The present invention relates to an immunoassay apparatus and a method thereof. The immunoassay apparatus including a cartridge 13 in which a tube for T tip 9, a reaction tube 11, a tube for washing 3, and a tube for signal measurement 5 are integrally coupled or individually configured; a T tip 7 and a magnetic rod 31 used for performing reaction and washing processes while moving large magnetic particles m, capture materials, signal materials, and analyte materials with magnetic force by entering successively a plurality of tubes 3 and 5; a cartridge holder 15 in which the cartridge 13 is seated; and a heating member 17 that generates heat by being disposed at a region in which the reaction tube 11 is seated in the cartridge holder 15; is configured in a state where each of the different shapes of magnetic particles is bound with materials.

A microfluidic device for and methods of using surface-attached posts and capture beads in a microfluidic chamber is disclosed. For example, the microfluidics device includes a pair of substrates separated by a gap and thereby forming a reaction (or assay) chamber therebetween. A field of actuatable surface-attached posts (e.g., magnetically responsive microposts) is provided on one or both of the substrates. The surface-attached posts are functionalized with capture beads. Additionally, methods are provided of functionalizing the surface-attached posts with the capture beads. Additionally, methods are provided of using the surface-attached posts that are functionalized with capture beads in a microfluidics device for binding a target of interest. Further, a bead spraying system and method is provided for spraying magnetically responsive and/or non-magnetically responsive beads atop and/or among a field of surface-attached microposts for use in a microfluidic device.

A microfluidic device includes a bottom electrode, a dielectric layer on the bottom electrode, one or more top electrodes on a region of the dielectric layer, Each of the one or more top electrodes has a sidewall that forms a sidewall angle with an outer surface of the dielectric layer that is less than 180 degrees. The sidewall of each of the one or more top electrodes and a portion of the outer surface of the dielectric layer adjacent to the sidewall define a microchannel region for transporting an open microchannel of a fluid. Such microfluidic devices may enable transport of small microchannels using low voltages.

Disclosed herein, inter alia, are nanoarrays and methods of use thereof.

Methods are provided for separating magnetically responsive beads from a droplet in a droplet actuator. Droplet operations electrodes and a magnet are arranged in a droplet actuator to manipulate a bead-containing droplet and position it relative to a magnetic field region that attracts the magnetically responsive beads. The droplet operations electrodes are operated to control the droplet shape and transport it away from the magnetic field region to form a concentration of beads in the droplet. The continued transport of the droplet away from the magnetic field causes the concentration of beads to break away from the droplet to yield a small, concentrated bead-containing droplet immobilized by the magnet.

Provided is a channel device that is capable of increasing the concentration of fine particles in a liquid only by use of fluid-dynamic flows without relying on electrostatic interactions. A channel device (1) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: a main channel (11) configured to allow a liquid containing fine particles to flow therethrough; a chamber (15) that is provided at an end of the main channel (11) and that is configured to store target fine particles which have increased in concentration; and a side channel (12) that is connected to a side face of the main channel (11) and that is configured to allow unwanted liquid to drain therethrough, wherein at least one of a height and a width of the side channel (12) is smaller than a particle size of the fine particles.

Cell separation systems, and methods for separating cells from microcarriers, and harvesting the separated cells, are provided, wherein the system comprises a cell separation device, a cell settling device, and a cell screening device.

A microfluidic system and related methods of operating an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) device operate to concentrate particles within a liquid droplet dispensed onto an element array of the EWOD device. The method includes the steps of providing a non-polar liquid onto the element array of the EWOD device; providing a polar liquid droplet onto the element array of the EWOD device within the non-polar liquid, wherein the polar liquid droplet includes particles; and applying an actuation cycle comprising a plurality of actuation patterns, wherein at least one of the actuation patterns includes actuating one or more array element electrodes within a perimeter of the polar liquid droplet, and the particles migrate within the polar liquid droplet to become concentrated within a portion of the liquid droplet at one or more array element electrodes corresponding to one of the plurality of actuation patterns.

The present invention provides compositions, systems, kits, and methods for analyzing the interaction of T-cells and neoantigen presenting cells (and other cells) via discrete entity (e.g., droplet) microfluids. In certain embodiments, a microfluidic device is used to merge a discrete entity containing a T-cell, and a discrete entity containing a neoantigen presenting cell, at a merger region via a trapping element in order to generate a combined discrete entity. In particular embodiments, at least one thousand of such combined discrete entities are formed in about one second. In some embodiments, whether the receptor on the T-cell sufficiently binds the neoantigen to activate the T-Cell is detected (e.g., via detection of cytokine or granzyme B release). In certain embodiments, provided herein are methods for identifying polyfunctional T-cells or NK-cells, as well as methods of screening for such cells that would be cytotoxic if injected into a subject.

A microfluidic device includes at least one microchannel with a plurality of micropillar arrays provided along a length of the microchannel. Each micropillar array defines a plurality microcapillaries having cross sectional area, and the cross sectional area of the microcapillaries defined by each micropillar array decreases in a direction of fluid flow through the microchannel.