The present invention relates to a low-cost, thermally reversible valve for paper-fluidic diagnostic devices. In particular, this invention demonstrates a tunable valve mechanism fabricated by wax-ink printing and localized heating via thin-film resistors to sequentially release liquids through a cellulose or nitrocellulose membrane. The wax-ink valve can obstruct fluid flow for a sustained time and are thermally actuated to release a controlled amount of liquid past the valve. This integrated paper-fluidic diagnostic assay device requires minimal user involvement, can be easily manufactured and tuned to meet various fluid delivery timing and incubation needs.

An open-type liquid manipulation device can divide liquid, in particular, a droplet efficiently. The open-type liquid manipulation device according to the present invention includes: a substrate 1, 11, 21; at least three electrodes 2, 12, 13, 22, 23 located on a front surface 1b, 11b, 21b of the substrate 1, 11, 21; and an insulating layer 3, 14, 24 located over the front surface 1b, 11b, 21b of the substrate 1, 11, 21 to cover the at least three electrodes 2, 12, 13, 22, 23. The device includes a groove 4, 15, 25 that is concave in a direction from a front surface 3b, 14b, 24b of the insulating layer 3, 14, 24 toward a back surface 3a, 14a, 24a of the insulating layer 3, 14, 24. The groove 4, 15, 25 extends straddling the at least three electrodes. Liquid L is controlled on the front surface 3b, 14b, 24b of the insulating layer 3, 14, 24 by using a change in electrostatic force generated by changing voltage applied to the electrodes 2, 12, 13, 22, 23.

Embodiments of substrate-based devices disclosed herein comprise a polymeric substrate with a hydrophobic polymer coating that defines wells or openings on the polymeric substrate and/or serves as an adhesive agent between stacked substrates of the device. Also disclosed herein are embodiments of plate frames that can be used to align and hold well plate devices described herein. Methods of fabricating the disclosed devices also are described.

Techniques for making fluid flow devices are described. The technique is based on radiation-induced conversion of a radiation-sensitive substance from a first state to a second state. With adjustment of the radiation parameters such as power and scan speed we can control the depths of barriers that are formed within a substrate which can produce 3D flow paths. We have used this depth-variable patterning protocol for stacking and sealing of multilayer substrates, for assembly of backing layers for two-dimensional (2D) lateral flow devices and for fabrication of 3D devices. Since the 3D flow paths can be formed via a single laser-writing process by controlling the patterning parameters, this is a distinct improvement over other methods that require multiple complicated and repetitive assembly procedures.

A generic point of care based portable device and method thereof as a platform technology for detecting pathogenic infection via nucleic acid based testing achieving sample-to-result integration, comprising the following interconnected stand-alone modules: a thermal unit for executing piece-wise isothermal reactions in a pre-programmable concomitant fashion without necessitating in-between operative intervention; a colorimetric detection unit seamlessly interfaced with smartphone-app based analytics for detecting the target analyte. The said platform technology is thus capable of detecting targeted pathogen-associated RNA by coupling additional complementary DNA probe hybridization combined with isothermal reaction purposed for reverse transcription of RNA followed by amplification of the resulting c-DNA as well as subsequent specific binding of the same in a single user-step in a concomitant fashion and its smartphone-enabled interpretation, in a generic modular format that renders operative suitability outside controlled laboratory environment in a user-friendly manner, with predictive accuracy favorably comparable with gold standard RT-PCR tests.

A method, apparatus and system that includes an environmentally controlled accurate and sensitive general purpose lateral flow assay instrument that can be used throughout the world, in homes, and make-shift emergency centers, including while connected to the internet to receive reference Transmission Raman Spectroscopy signature data, and to transmit test results.

According to a first aspect, the present invention is embodied as a method of processing a filtered liquid with a microfluidic device. The method includes positioning a porous filtering medium with respect to the microfluidic device, so as to allow a flow path between the filtering medium and a channel of the microfluidic device. The method further includes introducing a liquid in the porous filtering medium for the liquid to advance along the filtering medium and be filtered by the medium. The method further includes applying compression to the filtering medium to extract a given volume of the filtered liquid from the filtering medium, where the extracted liquid volume reaches said channel via the flow path. The method further includes processing the extracted volume with the microfluidic device.

A centrifugal microfluidic platform is combined with a stationary liquid pumping system which pumps liquids into microfluidic chips by dripping through a stationary dispensing nozzle without any physical contact or coupling between the nozzles and the microfluidic chips.

The present invention provides an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method for detecting and quantifying analytes. The present invention is advantageous over conventional methods, because the detection limit is not constrained by the sample volume or the length of time needed to perform quantitative ELISA.

The present disclosure relates to a sample assessment device. By way of example, the sample assessment device may include a substrate including a sample application region; an amplification region comprising a plurality of amplification reagents; a waste region comprising an entrance fluidically coupled to the amplification region and extending away from the amplification region; and a detection region spaced apart from the amplification region. The sample assessment device may also include a valve coupled to the substrate and configured to separate the amplification region from the detection region in a closed configuration, wherein the amplification region and the valve are positioned on the sample assessment device between the sample application region and the detection region and wherein the sample assessment device is configured to permit lateral flow from the amplification region to the detection region when the valve is in an open configuration.