The present invention provides novel microfluidic devices and methods that are useful for performing high-throughput screening assays and combinatorial chemistry. The invention provides for aqueous based emulsions containing uniquely labeled cells, enzymes, nucleic acids, etc., wherein the emulsions further comprise primers, labels, probes, and other reactants. An oil based carrier-fluid envelopes the emulsion library on a microfluidic device, such that a continuous channel provides for flow of the immiscible fluids, to accomplish pooling, coalescing, mixing, sorting, detection, etc., of the emulsion library.

Plastic microfluidic structures having a substantially rigid diaphragm that actuates between a relaxed state wherein the diaphragm sits against the surface of a substrate and an actuated state wherein the diaphragm is moved away from the substrate. As will be seen from the following description, the microfluidic structures formed with this diaphragm provide easy to manufacture and robust systems, as well readily made components such as valves and pumps.

The disclosure relates to a channel for a microfluidic system, comprising: a portion of a first depth and a portion of a second, deeper, depth along a direction of flow of the channel; a portion of variable depth located between the portion of a first depth and the portion of a second depth along the direction of flow, wherein, in the portion of variable depth, each cross-section of the channel that is orthogonal to the direction of flow has at least two different depths, being equal to at least the first depth and the second depth, at different portions thereof, thereby allowing for a gradual transition in capillary pressure as a capillary flow in the channel transitions from the portion of a first depth to the portion of a second depth.

An inlet structure is adapted to be connected to a microchannel. The inlet structure includes an inlet portion and at least one micro structure. The inlet portion contains an inner surface. The micro structure is disposed in the inlet portion and connected to the inner surface. When a fluid is injected into the inlet portion, the micro structure destroys a surface tension of the fluid to cause the fluid to flow into the microchannel by capillary action.

A microfluidic distributing device having a plurality of microchannels for the analysis of a fluid sample (such as blood). The microfluidic distributing device has a fluid sample entry port from which subsamples of the fluid sample are distributed to the plurality of microchannels in which fluid subsamples are treated for analysis by test devices.

A sheath flow system having a channel with at least one fluid transporting structure located in the top and bottom surfaces situated so as to transport the sheath fluid laterally across the channel to provide sheath fluid fully surrounding the core solution. At the point of introduction into the channel, the sheath fluid and core solutions flow side by side within the channel or the core solution may be bounded on either side by the sheath fluid. The system is functional over a broad channel size range and with liquids of high or low viscosity. The design can be readily incorporated into microfluidic chips without the need for special manufacturing protocols. Uses include extruding materials and/or fabricating structures.

The invention describes a method for the synthesis of compounds comprising the steps of: (a) compartmentalising two or more sets of primary compounds into microcapsules; such that a proportion of the microcapsules contains two or more compounds; and (b) forming secondary compounds in the microcapsules by chemical reactions between primary compounds from different sets; wherein one or both of steps (a) and (b) is performed under microfluidic control; preferably electronic microfluidic control The invention further allows for the identification of compounds which bind to a target component of a biochemical system or modulate the activity of the target, and which is co-compartmentalised into the microcapsules.

Disclosed herein is a microfluidic device for concentrating target particles in a fluid sample using dielectrophoresis (DEP). The microfluidic device comprises an inlet chamber comprising a fluid inlet for receiving a fluid sample, an outlet chamber comprising a fluid outlet for discharging the fluid sample, and a plurality of DEP channels. Each DEP channel is fluidically connected to the inlet chamber and to the outlet chamber such a fluid path from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet is provided through each of the DEP channels, wherein the microfluidic device is configured such that each of the fluid paths has substantially the same fluid resistance.

A microfluidic device for use in field of droplet microfluidics is disclosed. The microfluidic device can manipulate a discrete element, for example a droplet. The discrete element may include a medium and a component. The microfluidic device may include a main microfluidic channel, some stopping elements and an attractive mechanism that may retain, physically and in a releasable way, the component at a given location in the main microfluidic channel. The discrete element may be split into a first and second parts in such a way that the component ends in the second parts. The microfluidic device. may be used especially for a single-cell analysis.

A collection system configured to maintain the integrity of a bodily fluid sample has a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and an inner surface defining a fluid flow path therethrough. The distal end portion is configured to be placed in fluid communication with a patient. The proximal end portion is configured to be placed in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir. The fluid flow path defined by the inner surface is associated with at least one flow characteristic configured to limit a stress within the flow of the bodily fluid between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion.