Disclosed herein are systems and methods for serial flow emulsion processes. Systems and methods as described herein result in reduced cross-contamination.

A thermal cycling method and associated device is described. The method is for carrying out a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process to amplify deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and the method includes: pre-heating a series of blocks to respective temperatures that correspond to different respective heating stages in a PCR process, in which each block of the series of blocks defines a respective heat transfer surface, in which the series of blocks define a sequence of positions along a path, with each position defined by a respective heat transfer surface of a respective block; and moving a PCR reaction vessel, which contains deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and PCR reagents, along the path into and out of each respective position in the sequence of positions according to a schedule, in which, at each respective position the PCR reaction vessel is in thermal contact with the respective heat transfer surface to equilibrate a temperature of the PCR reaction vessel to a target temperature that corresponds to a respective heating stage in the PCR process.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for serial flow emulsion processes. Systems and methods as described herein result in reduced cross-contamination.

An electrophoresis system for analysis of different analyte species and associated fluidic devices for holding sub-microliter volume is disclosed. A system comprises includes nanovials at several stations configured to permit introduction of reagents and samples into the capillary by means of applying pressure to nanovials and/or application of voltage to create a potential difference across the capillary. The capillary may be coupled to a detector and may be moved to different nanovials through an actuator that couples the capillary through a capillary mount that includes an integrated pressure line. The capillary inlet or outlet may be maintained at ground or maintained at a voltage. The use of an automated fluidic nanovial for buffer and sample manipulation in capillary based separations enables inline process analytics and offers an improvement on the ease-of-use and robustness of analytical instruments.

A microfluidic device for performing physical, chemical or biological treatment to at least one packet without contamination.

A biological sample analysis system including a sample preparation system forming droplets of segmented sample separated by a carrier fluid immiscible with the sample. The droplets include reaction mixtures for amplification of at least one target nucleic acid. A thermal cycling device having a sample block having a plurality of controlled thermal zones, and a containment structure in thermal communication with the plurality of controlled thermal zones. The containment structure receives and contains the droplets of segmented sample separated by the immiscible carrier fluid from the sample preparation system. A controller for controlling a temperature in each thermal zone of the sample block. A detection system detects electromagnetic radiation emitted from each of the droplets individually from the queue of droplets as they flow past the detection system. A positioning system to facilitate moving a queue of the droplets in the thermal cycling device relative to the detection system.

Apparatuses and methods for dried blood spot (DBS) sample collection are disclosed. A dried blood spot sampling device is configured to deliver blood through a passage to an absorbent disk in the device and control an amount of blood saturating the absorbent disk. The sampling device may include a manually actuatable component adjustable between a first position, in which an outlet of the passage is not in physical contact with the absorbent disk, and a second position, in which the outlet of the passage is in physical contact with the absorbent disk.

A droplet generating method includes the steps of providing a micro-pipe having an outlet end; providing a liquid driving device to generate a flow of a first liquid; locating and positioning the micro-pipe which extends along a vertical longitudinal axis; connecting the liquid driving device with the micro-pipe so that the first liquid flows and is emitted out from the outlet end; providing a container, which is positioned at least in-part below the micro-pipe and adapted to contain a second liquid including a liquid surface disposed at a position located between a highest and a lowest positions; and either vertically or horizontally vibrating the micro-pipe, and thereby forming a plurality of droplets of the first liquid emitted from the outlet end at a position below the liquid surface of the second liquid.

A droplet generating method includes: providing a micro-pipe for dispensing a first liquid and a container containing a second liquid; providing a moving and locating device for positioning the micro-pipe over the container; providing a liquid driving device connecting to the micro-pipe through a connecting tube; providing a vibrating equipment connected to the micro-pipe for vibrating the micro-pipe; forming a relative periodic vibration between the micro-pipe and the container so that the outlet end of the micro-pipe is displaced to touch the second liquid in the container during a relative periodic vibration; and dispensing the first liquid in the micro-pipe out from the outlet end of the micro-pipe during the relative periodic vibration to generate a plurality of droplets of the first liquid in the second liquid which is induced by a force of the second liquid imposed on the first liquid at the outlet end.

A multi-capillary column pre-concentration trap for use in various chromatography techniques (e.g., gas chromatography (GC) or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS)) is disclosed. In some examples, the trap can include a plurality of capillary columns connected in series in order of increasing strength (i.e., increasing chemical affinity for one or more sample compounds). A sample can enter the trap, flowing from a sample vial to a relatively weak column to the relatively strongest column of the trap by way of any additional columns included in the trap, for example. In some examples, the trap can be heated and backflushed so that the sample exits the trap through the head of the relatively weak column. Next, the sample can be injected into a chemical analysis device for performing the chromatography technique (e.g., GC or GCMS) or it can be injected into a secondary multi-capillary column trap for further concentration.