A microfabricated droplet dispensing structure is described, which may include a MEMS microfluidic fluidic valve, configured to open and close a microfluidic channel. The opening and closing of the valve may separate a target particle and a bead from a sample stream, and direct these two particle into a single droplet formed at the edge of the substrate. The droplet may then be encased in a sheath flow of an immiscible fluid.

A pipetting apparatus and method for pulsed dispensing of small metered-liquid doses of no more than 1 l. The apparatus includes a pipetting conduit at least partly filled with working gas, a pressure-modifying apparatus for modifying the pressure of the working gas, and a control apparatus for applying control to the pressure-modifying apparatus. The control apparatus can control the pressure-modifying apparatus so as to generate in the pipetting conduit, with respect to a reference holding pressure in the pipetting conduit which is necessary for immovable holding of the metered-liquid quantity, an overpressure pulse having a pulse duration of no more than 40 ms.

A liquid deposition system comprises a liquid delivery assembly including a dispensing probe having a sidewall including a first end having a liquid port and a second end having a tip, and a flow path opening at the tip and fluidly connected with the liquid port. The system includes a gas injection assembly with a manifold having a gas nozzle, a nozzle opening, and a gas port, the gas nozzle configured to eject a substantially laminar gas stream so that the gas stream travels through a travel path, the tip of the dispensing probe extending into the travel path. The liquid port is fluidly connectable with a liquid source and the gas port is fluidly connectable with a pressurized gas source, so that a liquid micro droplet is formed at the tip. The laminar gas stream separates the micro droplet from the tip and carries it through the travel path.

Devices and methods are provided for spotting an array with fluid. Arrays produced by such methods are also provided. In one aspect of the invention, a spotter device for spotting a plurality of fluids into an array is described, the spotter device comprising a plurality of reservoirs provided in a first configuration, each reservoir holding its respective fluid, a print head having a plurality of positions provided in a second configuration, the second configuration being different from the first configuration, a plurality of tubes, each tube configured to provide fluid communication from a reservoir at a first end of the tube to a position in the print head at the second end of the tube, and a pump for pumping fluid through the tubes from the reservoir to the print head.

Described is a liquid inlet valve having a housing configured to receive the opening of a sample bottle, a valve, a nozzle positioned within the housing, and a tube that extends downwardly from the housing. The liquid inlet valve is useful for transferring liquid samples from a sample bottle to a solvent phase extraction (SPE) disk of a bottle extractor system for purposes of conducting environmental analysis.

Systems, including apparatus and methods, for the microfluidic manipulation, dispensing, and/or sorting of particles, such as cells and/or beads.

A particle isolation apparatus 100 for isolating particles from a suspension sample, includes a droplet dispenser device 10 for collecting the suspension sample from a carrier substrate 20 and for dispensing droplets onto a target substrate 30, a mechanical pump device 40 being coupled with the droplet dispenser device 10 for loading a dilution liquid into the droplet dispenser device 10 and for aspirating a first portion of the suspension sample into the droplet dispenser device 10, and a syphon pump device 50 being coupled with the droplet dispenser device 10 and being arranged for aspirating a second portion of the suspension sample into the droplet dispenser device 10. Preferably, the droplet dispenser device 10 is configured for dispensing single particle droplets on the target substrate 30. Furthermore, a method of isolating particles from a suspension sample is described.

A continuous throughput microfluidic system includes an input system configured to provide a sequential stream of sample plugs; a droplet generator arranged in fluid connection with the input system to receive the sequential stream of sample plugs and configured to provide an output stream of droplets; a droplet treatment system arranged in fluid connection with the droplet generator to receive the output stream of droplets in a sequential order and configured to provide a stream of treated droplets in the sequential order; a detection system arranged to obtain detection signals from the treated droplets in the sequential order; a control system configured to communicate with the input system, the droplet generator, and the droplet treatment system; and a data processing and storage system configured to communicate with the control system and the detection system.

A valve for dispensing a fluid comprising a dry portion and a wet portion is presented. Only the wet portion is contacted by the fluid. The wet portion comprises a fluid dispenser unit having a inlet opening, a capillary nozzle providing a fluid outlet, a cavity, the capillary nozzle having an end within the cavity, and a plunger. The plunger moves within the cavity into an opening position allowing an inflow of the fluid through the inlet opening through the cavity and an outflow of the fluid through the capillary nozzle. The plunger has a sealing surface directed towards the end of the capillary nozzle. The plunger moves into a closing position for sealing the end of the capillary nozzle with the sealing surface. The dry portion comprises a closing component for exercising a magnetic closing force onto the plunger for attracting the plunger into the closing position.

A continuous throughput microfluidic system includes an input system configured to provide a sequential stream of sample plugs; a droplet generator arranged in fluid connection with the input system to receive the sequential stream of sample plugs and configured to provide an output stream of droplets; a droplet treatment system arranged in fluid connection with the droplet generator to receive the output stream of droplets in a sequential order and configured to provide a stream of treated droplets in the sequential order; a detection system arranged to obtain detection signals from the treated droplets in the sequential order; a control system configured to communicate with the input system, the droplet generator, and the droplet treatment system; and a data processing and storage system configured to communicate with the control system and the detection system.