A system and method facilitates transfers of specimen containers (e.g., vials with caps) between storage cassettes and carrier cassettes. The storage cassettes are designed to be stored in cryogenic refrigerators while the carrier cassettes are designed to be temporarily stored in a portable carrier. Identification information is read from wireless transponders carried by the specimen containers. Visual mappings of the positions of the specimen container in the cassettes is provided. Presence and position of the specimen containers in the cassettes is verified, and alerts of inconsistencies provided along with corrective commands. Inventories of specimen container and even specific specimen holders are provided.

There is provided a heating device to independently and/or effectively heat the micro objects manipulated by a micro apparatus/system, for example the droplets of fluids in an electrowetting on dielectric EWOD device of a microfluidic apparatus. The heating device may include a plurality of micro heaters arranged in an array of rows and columns, and the micro heaters of the heating device may be disposed in relative to the electrode elements of the EWOD device, respectively. Therefore, the micro heaters of the heating device may heat one of the electrode elements of the EWOD device, thereby preventing thermal effect of the micro object on the other electrode elements.

An EWOD (or AM-EWOD) device includes a reference electrode and a plurality of array elements, each array element including an array element electrode, and control electronics. In a first mode optimized for EWOD actuation, the control electronics is configured to control a supply of time varying voltages to the array element electrodes and the reference electrode, thereby generating an actuation voltage as a potential difference between voltages at the array element electrodes and the reference electrode. The reference electrode includes a first electrical connection and a second electrical connection. In a second mode, the control electronics further is configured to supply an electrical current flow between the first electrical connection and the second electrical connection to generate resistance heat for controlling temperature of the EWOD device. Control may include sensing a temperature of the EWOD device, and switching between operating in the first or second mode based on the sensed temperature.

A measurement cell (3) for measuring at least one constituent of a liquid sample, in particular blood, includes a reception space (9) for receiving the sample includes a measurement system (8) having at least one sensor electrode (10) exposed within the reception space; a first heat supply equipment (12) extending over a first area (91); a second heat supply equipment (14) extending over a second area (93), the first and second heat supply equipment being arranged to heat the sample within the reception space (9), wherein the second area (93) is larger than the first area (91).

A laboratory sample/specimen temperature control device, specifically a metal bead bath that has its metal bead temperature controlled by a continuous flow of air into the bed of beads that is heated or cooled by a Peltier device that the air flows over. This provides great thermal uniformity across the bed of beads and constantly monitors and regulates the heat or cooling input rather than utilizing an on/off modulation temperature input approach.

A microdevice for monitoring a target analyte is provided. The microdevice can include a field effect transistor comprising a substrate, a gate electrode, and a microfluidic channel including graphene. The microfluidic channel can be formed between drain electrodes and source electrodes on the substrate. The microdevice can also include at least one aptamer functionalized on a surface of the graphene. The at least one aptamer can be adapted for binding to the target analyte. Binding of the target analyte to the at least one aptamer can alter the conductance of the graphene.

Reagent reservoirs and related systems and methods are disclosed. In accordance with a first implementation, an apparatus includes a system and a reagent reservoir. The system includes a reagent reservoir receptacle. The reagent reservoir is received within the reagent reservoir receptacle and has a body and a fluidic port. The body defines a storage chamber, a sipper chamber, and a fluidic sinus fluidly coupling the storage chamber and the sipper chamber. The fluidic port is fluidly coupled to the sipper chamber.

Example implementations relate to a microfluidics sensing system. For example, a microfluidics sensing system may include a portable computing device to execute a microfluidics application, a microfluidic chip coupled to the portable computing device, the microfluidic chip including a microfluidic pumping and sensing region to perform a test on a biologic sample, and a printed circuit board (PCB) on a microfluidic reader to instruct the microfluidic pumping and sensing region to perform the test based on a command received from the microfluidics application.

A microfluidic device can include a plurality of channels defined in a substrate and a plurality of rails defined in a substrate. Each channel can comprise a respective channel inlet, a respective channel outlet, and one or more respective non-miscible fluid inlets fluidly coupled to the channel inlet. Each rail can comprise a rail inlet, and each channel outlet can be coupled to a respective rail inlet. One or more fluids introduced via the channel inlets can form first, second, and third droplets, respectively, and the plurality of rails can comprise first, second, and third rails configured such that droplets disposed on the rails form a tripartite droplet interface bilayer (DIB) network.

There is provided plate equipped with a mechanism to facilitate determination of the amount of a fluid added to or removed from a well in the plate. Other embodiments are also described.