Systems, apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture provide for resuspending and/or collecting blood and/or other types of cells in solution. In one embodiment, cells may be recovered from used surgical sponges and/or other types of surgical articles (e.g., and stored for later use).

Systems and methods for conducting surface-mediated chemical and/or biochemical reactions within an enclosed chamber are disclosed. Systems and methods of the present disclosure may be used in conducting hybridization reactions of biopolymers. In some examples, an improved method for mixing thin films of solutions in a hybridization chamber includes altering the direction of mixing at least once over the course of a reaction. In some examples, an improved method for mixing thin films of solutions in a hybridization chamber includes altering the speed of mixing at least once over the course of a reaction. In some examples, an improved method for mixing thin films of solutions in a hybridization chamber includes altering the speed of mixing and the direction of mixing at least once over the course of a reaction.

An apparatus for separating components of a body fluid, especially whole blood, to prepare a sample that may be analyzed using spectrophotometric techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS) to assess the composition of the sample are disclosed. A microfluidic separator may be defined by a capillary tube having red blood cell traps incorporated therein; importantly, the microfluidic separator does not activate platelets as the whole blood flows through the separator by air replacement action (i.e., suction). Whole blood is processed to remove red blood cells so that DLS may be used to analyze the separated sample to detect merosomes in the sample. A method for diagnosing a pathological condition in a patient based on a body fluid from the patient comprises using a DLS instrument to collect DLS measurements from the body fluid; using the DLS measurements to detect a presence of merosomes in the body fluid; and diagnosing the pathological condition based on the presence of the merosomes, the presence of the detected merosomes being indicative of the existence of the pathological condition in the patient.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for measuring glycated A1c hemoglobin. A glycated hemoglobin level measuring system includes a sample testing apparatus having a microchannel that compresses a blood sample traveling through, a first pair of electrodes coupled to the microchannel, and a second pair of electrodes coupled to the microchannel. The glycated hemoglobin level measuring system further includes an analysis apparatus having sensors coupled to the first and second pairs of electrodes and configured to calculate a travel time taken by a red blood cell to pass through the first and second pairs of electrodes. The glycated hemoglobin level measuring system can use the travel time to measure a rigidity of the red blood cells and the corresponding glycated hemoglobin level.

A cassette comprising: a first reservoir arranged to couple to a first actuator for imparting flow to a cell-containing solution in a first direction through a filter; a second reservoir arranged to couple to a second actuator for imparting flow to a cell-containing solution in a second direction through the filter; the filter being in fluid communication with the first and second reservoirs, and when connected to a filtration unit is in further fluid communication to a sample inlet, and a sample outlet; wherein, the cassette is disposable and housed by a connector being removeably adjoinable to the filtration unit, the filtration unit comprising the first and second actuators and one or more valves.

Disclosed are a sample pretreatment module and a sample pretreatment method using the same. The sample pretreatment module including: a body having a chamber for accommodating a sample therein; a cap coupled to one end of the body; a dotting substrate provided to have at least some portion of it dotted with the reagent and be inserted into the chamber; a discharge tip movably coupled to the other end of the body for discharging a sample accommodated in the chamber; a permanent magnet provided to be inserted in the chamber and mix the sample by rotating owing to a magnetic force acting in accordance with a change in a magnetic field externally applied; and a moving unit movably provided in the cap and pressing the sample in the chamber according to the movement to discharge the sample to the outside.

The present disclosure provides approaches for reducing tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in tobacco. Some of these approaches include genetically engineering tobacco plants to increase one or more antioxidants, increase oxygen radicle absorbance capacity (ORAC), or reduce nitrite. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants and tobacco products therefrom comprising reduced TSNAs.

Microfluidic chips and cartridges and systems that include such chips are disclosed. In some embodiments, the chips include a microfluidic channel disposed in a substrate with the channel comprising at least one expansion region. The channel is configured to generate a vortex within the at least one expansion region in response to fluid through the microfluidic channel to trap cells or particles. The substrate in which the channel is formed may be relatively rigid to resist deformation.

The present disclosure provides approaches for reducing tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in tobacco. Some of these approaches include genetically engineering tobacco plants to increase one or more antioxidants, increase oxygen radicle absorbance capacity (ORAC), or reduce nitrite. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants and tobacco products therefrom comprising reduced TSNAs.

A portable device for extracting DNA from a sample comprising a tissue with a plurality of cells. The device includes an opening configured to receive the sample, a first region in fluid communication with the opening and comprising a plurality of tissue processing elements; a second region having a first dehydrated buffer configured to change a first characteristic of the sample and cause lysis of at least some of the plurality of cells in the sample; a third region having a second dehydrated buffer configured to prevent at least some of a plurality of proteins in the sample from progressing from said third region to the fourth region; a fourth region having a third dehydrated buffer configured to purify the DNA from said sample; and an exit designed to allow for the purified DNA to exit the device.