The present invention describes a whole blood assay chip that enables separation of the cellular compartment from surrounding plasma, facilitating multiplexed measurement of otherwise difficult to detect soluble factors produced upon cellular stimulation. The invention is a microfluidic chip with an incubation chamber comprising an inlet, an outlet, and a fluidic barrier. Using this platform, the cellular compartment can be stimulated with various substances and levels of immunologic biomarkers could be measured. Through a proprietary immunologic algorithm described herein, this would allow for the diagnosis of an allergic response to foods, antibiotics, and/or other drugs. Additional applications of the invention besides allergy testing could include pregnancy testing, blood type, and medical applications requiring whole blood cellular stimulation readouts.

The invention having functional vertical disposable reaction systems having a vertically mounted semipermeable membrane for sample preparation, chemical reactions, dialysis, enzymatic/microbiological fermentation, multistage processes, in vitro protein biosynthesis on a laboratory scale, formed from a base body and an exchangeable lid having different functions. For exchange across the membrane, the system is placed vertically into an outer volume consisting of gas, liquid or solid constituents. The system consists of a dimensionally stable base body and a liquid-tight lid having a functional support going toward the base of the base body, the dimensionally stable base body forming at least one noncapillary reaction space as inner volume with at least one semipermeable membrane as lateral wall. The high flexibility in use results from the combination of variants of the base bodies with different lid variants for different areas of use. The base bodies having different membranes and volumes can be coupled with lids having different feeding openings, contacts, sensor supports, gas supply means, circulation means, etc. This yields, in the case of m different base bodies and n different lid variants, mn combinations having different properties.

The invention discloses a container for reagents for an analyzer in process automation technology, comprising an, in particular bottle-shaped, container wall which is designed to form a first compartment for a first reagent; an insert which is arranged at least in some sections in the first compartment, and which forms a second compartment separated from the first compartment for a second reagent, wherein the insert comprises a closure; and a punch which is movable at least between a first position and a second position, wherein the punch, in moving from the first position to the second position, opens, in particular cuts through, penetrates, pierces or presses out, the closure and clears a path from the second compartment into the first compartment, whereby second reagent enters the first reagent. In addition, the invention also discloses a corresponding method.

An apparatus for calibrating a flux analyzer comprises a first frame; a second frame; and a permeable membrane. The first frame and the second frame are connected or integrally formed. A method for calibrating a flux analyzer is provided which uses an artificial standard rather than a biological standard.

A nucleic acid extraction system, comprising: a nucleic acid extraction plate, and a pipetting device and positive pressure device that are arranged side by side, the pipetting device comprising: an infusion device, an infusion device mounting frame, an infusion device driving unit, and a plurality of infusion units, each of the infusion units comprising: a reagent supply device and a reagent flow controller; the positive pressure device comprises: a plug, an air pipe, a positive pressure provider and a positive pressure driving device. The nucleic acid extraction system is highly efficiency and low-cost when extracting nucleic acid.

A fluidic card assembly comprising a fluidic card housing (1) and a biochip (3) located in the fluidic card housing. The fluidic card housing (1) includes a chamber (2) with a base wall, into which at least one fluidic channel extends. The biochip (3) is at least partially located in the chamber. A seal (7) is provided for sealing the biochip in the chamber (2) when the biochip is urged into the chamber. The fluidic channel has a serpentine form.

Method and apparatus for thermal processing of nucleic acid in a thermal profile is provided. The method employs at least a first bath and a second bath, the method further employing a reactor holder for holding reactor(s) accommodating reaction material containing the nucleic acid. The method comprises maintaining bath mediums in the baths at two different temperatures; and alternately allowing the reactor(s) to be in the two baths in a plurality of thermal cycles to alternately attain a predetermined high target temperature THT, and a predetermined low target temperature TLT, wherein the bath medium in at least one of the baths is a high thermal conductivity powder.

A screening device for testing saliva for the presence of certain constituents. The device has a D-shaped profile when viewed from above and includes a first wall with planar front face through which all of the test strips are viewed and a curved rear second wall. The device also includes a floor surface with an uppermost portion extending from the rear wall to a lowermost portion at the first wall such that saliva squeezed from a sampler at a location between the upper most portion and the lowermost portion flows downwardly to the test strips.

A screening device for testing saliva for the presence of certain constituents. The device has a D-shaped profile when viewed from above and includes a first wall with planar front face through which all of the test strips are viewed and a curved rear second wall. The device also includes a floor surface with an uppermost portion extending from the rear wall to a lowermost portion at the first wall such that saliva squeezed from a sampler at a location between the upper most portion and the lowermost portion flows downwardly to the test strips.

Blood samples are maintained in a modified atmosphere sealed environment, where moisture is reduced using a desiccant and oxygen is removed using a deoxygenation compound, thus resulting in the preservation of numerous blood analytes, for delayed (e.g., 14 days from collection) blood testing, such as for enzymatic activity, concentration of protein and measurement of other blood components in human and veterinary blood test applications.