This disclosure is directed to a device and a system for aspirating and dispensing a target analyte, target material, or fluid. A picker may aspirate and dispense the desired material by introducing a pressure gradient. The picker may include a hydraulic fluid to hydraulically couple at least two components, such as a moveable pump component and a cannula.

A discharge device includes a discharge head that discharges a liquid material from a nozzle opening connected to the cavity by varying the internal pressure of a cavity using an actuator. The discharge head includes a monitoring portion provided between the cavity and the nozzle opening and the discharge device further includes a detection apparatus that detects the number and/or form of the particle-like bodies included in the liquid material in the monitoring portion of the discharge head and a control unit that drives the actuator according to the detection result of the detection unit to change the state of the particle-like bodies included in the liquid material of the monitoring portion.

The invention features methods of making devices, or platens, having a high-density array of through-holes, as well as methods of cleaning and refurbishing the surfaces of the platens. The invention further features methods of making high-density arrays of chemical, biochemical, and biological compounds, having many advantages over conventional, lower-density arrays. The invention includes methods by which many physical, chemical or biological transformations can be implemented in serial or in parallel within each addressable through-hole of the devices. Additionally, the invention includes methods of analyzing the contents of the array, including assaying of physical properties of the samples.

A well plate is formed with a well for holding a subject to be sucked by a suction nozzle on an inner bottom part and storing liquid and, a clearance forming member for forming a clearance to allow the liquid to flow in a state where a tip part of the suction nozzle is inserted into and held in contact with the well is provided in the well. According to the present invention, the clearance enabling the liquid to flow is formed even in the state where the tip part of the suction nozzle is inserted into and held in contact with the well in sucking the subject held in the well by the suction nozzle. The suction nozzle can suck the liquid around through the clearance and the subject held in the well is efficiently sucked through the suction port along the flow of the sucked liquid.

This disclosure is directed to a device and a system for picking a target analyte of a suspension. A picker introduces at least one force, such as by a magnetic gradient and/or by a pressure gradient, to extract the target analyte from a specimen. The magnetic gradient may be introduced by a magnet, such as a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, and the pressure gradient may be introduced by a pump which moves within a fluid-primed cannula to create the pressure gradient, thereby drawing the target analyte into the cannula. The picker may also expel the target analyte onto or into a substrate, such as a well plate, after the target analyte has been drawn into the picker by reversing the pressure gradient or removing the magnetic gradient.

Particles are dispensed under controlled conditions to achieve an accurate number of particles by passing a suspension of the particles through a particle detecting device, obtaining a cumulative particle count, comparing the cumulative particle count with a target value, and shutting off the suspension flow once the particle count reaches the target value, all performed by automated means.

A substrate for use in mass spectrometric analyzes having an array of target locations.

A handheld solid sample pipette device includes a pipette tube with a number of sharpened teeth adapted to pierce solid or substantially solid sample material, the pipette tube adapted to be matingly attached to a device that includes a handle, a plunger, and a piston within a shell of the device. A spring may be positioned to return the plunger to a non-depressed position following depression of the plunger. A sample of the material can be ejected from the handheld device. The handheld device may further include a shear ring apparatus, that in-turn includes a tube portion, a plurality of shear ring teeth, and a knobbed plate for rotating the shear ring. Following insertion of the pipette with sharpened teeth into the sample, the shear ring apparatus is pressed into the sample as well, such that the shear ring tube, which is slidingly engaged about the pipette tube, slides over the pipette tube into the sample. The shear ring teeth pierce the sample, and at a certain point of insertion, the shear ring apparatus is rotated in either or both a clockwise or counter-clockwise manner such that the shear ring teeth sever a portion of the material to be sampled such that the portion remains within the pipette tube, for removal, and analysis.

Provided is a novel particle adsorption probe (1000) for picking up a particle by adsorbing the particle. The particle adsorption probe (1000) can selectively pick up a particle having a specific particle diameter from a group of particles having a wide particle diameter distribution without requiring the application of a physical stress in picking up the particle and without contaminating a foreign matter surface in picking up the particle, and allows the particle to be analytically evaluated in an analysis apparatus directly after picking up the particle. The particle adsorption probe (1000) of the present invention includes a carbon nanotube aggregate (100) including a plurality of carbon nanotubes (10).

This disclosure is directed to a device and a system for picking a target analyte of a suspension. A picker introduces at least one force, such as by a magnetic gradient and/or by a pressure gradient, to extract the target analyte from a specimen. The magnetic gradient may be introduced by a magnet, such as a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, and the pressure gradient may be introduced by a pump which moves within a fluid-primed cannula to create the pressure gradient, thereby drawing the target analyte into the cannula. The picker may also expel the target analyte onto or into a substrate, such as a well plate, after the target analyte has been drawn into the picker by reversing the pressure gradient or removing the magnetic gradient.