Provided is a microfluidic device comprising an incubation layer, the incubation layer including at least one dock, each of the at least one dock defines a stepped tank comprising an upper tank and a lower tank, an inflow channel in fluid communication with the stepped tank for supplying a fluid to the stepped tank, and an outflow channel in fluid communication with the stepped tank for draining the fluid from the stepped tank, wherein the geometry of the upper tank is configured to allow culturing of a fish larva therein, and wherein the geometry of the lower tank is configured to reversibly receive the fish larva from the upper tank and to dock the fish larva at a controlled orientation for imaging or observation.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus (100) and method for controlling a plurality of simultaneously active optical traps (OT1,OT2,OT3). In one method, trapping beams (TB1,TB2,TB3) are provided and redirected for individually controlling a respective position (X,Y) of optical traps (OT1,OT2,OT3) formed by focusing of the redirected trapping beams in a sample volume (SV). Light (L11,L20) from the sample volume (SV) corresponding to the optical traps is received. A path of a detector beam (AB) is overlapped with one of the trapping beams (TB3), wherein the detector beam has a distinct wavelength (A) from that of the overlapping trapping beam (TB3). In one channel, the light from the sample volume is filtered according to wavelength, and only the filtered light having the wavelength (A) of the detector beam (AB) is measured.

The present invention relates to an ex vivo method for producing platelets including a combination of use of pharmacological substances and microfluidic device features, for high yield and high quality platelet production from megakaryocytes or their progenitors.

The present invention relates to a microfluidic device for extracting and isolating DNA from cells. The device includes a support having an inlet port for receiving a sample containing a cell, an outlet port for dispensing DNA isolated from the cell, and a microfluidic channel disposed within the support and extending from the inlet port to the outlet port. The microfluidic channel includes a micropillar array, an inflow channel disposed between the inlet port and the micropillar array, and an outflow channel disposed between the micropillar array and the outlet port. The micropillar array includes micropillars spatially configured to entrap, by size exclusion, the cell, to immobilize DNA released from the cell, and to maintain the immobilized DNA in elongated or non-elongated form when hydrodynamic force is applied to the microfluidic channel. Systems and methods of making and using the device are also provided herein.

A microfluidic chip for causing the delivery of a payload to a cell comprises a plurality of constrictions configured to allow a cell suspension to flow through one or more of the plurality of constrictions from a first fluid flow region to a second fluid flow region within the microfluidic chip, wherein a cross-sectional width of each of the plurality of constrictions is less than a diameter of cells in the cell suspension, such that membranes of the cells are perturbed when passing through the constrictions such that a payload is able to pass through the perturbed cell membranes, and wherein a quotient of a cross-sectional area over a cross-sectional perimeter of each of the plurality of constrictions is greater than greater than or equal to 0.5 m.

In an embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a method of performing circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis. In general, the method includes flowing a sample through a CTC microfluidic platform, deforming a CTC within the sample, measuring CTC deformation through an imprint of the deformed CTC, processing data related to the measuring, and at least one of identifying or characterizing parameters related to the data that enables at least one of detection of CTCs, enumeration of CTCs in the sample, characterization of biophysical properties, CTC cell size, CTC cell membrane deformability, stresses on CTC cell membranes, adhesion stress on CTC cells, normal stress of CTC cells, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the flowing includes passing the sample through at least one channel of the CTC microfluidic platform having a constricted section.

The present invention relates to a microfluidic device for extracting and isolating DNA from cells. The device includes a support having an inlet port for receiving a sample containing a cell, an outlet port for dispensing DNA isolated from the cell, and a microfluidic channel disposed within the support and extending from the inlet port to the outlet port. The microfluidic channel includes a micropillar array, an inflow channel disposed between the inlet port and the micropillar array, and an outflow channel disposed between the micropillar array and the outlet port. The micropillar array includes micropillars spatially configured to entrap, by size exclusion, the cell, to immobilize DNA released from the cell, and to maintain the immobilized DNA in elongated or non-elongated form when hydrodynamic force is applied to the microfluidic channel. Systems and methods of making and using the device are also provided herein.

Methods and apparatus for long read, label-free, optical nanopore long chain molecule sequencing. In general, the present disclosure describes a novel sequencing technology based on the integration of nanochannels to deliver single long-chain molecules with widely spaced (>wavelength), 1-nm aperture tortuous nanopores that slow translocation sufficiently to provide massively parallel, single base resolution using optical techniques. A novel, directed self-assembly nanofabrication scheme using simple colloidal nanoparticles is used to form the nanopore arrays atop nanochannels that unfold the long chain molecules. At the surface of the nanoparticle array, strongly localized electromagnetic fields in engineered plasmonic/polaritonic structures allow for single base resolution using optical techniques.

The present invention relates to a device comprising a biomolecular processor. Each biomolecular processor has one or more bioreactor chambers defined by a solid substrate; a support structure within each bioreactor; a cleaving enzyme immobilized to the support structure and operatively positioned within the bioreactor chamber to cleave monomer or multimer units of a biopolymer molecule operatively engaged by the cleaving enzyme; and one or more time-of-flight channels formed in the solid substrate and fluidically coupled to said one or more bioreactor chambers. Each of the time-of-flight channels have two or more sensors including at least (i) a first sensor contacting the time-of-flight channel proximate to the input end of the channel and (ii) a second sensor contacting the time-of-flight channel proximate to the output end of channel. The present invention further relates to methods of sequencing and identifying biopolymer molecules using the device.

The invention relates to a fluidic device for producing platelets from a suspension of megakaryocytes or their fragments, comprising a production chamber comprising at least one channel in which a suspension of megakaryocytes is introduced to flow from its inlet to its outlet wherein said channel is textured with a plurality of obstacles on at least one portion of its inner surface. The invention is further directed to an ex vivo method for producing platelets from megakaryocytes using a fluidic device as defined above.