An apparatus for patterning biological cells, and a method of patterning and coculturing biological cells using the apparatus. The apparatus includes a fluidic structure having an outlet and a plurality of inlets, the fluidic structure is arranged to facilitate a flow of a plurality of different cells in a cell suspension therethrough, wherein each of the plurality of inlets is arranged to facilitate a loading of the plurality of different cells from a plurality of supplies into the fluidic structure; and a flow controlling device arranged to control the flow of the plurality of different cells through the fluidic structure and/or the loading of the plurality of different cells from the plurality of supplies through the plurality of inlets; wherein the fluidic structure is further arranged to facilitate a simultaneous observation of the plurality of different cells arranged in a predetermined pattern in the fluidic structure.

A micro-fluidic device includes at least one inlet and a curvilinear microchannel having a trapezoidal cross section defined by a radially inner side, a radially outer side, a bottom side, and a top side, the cross section having a) the radially inner side and the radially outer side unequal in height, or b) the radially inner side equal in height to the radially outer side, and wherein the top side has at least two continuous straight sections, each unequal in width to the bottom side.

A system for detecting concentration of a target in a solution where sample fluid is passed into a microchannel with wall coated with the receptor that reacts and crosslinks with the target to constrict the channel and slow or stop sample flow through the microchannel. Concentration of the target is determined by measuring length of the sample filled channel.

A flow control system for a microfluidic device includes: a plurality of fluid flow controllers, each fluid flow controller associated with a respective microfluidic device inlet of the microfluidic device, and wherein each fluid flow controller includes: a controller inlet for receiving a fluid flow, a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel, each of the first and the second fluid channels having a first end connected to the controller inlet and a second end connected to a supply channel, and a valve for selecting the fluid flow to be passed from the controller inlet to the first fluid channel or to the second fluid channel, wherein the first fluid channel has a first flow resistance that smaller than a second flow resistance of the second fluid channel.

The invention relates to a microfluidic system based on active control of flow resistance and balancing pressures in microfluidic channels and an improved method for enhancing reactions with magnetic beads used in disposable microfluidic devices and cartridges for use in, but not limited to, in-vitro diagnostics. The microfluidic system and device of the invention does not utilize mechanical moving parts to control the fluid flow and has no external fluidic connection to the instrument or fluidics controller. The microfluidic system and device combines magnetic control over the movement of magnetic detection beads with electric field and convective enhancement of the movement of analytes and/or or reagentss surrounding the magnetic detection beads, thereby enabling movement of magnetic beads and analytes in the same direction or in different directions. The present invention thereby provides significantly enhanced interactions between analytes and/or reagents with the magnetic beads, which yields higher sensitivity for detection.

We describe a method comprising: providing a droplet comprising a plurality of constituents, splitting said droplet into a first droplet and a second droplet, wherein said first droplet comprises a first fraction of said plurality of constituents and said second droplet comprises a second fraction of said plurality of constituents, analysing said constituents of said first fraction of said plurality of constituents in said first droplet, and sorting said second droplet dependent on an outcome of said analysis.

Provided is a rotatable microfluidic device for conducting simultaneously two or more assays. The device includes a platform which can be rotated, a first unit which is disposed at one portion of the platform and detects a target material from a sample using surface on which a capture probe selectively binds to the target material is attached, and a second unit which is disposed at another portion of the platform and detects a target material included in the sample by a different reaction from the reaction conducted in the first unit.

A fluidic module rotatable about a center of rotation includes a first compression chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a second compression chamber having a fluid inlet, a first fluid channel connected to the first chamber via the fluid inlet of the first chamber, and a second fluid channel connecting the fluid outlet of the first chamber to the fluid inlet of the second chamber. Due to rotation of the fluidic module a liquid may be centrifugally driven into the first chamber and the second fluid channel through the first fluid channel, and thereby a compressible medium may be entrapped and compressed within the second chamber. By lowering the rotary frequency and due to the resultant expansion of the compressible medium, liquid may be driven out of the second fluid channel into the first chamber, out of the first chamber into and through an outlet channel.

Devices for detecting a particle in a fluid sample are provided. The device includes a segmented microfluidic conduit configured to carry a flow of a fluid sample, where the conduit includes one or more nodes and two or more sections, and a node is positioned between adjacent sections of the conduit. The device also includes a detector configured to detect a change in current through the conduit. Also provided are methods of using the devices as well as systems and kits that include the devices. The devices, systems and methods find use in a variety of different applications, including diagnostic assays.

Provided herein are microfluidic circuits that include at least one device for forming a quantity of drops of a solution in a carrier fluid and at least one storage zone for storing drops produced by the microfluidic device. Such microfluidic circuits are useful, for example, for the analysis of a solution containing a biological sample.