An analytical system that includes a flow cell, a liquid delivery component, a gas delivery component and a bubble generator component, wherein the liquid delivery component is configured to deliver liquid from one or more reservoirs to the bubble generator component, wherein the gas delivery component is configured to deliver gas from one or more source to the bubble generator component, and wherein the bubble generator component is configured to mix liquids from the liquid delivery component with gas from the gas delivery component to deliver a fluid foam to the inside of the flow cell, wherein the fluid foam includes bubbles of the gas in the liquid.

Fabricating a fluid testing device includes receiving a substrate, and applying a pattern of hydrophobic material to the substrate. The substrate is positioned between layers of a thermally reflective material. Heat and pressure is applied to the substrate and thermally reflective material to reflow the pattern of hydrophobic material. A protective coating is applied over a portion of the substrate to form the fluid testing device.

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.

Disclosed herein is a novel method of producing monodisperse aqueous droplets, as well as a novel microfluidic droplet generator. In some examples, the method comprises flowing an aqueous solution through a microchannel and into a sample reservoir of the microfluidic droplet generator, wherein monodisperse droplets of the aqueous solution form by step-emulsification at a step change in height at an intersection of a reservoir end of the microchannel and a sidewall of the sample reservoir. In some examples, the aqueous solution is a hydrogel precursor solution and monodisperse droplets of the hydrogel precursor solution form by step-emulsification at the step change in height at the intersection of the reservoir end of the microchannel and the sidewall of the sample reservoir. In some examples, the monodisperse droplets of the hydrogel precursor solution are incubated under conditions suitable for gelation to form hydrogel beads.

An analytical system that includes a flow cell, a liquid delivery component, a gas delivery component and a bubble generator component, wherein the liquid delivery component is configured to deliver liquid from one or more reservoirs to the bubble generator component, wherein the gas delivery component is configured to deliver gas from one or more source to the bubble generator component, and wherein the bubble generator component is configured to mix liquids from the liquid delivery component with gas from the gas delivery component to deliver a fluid foam to the inside of the flow cell, wherein the fluid foam includes bubbles of the gas in the liquid.

A microfluidic chip that can have a body defining a microfluidic network including a test volume, one or more ports, and one or more channels in fluid communication between the port(s) and the test volume. Gas can be removed from the test volume before a sample liquid is introduced therein by reducing pressure at a first one of the port(s), optionally while the liquid is disposed in the port. Liquid in the first port can be introduced into the test volume by increasing pressure at the first port. The microfluidic network can define one or more droplet-generating regions in which at least one of the channel(s) defines a constriction and/or two or more of the channels connect at a junction. Liquid flowing from the first port can pass through at least one of the droplet-generating region(s) and to the test volume.

An analytical system that includes a flow cell, a liquid delivery component, a gas delivery component and a bubble generator component, wherein the liquid delivery component is configured to deliver liquid from one or more reservoirs to the bubble generator component, wherein the gas delivery component is configured to deliver gas from one or more source to the bubble generator component, and wherein the bubble generator component is configured to mix liquids from the liquid delivery component with gas from the gas delivery component to deliver a fluid foam to the inside of the flow cell, wherein the fluid foam includes bubbles of the gas in the liquid.

Methods and devices for identifying a cell population comprising an effector cell exhibiting an extracellular effect are provided. The method comprises retaining in a plurality of open chambers a plurality of cell populations, each optionally comprising one or more effector cells. The open chambers can each comprise a readout particle population, and the open chambers are present in a first component of a device comprising a first component and optionally a second component. The open chambers have an average aspect ratio of 0.6 and the first component forms a reversible seal with the second component. The method further comprises incubating the plurality of cell populations or a subset thereof, and the one or more readout particles, or a subset thereof, within the chambers, assaying the cell populations for the presence of the extracellular effect, wherein the readout particle(s) provides a direct or indirect readout of the extracellular effect, and determining, based on the results of the assaying step, whether one or more cells within one or more cell populations of the plurality exhibits the extracellular effect.

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 process for preparing a biological sample including biological species, implemented in a preparation system, the preparation system including a device that includes: a housing, a first channel provided in the housing, a second channel provided in the housing, a chamber into which the first channel and the second channel open, a filter separating the chamber into two distinct spaces, the process including the following steps: injection of the biological sample in the form of a fluid via the first channel to concentrate biological species in the first space of the chamber of the device, injection of an immunological buffer fluid via the second channel of the device so as to at least partially elute the biological species with the immunological buffer fluid.