The present disclosure provides a cartridge and method to move fluids within the cartridge that simplifies the design and removes the need for any internal valves or metering devices. The design is amenable to injection molded manufacturing lowering cost for large volume manufacturing. The design can be adapted to carry out both sample preparation and detection of biological substances including nucleic acids and proteins.

Provided herein are passive microfluidic pumps. The pumps can comprise a fluid inlet, an absorbent region, a resistive region fluidly connecting the fluid inlet and the absorbent region, and an evaporation barrier enclosing the resistive region, the absorbent region, or a combination thereof. The resistive region can comprise a first porous medium, and a fluidly non-conducting boundary defining a path for fluid flow through the first porous medium from the fluid inlet to the absorbent region. The absorbent region can comprise a fluidly non-conducting boundary defining a volume of a second porous medium sized to absorb a predetermined volume of fluid imbibed from the resistive region. The resistive region and the absorbent region can be configured to establish a capillary-driven fluid front advancing from the fluid inlet through the resistive region to the absorbent region when the fluid inlet is contacted with fluid.

In accordance with some embodiments, a fluid sample collection and retrieval apparatus including a microfluidic chip, a retrieval tube, a first switch, a second switch and a processor is provided. The microfluidic chip includes a first sample channel, a first fluid directing channel assembly, a first confluence chamber, a first collection channel, a first waste channel, and a retrieval hole. The retrieval hole passes through an outer surface of the microfluidic chip. The retrieval tube is connected to the retrieval hole. The first switch is connected to the microfluidic chip. The second switch is attached to the retrieval tube. The processor is configured to activate the first switch to operate the flow adjustment of the first fluid directing channel assembly and activate the second switch to operate a sample collection in the first collection channel within duration of operating the flow adjustment of the first fluid directing channel assembly.

A microfluidic chip can comprise a body and a microfluidic network defined by the body. The network can include one or more inlet ports, a test volume, and one or more flow paths extending between the inlet port(s) and the test volume. Along each of the flow path(s), fluid is permitted to flow from one of the inlet port(s), through at least one droplet-generating region in which a minimum cross-sectional area of the flow path increases along the flow path, and to the test volume. The network can include a gutter disposed along at least a portion of a periphery of the test volume such that fluid from the flow path(s) is not permitted to flow into the gutter without flowing through the test volume, wherein, along the gutter, a depth of the gutter is at least 10% larger than the depth of the test volume at the periphery.

The present disclosure provides devices, kits, and methods for enriching/separating and/or subtyping target cells from a biological sample, such as circulating tumor cells or other types of rare cells or differentiating cells. Devices, kits, and methods of the present disclosure utilize a created chemogradient to modulate movement of target and/or non-target cells in a sample based on attraction and/or repulsion to certain chemical compounds to separate and subtype cells in a sample.

A microfluidic device includes a substrate and a cover. The substrate has an inlet port, a first microchannel, one or more parking loops, a second microchannel and an outlet port for each microchannel network. The first microchannel is connected to the inlet port, the second microchannel is connected to the outlet port, the parking loops are connected between the first and second microchannels. Each parking loop includes a parking loop inlet, a parking loop output, a fluidic trap connected between the parking loop inlet and the parking loop outlet, and a bypass microchannel connected to the parking loop inlet and the parking loop outlet. The cover is attached to a top of the substrate and has an inlet opening and an outlet opening through the cover for each microchannel network. The inlet and outlet openings of the cover are disposed above the inlet and outlet ports in the substrate.

A portable microfluidic system capable of rapid diagnosis is described, which is able to analyze genetic, protein and cell composition of a sample in parallel for specific diseases from a relatively small sample. The method uses a single microfluidic chip integrated into a unique portable microfluidic platform and provides improved diagnostic accuracy, allows for frequent monitoring and is suitable for easy use in clinical settings.

A fluid handling device has fluidic structures having inlet and outlet chambers and a connecting duct fluidically connecting the two. In a first state, the inlet chamber is completely or partly filled with at least a liquid and partly filled with a compressible medium, and the outlet chamber is at least partly filled with the compressible medium. One of the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber has such a venting duct that a flow resistance/volume product of venting of the chamber for the compressible medium amounts to at least 6700 N.Math.s/m.sup.2, the other of the inlet chamber and of the outlet chamber being vented. An actuator for actuating the fluidic structures is to cause a pressure difference of at least 30 Pa between the compressible media within the inlet and outlet chambers, so as to thereby switch a valve device implemented into the connecting duct.

A microfluidic device (200) for separating a liquid L into first and second liquid components L.sub.1, L.sub.2 thereof is described. The microfluidic device (200) comprises an inlet (230) for receiving the liquid therethrough. The microfluidic device (200) comprises a first outlet (210) for the first liquid component L.sub.1, wherein the first outlet (210) is fluidically coupled to the inlet (230) via a first passageway (240). The microfluidic device (200) comprises a second outlet (220) for the second liquid component L.sub.2, wherein the second outlet (220) is fluidically coupled to the first passageway (240A) via a first set of N conduits 250 (250A, 250B, 250C, 250D, 250E), wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1, wherein respective conduits 250A, 250B, 250C, 250D, 250E of the first set of N conduits 250 divide from the first passageway 240A at respective divisions 252 (252A, 252B, 252C, 252D, 252E) from the inlet 230 therealong 240. The respective conduits 250A, 250B, 250C, 250D, 250E of the first set of N conduits 250 are arranged to, at least in part, equalize flowrate ratios at the respective divisions 252 (252A, 252B, 252C, 252D, 252E).

A fluidic module includes first and second measuring chambers, first and second fluid inlet channels connected to the first and second measuring chambers, respectively, and first and second fluid outlet channels connected to the first and second measuring chambers, respectively. Upon rotation of the fluidic module about a center of rotation, liquids are centrifugally driven into the first and second measuring chambers via the first and second fluid inlet channels, respectively, so that compressible media previously present within the first and second measuring chambers are compressed by the liquids driven into the first and second measuring chambers, respectively. Upon a reduction of the rotational frequency and upon an expansion, resulting therefrom, of the compressible media, the liquids present within the first and second measuring chambers are driven out of same via the first and second fluid outlet channels, respectively.