A portable diagnostic device has a lysate stage (167) with a port for receiving a sample and containing magnetic beads with a probe, and an outlet port. A series of assay stages (161-164) are linked with the lysate vessel, each with a reservoir linked by channels. The final stage (164) has a sensor (169) for detecting beads attached to analyte molecules which have been conveyed according to attachment to probes on beads. Larger transport beads cause reporter beads which are tethered by target NA and probes to be transported to the final sensor stage, where they are released and detected when the transport beads have been removed.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for preserving and extracting nucleic acids from saliva. The compositions include a chelating agent, a denaturing agent, buffers to maintain the pH of the composition within ranges desirable for DNA and/or RNA. The compositions may also include a reducing agent and/or antimicrobial agent. The invention extends to methods of using the compositions of the invention to preserve and isolate nucleic acids from saliva as well as to containers for the compositions of the invention.

An automatic nucleic acid extraction cartridge and an automatic nucleic acid extraction system including the same are described herein. The cartridge having a housing that includes a sample port, a cell processing chamber, a wash fluid chamber, a filter assembly comprising a filter member, and a diverter valve having a first and a second reversibly sealable output, wherein each of the sample port and the cell processing chamber, the cell processing chamber and the filter assembly, and the wash fluid chamber and the filter assembly are in one-way fluid communication, and the filter assembly is in fluid communication with the diverter valve and (i) a waste conduit when the diverter valve is biased to the first reversibly sealable output and (ii) a pathogen nucleic acid conduit when the diverter valve is biased to the second reversibly sealable output. The present disclosure further describes methods of using the same.

A fluid specimen collection receptacle includes a cup containing a chamber and an open end and a lid for connection with the cup open end and closing the cup chamber. A closure and a specimen collection needle are connected with the lid and a reservoir is arranged beneath the lid and connected with the closure for rotation relative to the lid between open and closed positions. The closure affords access to the needle when the closure is in the open position and prevents access to the needle when the closure is in the closed position. The reservoir includes a chamber closed by a portion of the lid when the closure is in the open position. When the closure is rotated to the closed position, the reservoir is opened for communication with the cup chamber to release an absorbent material from the reservoir chamber into the cup chamber to solidify any residual fluid specimen within the cup chamber.

A microfluidic device can include a microfluidic circuit that comprises an inlet port, a reagent-containing chamber configured to receive fluid from the inlet port, a non-aqueous-liquid-containing reservoir configured to receive liquid from the chamber, and a droplet-generating region configured to receive and produce droplets of liquid from the reservoir. The circuit can also include first and second valves or frangible members. The first valve or frangible member can have closed position in which fluid is prevented from entering or exiting the chamber therethrough and an open position in which fluid is permitted to enter or exit the chamber therethrough. The second valve or frangible member can have a closed position in which fluid is prevented from flowing between the chamber and the reservoir therethrough and an open position in which fluid is permitted to flow between the chamber and the reservoir therethrough.

A female urinary diagnostic device including a urine stream collection container having a discharge opening and a stream collection opening, the stream collection opening being configured to surround and isolate a urethral opening, a probe guide passage configured for interior engagement with a vaginal opening for placement of the stream collection opening relative to the urethral opening, and an internal baffle that defines an interior wall of the urine stream collection container that provides a spillway from the stream collection opening to the discharge opening and cooperates with at least a urine sensing device, where the spillway provides urine passage to the urine sensing device and a collection tank, wherein the internal baffle forms at least a portion of the probe guide passage and defines a sounding probe guide surface that positions a sounding probe within the vaginal opening.

A blood sample collection and/or storage device includes a two-piece housing that encompasses a port at which a fingertip blood sample is collected at a sample port. After the sample is taken, the two-piece housing is moved to a closed position deposit the sample onto a storage membrane Embodiments of the device include a one or more capillaries with movable plungers that dispense fluid from the sample port onto the membrane as the housing is closed. A desiccant, which may be held in place by a backbone structure within the housing, is positioned adjacent the membrane. The housing may also be opened to access the stored sample for further processing.

The present invention provides improved devices for co-culture of cells. The devices include inserts having invertible wells that can be lowered into a well of any standard cell culture plate. A first population of cells can be cultured in the invertible wells of the inserts and a second population of cells can be cultured in the wells of a cell culture plate. Once the first population of cells attach to the invertible wells, the inserts are flipped over and placed into the wells of the cell culture plate to co-culture with the second population of cells.

The present disclosure provides a chip, a microfluidic device including the chip, and a method for sorting target droplets. The chip includes a first container for accommodating a first fluid, a second container for accommodating a second fluid, a delivery channel including a first flow channel communicating with the first container and a second flow channel communicating with the second container, the first flow channel and the second flow channel intersecting and communicating with each other at a junction, and at least one collector. A portion of the first flow channel includes the junction and is divided into two sections by the junction, in each section, the section thickens gradually along a first direction away from the junction. The second flow channel includes the junction and is divided into two sections by the junction, in each section, the section thickens gradually along a second direction away from the junction.

A magnetic bead separation method includes: storing, in a container, a mixed liquid containing a magnetic bead and a liquid containing target molecules, and adsorbing the target molecules on the magnetic bead, the magnetic bead containing a Fe-based metal soft magnetic particle and a coating film with which the Fe-based metal soft magnetic particle is coated, and having a saturation magnetization of 50 emu/g or more and 250 emu/g or less; applying an external magnetic field to the container and magnetically attracting at least a part of the magnetic bead by the external magnetic field; and applying an acceleration to the container while the magnetic bead is magnetically attracted by the external magnetic field and desorbing the liquid adhering to the magnetic bead.