A microfluidic device may include a microfluidic channel including an electrode placed at opposite ends of the microfluidic channel to create an electrical field within the channel and an ejection device to eject at least one cell porated within the electrical field. A cassette may include a substrate, a die coupled to the substrate, a microfluidic channel defined within the die, the microfluidic channel including a necked portion to receive a cell therein and at least two electrodes each placed at a first and a second end of the microfluidic channel to apply an electric field to the cell above a proration threshold and a cell ejection device to eject the cell from the die.

A print head includes a capillary around an axis of symmetry for a liquid to be printed, the capillary adjoining at least one elastic element and having a nozzle opening which opens into a prechamber. The prechamber has an outlet opening aligned with the nozzle opening of the capillary in its axial orientation of the axis of symmetry and at least one inlet opening for a guide gas. The at least one elastic element forms a guide for the capillary in its axial orientation only. A feed for the liquid to be printed is provided in the capillary. A mechanical oscillation system is provided that includes the at least one elastic element and the capillary with the liquid contained therein. An actuator with a mechanical or magnetic force interaction with the oscillation system is further provided.

A system and method are provided for loading a sample into an analytical instrument using acoustic droplet ejection (“ADE”) in combination with a continuous flow sampling probe. An acoustic droplet ejector is used to eject small droplets of a fluid sample containing an analyte into the sampling tip of a continuous flow sampling probe, where the acoustically ejected droplet combines with a continuous, circulating flow stream of solvent within the flow probe. Fluid circulation within the probe transports the sample through a sample transport capillary to an outlet that directs the analyte away from the probe to an analytical instrument, e.g., a device that detects the presence, concentration quantity, and/or identity of the analyte. When the analytical instrument is a mass spectrometer or other type of device requiring the analyte to be in ionized form, the exiting droplets pass through an ionization region, e.g., an electrospray ion source, prior to entering the mass spectrometer or other analytical instrument. The method employs active flow control and enables real-time kinetic measurements.

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for tagging and acoustically characterizing containers.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to evaporation compensation in fluidic devices. An example apparatus for evaporation compensation includes an assessment circuit to determine an amount of evaporation of a volume dispensed in a microwell of a fluidic device. The amount of evaporation may be determined based on the volume in the microwell, and an amount of time after dispensing the volume in the microwell. A compensation circuit may determine, based on the amount of evaporation, a compensation factor for the microwell including an amount of a normalizing fluid to compensate for the amount of evaporation. The compensation circuit may also create a normalization profile for the fluidic device, including an association between the fluidic device and the compensation factor. A dispensing circuit may dispense the normalizing fluid in the microwell according to the normalization profile.

A digital dispense apparatus comprising a plurality of fluid dispense devices, at least one reservoir connected to the plurality of fluid dispense devices to deliver fluid to the plurality of fluid dispense devices, at least one contact pad array, and a single monolithic carrier structure.

A microfluidic device may, in an example, include at least one microfluidic channel, a dielectrophoresis separator to separate a plurality of cells passing within the at least one microfluidic channel, and a thermal resistor to eject at least one cell from the microfluidic device. A cassette may, in an example, include a die coupled to a substrate of the cassette, the die including at least one microfluidic channel, a dielectrophoresis separator along the microfluidic channel to separate a plurality of cells passing within the microfluidic channel, and an ejection device to eject at least one of the plurality of cells into an assay well.

A microfluidic apparatus may include, in an example, a substrate, at least one silicon die embedded into the substrate, and a planarization layer layered over, at least, a portion of the substrate that interfaces with the silicon die to prevent a fluid from contacting an edge of the silicon die.

A microfluidic dispenser can include a processor to receive a user input via a user interface related to limiting dilution (or a limiting dilution assay) to be performed, and calculate a dispense volume of a fluid for the limiting dilution based on the user input. The microfluidic dispenser can also include a dispense cassette including a fluid reservoir, and a microfluidic dispense head to dispense the fluid via a nozzle in accordance with the calculated dispense volume.

A system and method for printing cells in a medium. A multi-dimensional printer, stably constructed of low-mass parts, can include a computer numerically controlled system that can enable motors driving delivery systems. The motors can include encoders that can enable achieving arbitrary resolution. The motors can drive ballscrews to enable linear motion of delivery systems, and the delivery systems can enable printing of a biological material in a pre-selected pattern in a petri dish. The petri dish can accommodate a medium such as a gel, and can further accommodate a vision system that can detect actual position and deflection of the delivery system needle. The printer can accommodate multiple delivery systems and therefore multiple needles of various sizes.