Cell-separation systems and methods utilizing cell-specific microbubble tags and ultrasound-based separation are described. The methods are useful for simplification of time-consuming and costly cell purification procedures and real time apoptosis detection.

An exemplary mobile impedance-based flow cytometer is developed for the diagnosis of sickle cell disease. The mobile cytometer may be controlled by a computer (e.g., smartphone) application. Calibration of the portable device may be performed using a component of known impedance value. With the developed portable flow cytometer, analysis may be performed on two sickle cell samples and a healthy cell sample. The acquired results may subsequently be analyzed to extract single-cell level impedance information as well as statistics of different cell conditions. Significant differences in cell impedance signals may be observed between sickle cells and normal cells, as well as between sickle cells under hypoxia and normoxia conditions.

Methods of forming a shear-mode chemical/physical sensor for liquid environment sensing on V-shaped grooves of a [100] crystal orientation Si layer and the resulting devices are provided. Embodiments include forming a set of V-shaped grooves in a [100] Si layer over a substrate; forming an acoustic resonator over and along the V-shaped grooves, the acoustic resonator including a first metal layer, a thin-film piezoelectric layer, and a second metal layer in an IDT pattern or a sheet; and forming at least one functional layer along a slope of the acoustic resonator.

Molecular beacons and developmental methods related thereto. Methods include obtaining a nucleotide sequence for an aptamer that binds to a target analyte. The aptamer comprises a binding domain nucleotide sequence, a first domain nucleotide sequence, and a displacement domain nucleotide sequence complementary to the first domain nucleotide sequence. A molecular beacon is developed based on the nucleotide sequence of the aptamer by preserving the binding domain nucleotide sequence and truncating or extending one or both of the first domain nucleotide sequence or the displacement domain nucleotide sequence. The resultant molecular beacon is developed such that the molecular beacon comprises a Gibbs free energy value that is greater than the Gibbs free energy value of the aptamer.

Methods and systems for sorting particles are provided. Methods and systems for sorting cell beads are provided. In some cases, cell beads may be sorted from particles unoccupied with cell derivatives. In some cases, singularly occupied cell beads may be sorted from unoccupied particles and multiply occupied cell beads.

Microfluidic devices and systems are provided. Methods for conducting immune assays with the devices and systems are also provided.

To provide a technology of efficiently and effectively sorting microparticles to be sorted from a sample solution. The present technology provides a control device being a device that controls a processing condition when sorting microparticles from a sample liquid flowing through a flow path, the control device provided with a control unit that controls a sorting processing condition on the basis of a content of microparticles to be sorted in the sample liquid. In the control device according to the present technology, the control unit may control the sorting processing condition on the basis of a surviving rate and/or an activation rate of biological particles to be sorted with respect to the sorting processing condition.

According to the present invention there is provided a first particle sensor, a second particle sensor and a device for characterisation of one or more particles in a fluid sample comprising a first particle sensor and/or at least one second particle sensor. A method for characterising one or more particles in a fluid sample is also disclosed.

An electronically-controlled digital ferrofluidic device is disclosed which employs a network of individually addressable coils in conjunction with one or more movable permanent magnets, where each moveable permanent magnet delivers the designated fluid manipulation-based tasks. The underlying mechanism facilitating fluidic operations is realized by addressable electromagnetic actuation of miniaturized mobile magnets that exert localized magnetic body forces on droplets filled with magnetic nanoparticles. The reconfigurable, contactless, and non-interfering magnetic-field operation properties of the underlying actuation mechanism allow for the integration of passive and active components to implement advanced and diverse operations with high efficiency (e.g., droplet sorting, dispensing, generation, merging, mixing, filtering, and analysis).

A system for the differentiation of plastic and non-plastic particles in suspension in a liquid, and the method of use thereof. The system having a channel for constraining and presenting the liquid to a detector, the detector having at least one transmit electrode for emitting electrical current to at least one receive electrode. Circuitry provides the current input and received electrical signals measurement capacities. Particles passing the receive electrodes alter the received electrical current according to the particle's dielectric properties, the circuitry records the received signals and discerns a particle's nature, most often plastic from non-plastic, from the differential signal of these received signals as a function of frequency.