A pipette based on surface charges includes a pipette body. A plurality of support rods are provided below the pipette body. Connecting rods are provided at the lower ends of two adjacent support rods. A substrate is provided between the connecting rods. A porous SiO.sub.2 coating is provided on the substrate. A hydrophobic molecule layer is provided on the surface coating by the vapor deposition method. A superamphiphobic surface is formed on the substrate by the surface coating and the hydrophobic molecule layer. The substrate and the surface coating are made of dielectric materials. A circular limit plate is provided above the pipette body. The pipette body, the support rods, the connecting rods and the limit plate are integrally formed, and are electrically non-conductive. An electrically conductive sliding rod is movably provided within the pipette body and the limit plate.

A system for fluid transport is provided where a quantity of fluid is held in a reservoir. A droplet generator is employed to generate droplets from the fluid, for example a nozzle-based system or a nozzleless system such as an acoustic ejection system. A generated droplet has a trajectory whereby it arrives at a target. A circuit is used to modify one or more characteristics of the generated droplet in a way which increases the likelihood that the droplet will not splash or bounce when it arrives at the target. The circuit may in different embodiments control the speed of the droplet or the Weber number of the droplet. The circuit may create an electric field in an area of space where the droplet passes. The circuit may charge the droplet by causing it to contact ions.

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluid ejection device is described. The fluid ejection device includes a vertical support and an interface movably coupled to the vertical support. The interface is to receive an ejection head. The fluid ejection device also includes an ionizer coupled to the interface to electrostatically neutralize a substrate.

Microfluidic devices and systems are provided. Methods for conducting immune assays with the devices and systems are also provided.

The invention provides a method for manipulation of microdroplets in a microdroplet array. The method includes selecting at least one microdroplet from the microdroplet array and identifying at least one object trapped within the selected microdroplet. Subsequent to identifying the manipulation, a multi-functional probe specific to the determined manipulation is selected. The object identified is then subjected to manipulation. The invention further provides a system for manipulation of microdroplets in a microdroplet array.

A cartridge, in particular a disposable cartridge, for use in an electrowetting sample processing system. The cartridge contains an internal gap with at least one hydrophobic surface for enabling an electrowetting induced movement of a microfluidic droplet that has magnetic beads and further has a bead accumulation zone, into which the microfluidic droplet is transferable by electrowetting force and the magnetic beads are exposable to a magnetic force of a bead manipulation magnet. The internal gap has a bead extraction opening adjacent to the bead accumulation zone. The bead extraction opening provides a passage from the gap to an exterior space of the cartridge and is configured to removably receive the bead manipulation magnet for enabling an extraction of the magnetic beads from the microfluidic droplet by a removal of the bead manipulation magnet.

A system for fluid transport is provided where a quantity of fluid is held in a reservoir. A droplet generator is employed to generate droplets from the fluid, for example a nozzle-based system or a nozzleless system such as an acoustic ejection system. A generated droplet has a trajectory whereby it arrives at a target. A circuit is used to modify one or more characteristics of the generated droplet in a way which increases the likelihood that the droplet will not splash or bounce when it arrives at the target. The circuit may in different embodiments control the speed of the droplet or the Weber number of the droplet. The circuit may create an electric field in an area of space where the droplet passes. The circuit may charge the droplet by causing it to contact ions.

The present disclosure provides all-in-one cartridges which contain necessary reagents and materials to isolate/preconcentrate targeted proteins from blood plasma and ionize them for mass spectrometry detection. In another configuration, the cartridges include proteolytic enzymes to digest the proteins into smaller peptides in addition to preconcentration and ionization for mass spectrometry detection.

A microfluidic device includes a substrate, a sensor, and one or more lamination films. The top surface of the substrate can include first recessed grooves forming first open channels and the bottom surface of the plastic substrate can include a first recessed cavity and second recessed groves forming second open channels. A first lamination film can be adhered with the top surface of the plastic substrate to form first closed channels. A second lamination film can be adhered to the bottom surface of the plastic substrate to form second closed channels. The sensor can be on the bottom surface of the substrate such that it overlies the first recessed cavity to form a flow cell with the sensor top surface inward facing. A first closed channel can be fluidically connected with a second closed channel and a first or second closed channel can be fluidically connected with the flow cell.

A system for fluid transport is provided where a quantity of fluid is held in a reservoir. A droplet generator is employed to generate droplets from the fluid, for example a nozzle-based system or a nozzleless system such as an acoustic ejection system. A generated droplet has a trajectory whereby it arrives at a target. A circuit is used to modify one or more characteristics of the generated droplet in a way which increases the likelihood that the droplet will not splash or bounce when it arrives at the target. The circuit may in different embodiments control the speed of the droplet or the Weber number of the droplet. The circuit may create an electric field in an area of space where the droplet passes. The circuit may charge the droplet by causing it to contact ions.