Devices and methods are provided that allow for the casting of flat, controlled thickness layers of gel or polymer on a test surface, such as within the wells of a microplate. A spacer device is interposed between the test surface and the planar lower face of a movable pillar, defining a highly uniform volume. Addition of a gel or polymer precursor in solution followed by curing generates a highly uniform gel or polymer layer with a planar upper surface within this volume, which is exposed on removal of the pillar. In some embodiments a group of pillars is provided in a manifold that provides spacing and arrangement corresponding to a group of test wells. The pillars are mounted in the manifold so as to provide translation movement normal to the test surface, allowing them to rest against the spacer device and facilitating gentle removal from the wells. A variety of spacer devices are considered, including beads, flattened rings, and toroidal spacers.

Disclosed herein is are methods and apparatuses for synthesizing deposited films of compounds (e.g., organic compounds such as a pharmaceutical active ingredient or a new chemical entity) on or in a variety of substrates, where such deposited compounds the desired stability under storage conditions, ease of handling, and yet enhanced dissolution properties when used in various assays. The disclosure further relates to methods of coating substrates, such as medical or diagnostic devices, with deposited films of organic compounds, as well as film-coated substrates.

Disclosed are a reagent holder, a testing apparatus assembly, an aqueous humor collection device and an aqueous humor collection method. The reagent holder (9) comprises a holder body and a functional station arranged on the holder body, wherein the functional station comprises a fluid holding tube insertion hole (91) and an elastic component. The elastic component can elastically act on a fluid holding tube (106) in the case where the fluid holding tube (106) is inserted into the liquid holding tube insertion hole (91) so as to enable the fluid holding tube (106) to elastically move in the direction of the central axis of the hole of the fluid holding tube insertion hole (91). By means of using the reagent holder to elastically fix the fluid holding tube (106), the rigid collision between a fluid drawing device and a bottom wall of the fluid holding tube (106) can be converted into an elastic collision, so as to prevent a testing apparatus from triggering a firing pin protection function during the fluid drawing process, such that the depth to which the fluid drawing device can extend into the tube cavity of the fluid holding tube (106) is greatly increased, and the sample extraction amount is thus effectively increased.

A microwell device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The microwell device includes a substrate and a plurality of microwells formed on the substrate. In addition, each of the microwells includes a cavity being recessed on the substrate and an opening, and the diameter of the opening is smaller than the largest inner diameter of the cavity. Furthermore, the microwells are curved.

The cell handling device includes a container having a section to store cells; a cell detection unit for detecting a cell stored in the section; a head device for conducting picking of cells, and transfer and release of the picked cells; a control unit; and a determination unit for making a determination of a cell state including at least one of the number, properties, and arrangement of the cells based on a detection result of the cell detection unit. The control unit causes the head device to execute, according to a state determination result obtained by the determination unit, one operation selected from among operation of picking all the cells stored in the section, operation of picking a part of the cells stored in the section, operation of picking a new cell and releasing the cell in the section, and operation of terminating processing of the section.

Provided is an antibacterial agent-containing dried plate having no cracks on an observation surface (a part of the plate corresponding to an observation visual field of a microscope). According to the present embodiment, an antibacterial agent-introduced plate obtained by introducing an antibacterial agent and performing vacuum drying has a recess at an edge of a well, and a microscopic observation portion, which has a surface substantially parallel to a well bottom surface, near the center of the well. The recess is provided between the microscopic observation portion and a side wall of the well, and is lower in height than the microscopic observation portion. Further, at least the bottom surface of the well and the microscopic observation portion are made of a material having a light-transmitting property in order for optical measurement (FIG. 1).

The invention(s) cover systems and methods for target detection in a multiplexed and rapid manner. Embodiments of the system can include: a base substrate; and an array of sample processing regions defined at a broad surface of the base substrate, wherein each of the array of sample processing regions includes: a set of microwell subarrays arranged in a gradient by volumetric capacity between an upstream end and a downstream end of each respective sample processing region, and a boundary separating each respective sample processing region from adjacent sample processing regions. The system can support methods, with example implementation by an automated platform, for returning preliminary results from a subset of microwells of the samples processing regions, as well as results pertaining to specific and non-specific amplification, for multiple targets of a sample.

The invention relates to a method and a device for optically exciting a plurality of analytes (12) in an array of reaction vessels (14) and for sensing fluorescent light from the analytes (12), wherein excitation light from an excitation light source (38) is supplied to the analytes (12) and wherein fluorescent light from the analytes (12) is simultaneously supplied to a fluorescent detector (34), wherein a plurality of beams (30) of the excitation light is directed into the reaction vessels (14) below the cover (28) through an array of holes (26) in a cover (28) arranged above the array of reaction vessels (14) and a plurality of beams (32) of the fluorescent light from the reaction vessels (14) reaches the fluorescent detector (34). According to the invention it is suggested that the main beams (76) of the plurality of beams (30) of the excitation light diverge within and below the holes (26) into the reaction vessels (14) and/or that the main beams (78) of the plurality of beams (32) of the fluorescent light converge within and above the holes (26) toward the fluorescent detector (34).

An optofluidic diagnostic system and methods for rapid analyte detections. The system comprises an optofluidic sensor array, a test plate and an optical detection cartridge. The sensor array supports one or more distinct sensor units, each having a reactor section designed to temporarily enter a series of different kinds of wells in the test plate. One kind of well is a sample reservoir that holds reagent solution to be transferred into the reactor section. Another kind of well is a drainage chamber that removes reagent solution from the reactor section. A third kind of well is a colorant reservoir that holds a colorant reagent transferable into a reactor section. Finally, the sensor unit is transferred to the optical detection cartridge where it is placed into an isolation booth during the optical detection process so that its flat observation face is stationed in a viewing window opposite an optical detector lens.

Nucleic acid reagents and corresponding methods of using the same for monitoring and evaluating nucleic acid extraction and amplification reactions.