode provided in the first passage portion and a second electrode provided in the second passage portion, the first electrode and the second electrode being positioned across the first area and the second area. In the cell evaluation device, tight junctions are formed among the cells by cell cultivation. With the cell evaluation device, any increase in the electric resistance occurring due to the formation of the tight junctions can be easily measured.

The microfluidic chip according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plate, a bridge channel formed in intaglio on one side of the plate, an inlet formed through the plate to communicate with one end of the bridge channel, an outlet formed through the plate to communicate with the other end of the bridge channel, and at least one well extending in an outward direction of the plate from the bridge channel to provide a space, wherein the bridge channel may be in the form of a curved line, a bent line, an arc, a circle, a spiral, or a polygon.

An optofluidic diagnostic system and methods for rapid analyte detections. The system comprises an optofluidic sensor array, a test plate and an optical detection cartridge. The sensor array supports one or more distinct sensor units, each having a reactor section designed to temporarily enter a series of different kinds of wells in the test plate. One kind of well is a sample reservoir that holds reagent solution to be transferred into the reactor section. Another kind of well is a drainage chamber that removes reagent solution from the reactor section. A third kind of well is a colorant reservoir that holds a colorant reagent transferable into a reactor section. Finally, the sensor unit is transferred to the optical detection cartridge where it is placed into an isolation booth during the optical detection process so that its flat observation face is stationed in a viewing window opposite an optical detector lens.

Embodiments of a platelet testing system include an analyzer console device and a blood testing cartridge configured to releasably install into the console device. The cartridge device is configured with one or more measuring chambers and one or more mixing chambers that are fluidically connected within the cartridge device that enable the mixing of saline and a blood sample to a desired dilution. Additionally, the cartridge device is further configured with a cartridge slider that provides a reagent bead to the saline and blood mixture at a desired time. As such, one or more platelet activation assays can be conducted by measuring, through cartridge electrodes of the cartridge device, the detectable changes in platelet activity within the blood and saline mixture.