Devices and methods used collect and transport a biological specimen are disclosed. The devices include a vial defining a specimen chamber to retain a specimen, a collection member to collect a specimen, and a cap containing a liquid medium to treat the specimen for transport. The cap includes a puncture member to puncture a seal to release the liquid medium from the cap.

A microchip controlling system comprises a microchip which is configured by adhesion of an elastic sheet and a plate/sheet member, and on which a flow path is provided as an inadhesive section between the elastic sheet and the plate/sheet member; and a microchip controlling apparatus comprising a valve mechanism which is inflated or deflated so as to control the flow path to be opened or closed.

The disclosure provides cartridges that are pre-loaded with reagents for performing antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and FISH testing. Cartridges of the disclosure include various incubation wells loaded with different antimicrobial agents for differential growth analysis. Imaging wells with species-specific microbial probes, fluorescent tags, magnetic particles and dye-cushion layers allow for tagging and imaging of target microbes for differential growth analysis.

A fluidic interconnect includes a first interface including a liquid port, a gas port, and a cradle; a second interface including a liquid port, a gas port, and a swing bar to engage the cradle, a weight of a container attached to one of the first or second interfaces to drive the liquid port of the first interface into connection with the liquid port of the second interface and the gas port of the first interface into connection with the gas port of the second interface.

A sample holder device 100, 101 which is designed to hold biological samples 1 includes a base body 10 having at least one wall 11 which is arranged to delimit a sample receptacle 12, wherein the at least one wall 11 includes, at least on a surface facing the sample receptacle 12, a planar, carbon-based material which is impermeable to a liquid in sample receptacle 12, wherein the carbon-based material has such a high carbon content that the carbon-based material is opaque and electrically conductive. The sample holder device includes, e.g., a dish, in particular petri dish 101, a planar substrate, a multiwell plate, a sample beaker, in particular in the form of a beaker glass, a sample tube, in particular in the form of a test tube or a tube for cryopreservation (cryovial), and/or a hollow fiber. Methods for using the sample holder device are also described.

A lid apparatus for a multi-chambered container. The lid apparatus has a top-lid that is hingedly attached to a bottom-cap. The top-lid includes one or more openings for fluid filling multiple passages that extend from the bottom-cap. A lower bottom-cap includes welding features for welding to the multi-chambered container.

Receptacles containing a reaction mixture are transported to receptacle wells of a thermally conductive receptacle holder, and the temperature of the holder is cycled with a thermoelectric device situated between a support and a first side of the holder while a first force is applied onto a second side of the holder. Optical communication between each well and an excitation signal source and an emission signal detector is established to determine whether an emission signal is emitted from any of the receptacles during temperature cycling as an indication of the presence of a target nucleic acid. The thermoelectric device may be situated between an upright portion of the support and the first side of the holder. A second force may be applied onto a top end of each receptacle in the holder by a cover moveable with respect to the receptacles between an open position and a closed position.

A lateral flow assay (LFA) device includes a sample port that holds the sample fluid before a hole is made in a wall of the sample port. The LFA device includes a cap with a sealer. The sealer fits inside the sample port after the sample port receives the sample fluid, forms a compartment for holding a predetermined volume of sample fluid between the sample port's wall and the sealer, and pushes any amount of sample fluid in excess of the predetermined volume out of the compartment after the cap is fitted inside the sample port. The LFA device includes a breaker with a tip to make a hole in the wall of the sample port causing the sample fluid held inside the compartment to be applied to the capillary pad after the start of a test.

A portable sample loading device (1,4,7) include a base (11,41,71) and a fixing device (11,41,71) connected to the base (12,42,72). The base (12,42,72) can support a chip (2,5) and a sample loading connector (3,6). The fixing device (12,42,72) can detachably retain the chip (2,5) and the sample loading connector (3,6) on the base (11,41,71). The base (11,41,71) includes a front surface (110,410,710) and a back surface (111,411,711) opposite to the front surface (110,410,710). The front surface (110,410,710) includes a supporting surface for supporting the chip (2,5). A region of the supporting surface (112,412,712) corresponds to a sample inlet of the chip (2,5) is recessed toward the back surface (111,411,711) to form a receiving space (114,117,414,714) for receiving the sample loading connector (3,6). The receiving space (114,117,414,714) further defines a sample injection hole (115, 415,715) corresponding to the sample inlet of the chip (2,5).

In various embodiments a capture surface for capturing high velocity and hypervelocity dust and ice particles is provided. In certain embodiments the capture surface is comprised of a soft metal that is chosen to optimize particle capture efficiency, to minimize thermal degradation of chemicals and biochemical in the particles, and to present the captured particles to an analyzer for chemical and biochemical analysis of the particles and their contents. In various embodiments capture chambers comprising one or more such capture surfaces are provided as well as methods of use thereof.