Microfluidic flow cells for analyzing or diagnosing biofilms and cell cultures. The microfluidic flow cells comprise a support plate with a sample chamber formed therein, which is peripherally limited by chamber walls and a bottom, a cover plate which can be connected to the support plate in a fluid-tight manner, an inlet with an integrated inlet channel, which leads to the sample chamber via an opening, a drain with an integrated drain channel. Holding elements for fixing the support plate to a microscope stage or a holding device are attached to the front sides of the support plate. The invention further relates to systems and their use for analyzing and diagnosing biofilms and cell cultures using these microfluidic flow cells.

Examples of a microfluidic analyser (100, 200A, 200B, 200C) for in-vitro biosensing and analysis of a biological sample are described. The microfluidic analyser comprises a platform (102, 202A, 202B, 202C, 402A, 402B, 500) to hold at least one cartridge (300) carrying a biological sample and at least one reagent. The microfluidic analyser includes a fluid control unit (108, 1000) having needles (110, 1002, 1102) to pierceably connect with sealed ends (304) of the cartridge to establish a fluid connection with the cartridge, and a pneumatic unit (112, 1004, 1202) to provide at least one of a positive pressure and a negative pressure to the cartridge. The microfluidic analyser includes an optical unit (104, 600) comprising an optical sensor (124, 604, 800) to detect presence of a fluorescence biomarker in biological sample held in the cartridge.

An interface component (40), suitable for cooperating with a microfluidic device (1), the interface component comprising, one or more elements (41) which can be selectively connected to a pneumatic system (71 a,71 b) which can provide a positive and/or negative air flow to the one or more elements (41); wherein each of the one or more elements (41) comprises, an input port (42) which can be selectively fluidly connected to a pneumatic system (71 a,71 b); and a flow restrictor (43) according to a further aspect of the present invention; the flow restrictor (43) being arranged in fluid communication with the input port (42), wherein the flow restrictor (43) can restrict the flow of fluid through the element (41); and an aerosol filter (49) which is arranged to be in fluid communication with the flow restrictor (43); and wherein the interface component (40) further comprises one or more outlets (45), each of the one or more outlets (45) being in fluid communication with a respective element (41), so that fluid can flow from the element (41) out of the interface component (40) via the one or more outlets (45); and wherein each of the one or more outlets (45) can be selectively arranged to be in fluid communication with a respective reservoir (105,106,107,108) of a microfluidic device (1). There is further provided a corresponding method and assembly for extracting ferromagnetic, paramagnetic and/or diamagnetic particles from a sample.

A microfluidic device includes a particle sorting region having a first, second and third microfluidic channels, a first array of islands separating the first microfluidic channel from the second microfluidic channel, and a second array of islands separating the first microfluidic channel from the third microfluidic channel, in which the island arrays and the microfluidic channels are arranged so that a first fluid is extracted from the first microfluidic channel into the second microfluidic channel and a second fluid is extracted from the third microfluidic channel into the first microfluidic channel, and so that particles are transferred from the first fluid sample into the second fluid sample within the first microfluidic channel.

A nucleic acid extraction system, comprising: a nucleic acid extraction plate, and a pipetting device and positive pressure device that are arranged side by side, the pipetting device comprising: an infusion device, an infusion device mounting frame, an infusion device driving unit, and a plurality of infusion units, each of the infusion units comprising: a reagent supply device and a reagent flow controller; the positive pressure device comprises: a plug, an air pipe, a positive pressure provider and a positive pressure driving device. The nucleic acid extraction system is highly efficiency and low-cost when extracting nucleic acid.

A method and device for transfecting a cell to introduce an exogenous material into the cell. The method includes exposing the cell to a region of unsteady flow in the presence of an electric field to encourage introduction of the exogenous material into a cell without lysing the cell.

A method for detecting, sorting, purifying and characterizing objects of interest in a liquid sample. The method comprises preparing, in a preparation module ON) of a microfluidic router system, the liquid sample for processing, Preparing comprises transporting the sample through a microfluidic channel, and forwarding the prepared sample from an outlet of the preparation module into an inlet of a routing module. Forwarding comprises coupling a microfluidic flow between the outlet and the inlet to passively buffer against or actively compensate for variations in a flow rate of the prepared sample at the outlet, and diverting the objects of interest from the microfluidic flow. Forwarding the sample comprises sensing a flow characteristic of the sample in preparation, routing module, or in flow connection, and controlling a flow control element taking the sensed characteristic into account to compensate for a variation in the flow rate by a closed-loop flow control.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure provides an inflatable bladder lid that configures with a cartridge configured for assay testing. The inflatable bladder provides substantially uniform pressure to the cartridge. The pressure is substantially distributed across the one or more regions of the cartridge to extend pressure over a wide cartridge surface. At least a portion of the bladder lid may comprise a flexible membrane material that inflates and stretches over at least a portion of the cartridge to conformally contact its first/top surface.

A device for processing a slide specimen and a method thereof, wherein the device mainly comprises a container, a base, a heating device, a slide cover plate, a slide, a slide rack, a liquid outlet, a liquid inlet, a controller, a thermocouple, a temperature display screen, a temperature maintaining time display window and a temperature maintaining time adjustment button. A large amount of slide specimens are enable to carry out processing such as reagent loading, cleaning, heat treatment, temperature maintaining and drying in one same device, realizing that there's no need to take or transfer the slide manually during the whole process of the slide specimen processing, reducing manual intervention and interference, not only saving time but also simplifying the operation steps and reducing operation errors.

Microfluidic structures and methods for manipulating fluids, fluid components, and reactions are provided. In one aspect, such structures and methods can allow production of droplets of a precise volume, which can be stored/maintained at precise regions of the device. In another aspect, microfluidic structures and methods described herein are designed for containing and positioning components in an arrangement such that the components can be manipulated and then tracked even after manipulation. For example, cells may be constrained in an arrangement in microfluidic structures described herein to facilitate tracking during their growth and/or after they multiply.