The present disclosure relates to a microfabricated thermal platform. The platform is formed over a substrate, which may for example be a silicon wafer, and which may form part of the platform. The substrate is coated in a thermally-insulating material, which may be an organic polymer such, as polyimide or SU8. The thermally-insulating material may have a predetermined thermal conductivity, which is dependent on thickness, geometry and processing. The surface of the thermally-insulating material may include an arrangement of thermal sites, with each site having a reaction plate (or thermal plate) over which chemical reactions may occur. A heating element may be positioned beneath each reaction plate. The thermal platform may have a plurality of such thermal sites arranged over the upper surface of the thermally-insulating material. However, it will be appreciated that in practice, there could be a single thermal site. In use, the thermal platform may have a fluidic medium, such as a liquid or a gas, disposed over the thermal sites. One application for the thermal platform is in chemical and biological reactions. In such reactions, the fluidic medium may be an aqueous solution which comprises reagents for those reactions. The fluidic medium may be an ionically conducting fluid, organic solution or a gas. Precise temperature control enables the connect reactions to occur.

A collecting apparatus for bacteria includes: a laser beam source configured to emit a laser beam; and a container configured to hold a dispersion liquid in which a plurality of bacteria are dispersed. The container has a bottom surface and an inner side surface. A thin film for converting the laser beam from the laser beam source into heat is formed on the bottom surface. At the inner side surface, immersion wetting occurs by the dispersion liquid when the inner side surface comes into contact with the dispersion liquid. The thin film is configured to produce a thermal convection in the dispersion liquid by heating the dispersion liquid. The inner side surface is configured to produce a Marangoni convection at a gas-liquid interface as an interface between the dispersion liquid and gas around the dispersion liquid.

A flow cell for oscillating flow PCR has pumping action via thermally-induced internal pressure variations. Rapid movement of a sample comprised of target DNA and associated reagents between heated zones within the flow cell for oscillating flow PCR is achieved without mechanical moving parts and without contamination. A channel extends from a loading port to first and second heated zones and to a central air chamber. The sample is movable between the heated zones in response to central air chamber pressure changes induced by external thermal changes. The flow cell is insertable into a flow cell process heater for heating each heated zone to a respective temperature. The central air chamber is aligned above a flow control heater for thermally inducing the internal pressure changes in the channel.

A disease screening device (100) comprising a substrate (101) and a sonication chamber (102) formed on the substrate (101). The sonication chamber (102) is provided with an ultrasonic transducer (105) which generates ultrasonic waves to lyse cells in a sample fluid within the sonication chamber (102). The device (100) comprises a reagent chamber (111) formed on the substrate (101) for receiving a liquid PCR reagent. The device (100) comprises a controller (23) which controls the ultrasonic transducer (105) and a heating arrangement (128) which is provided on the substrate (101). The device (100) further comprises a detection apparatus which detects the presence of an infectious disease, such as COVID-19 disease.

A biologic sample preparation system that prepares samples for processing includes a frame defining a horizontal plane, a pipette assembly, a sample module and an extraction module. The pipette assembly includes a first pipette. The pipette assembly is movably mounted to the frame in a direction substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane during operation. The sample module includes a sample plate and is movably mounted to the frame. The sample module is movable substantially parallel to the horizontal plane at least from a sample area spaced from the pipette assembly and a working area proximate the pipette assembly. The extraction module includes an extraction plate and is movably mounted to the frame. The extraction module is movable substantially parallel to the horizontal plane at least from an extraction staging area spaced from the pipette, assembly and the working area proximate the pipette assembly.

A disease screening device (100) comprising a substrate (101) and a sonication chamber (102) formed on the substrate (101). The sonication chamber (102) is provided with an ultrasonic transducer (105) which generates ultrasonic waves to lyse cells in a sample fluid within the sonication chamber (102). The device (100) comprises a reagent chamber (111) formed on the substrate (101) for receiving a liquid PCR reagent. The device (100) comprises a controller (23) which controls the ultrasonic transducer (105) and a heating arrangement (128) which is provided on the substrate (101). The device (100) further comprises a detection apparatus which detects the presence of an infectious disease, such as COVID-19 disease.

A blood collection apparatus comprising: a test tube element for storing blood extracted from a patient, the test tube element comprising a vacuum facilitating an extraction of the blood, and comprising a test tube septum; an additive, within the test tube element, and beings encased by a soluble film, wherein exposure of the soluble film to the extracted blood dissolves the soluble film, whereby the additive is only available to react with the blood extracted from a patient after the soluble film has been dissolved; and an additive blocking element incorporated into the test tube septum, wherein the additive blocking element blocks the extracted blood from dissolving a portion of the soluble film and thereby limiting the amount of additive applied to the extracted blood, limiting the free surface of the blood thereby limiting the sloshing of the extracted blood within the test tube.

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a thermal cycling device is described. The thermal cycling device includes a fluid chamber to retain a fluid. A heating element is disposed around multiple sides of a cross-sectional perimeter of the fluid chamber and an insulator is disposed around multiple sides of a cross-sectional perimeter of the heating element. The thermal cycling device also includes a conductive body disposed around multiple sides of a cross-sectional perimeter of the insulator.

There is described a variable-temperature reactor for hosting a predetermined reaction therein. The reactor comprises a reaction cell, a heater, and a heat sink. The reaction cell has a reaction volume with thickness H.sub.V and width W.sub.V where W.sub.V>4 H.sub.V and is defined by faces with one of the larger area faces of the reaction volume being bounded by an outer wall with thickness H.sub.W. The heater is in contact with the said outer wall. The heater comprises a heat-generating heater element located on the face closer to the reaction volume and a heater support on the opposite face. The heater support is in contact with a heat sink, such that the heater support provides a thermal resistance R.sub.T between the heater element and the heat sink. The reactor, when filled with reagents having thermal diffusion coefficient D.sub.V has a diffusion time t.sub.V, in the thickness direction, t.sub.V=H.sub.V.sup.2 |D.sub.V. t.sub.V is less than the reaction time constant t.sub.R. The outer wall has a thermal diffusion coefficient D.sub.W and has a thermal diffusion time t.sub.W=H.sub.W.sup.2|D.sub.W<t.sub.V.

A system for the remote live auditing of biological samples contained in a cold storage vessel (10). The vessel (10) comprises one or more canisters (100(1), 100(2)), each of which comprises a connector (102(1), 102(2)) and is configured to hold at least one container (50), each of which contains one or more biological samples and has associated therewith an RFID tag identifying the container (50) in question. The system further comprises a docking assembly (200) mounted on the vessel (10) and comprising a plurality of connectors (202), each of which is configured to engage with the connector (102(1), 102(2)) of one of said canisters (100(1), 100(2)), thereby providing an electrical connection between the docking assembly (200) and the canister (50) in question. Each canister (100(1), 100(2)) is operable to wirelessly interrogate the RFID tags of the containers (50) held therein, to receive information identifying the containers (50) as a result of the interrogation, and to communicate this identifying information to the docking assembly (200) via the electrical connection. Also disclosed are a canister and a docking assembly suitable for use in the system.