A biochip for the integration of all steps in a complex process from the insertion of a sample to the generation of a result, performed without operator intervention includes microfluidic and macrofluidic features that are acted on by instrument subsystems in a series of scripted processing steps. Methods for fabricating these complex biochips of high feature density by injection molding are also provided.

Methods and systems are provided for point-of-care nucleic acid amplification and detection. One embodiment of the point-of-care molecular diagnostic system includes a cartridge and an instrument. The cartridge can accept a biological sample, such as a urine or blood sample. The cartridge, which can comprise one or more of a loading module, lysis module, purification module and amplification module, is inserted into the instrument which acts upon the cartridge to facilitate various sample processing steps that occur in order to perform a molecular diagnostic test.

A dispensing apparatus including; a plurality of first accommodating units which are formed in communication with each other and which are configured to be able to divide and accommodate a fluid sample transferred by external force; a plurality of second accommodating units each configured to accommodate the fluid sample which has been divided into the plurality of the first accommodating units; and transfer means each configured to transfer the fluid sample, which has been accommodated in the plurality of the first accommodating units, to the second accommodating units.

A sample holder (10) comprises: an upper layer (20); a lower layer (40); a middle layer (30) between the upper and lower layers; and a sample chamber (33) formed by a through-hole in the middle layer (30), covered at its upper extent by a portion of the bottom surface of the upper layer (20), and at its lower extent by a portion of the top surface of the lower layer (40), wherein at least part of the bottom surface of the upper layer (20) overlapping a portion of a top periphery of the sample chamber (33) comprises a hydrophobic surface, wherein the hydrophobic surface is sufficiently hydrophobic that a contact angle of a water droplet on the hydrophobic surface would exceed 110.

Assay cartridges are described that have purification, reaction, and detection zones and other fluidic components which can include sample chambers, waste chambers, conduits, vents, reagent chambers, reconstitution chambers and the like. The assay cartridges are used to conduct multiplexed nucleic acid measurements. Also described are kits including such cartridges, methods of using the same, and a reader configured to analyze an assay conducted using an assay cartridge.

At least one exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a molecular diagnostic device that comprises a cartridge configured to eject samples comprising genomic material into a microfluidic chip that comprises an amplification area, a detection area, and a matrix analysis area.

The invention describes a method for the identification of compounds which bind to a target component of a biochemical system or modulate the activity of the target, comprising the steps of: a) compartmentalising the compounds into microcapsules together with the target, such that only a subset of the repertoire is represented in multiple copies in any one microcapsule; and b) identifying the compound which binds to or modulates the activity of the target; wherein at least one step is performed under microfluidic control. The invention enables the screening of large repertoires of molecules which can serve as leads for drug development.

A biosensor system for use in point-of-care applications and a method for fabricating same

The present invention provides a biosensor system for use in point-of-care, POC, applications. The invention comprises a microfluidic channel for circulating biomolecules and a sensor adapted to receive the microfluidic channel and detect a plurality of different biomarkers from the biomolecules. The microfluidic channel and the sensor are formed on a photoreactive hybrid organic-inorganic sol-gel, PHOIS, resin.

Microfluidic devices for cell sorting or cell fractionation are disclosed. A microfluidic device can comprise one or more inlets, a first wall and a second wall, and two or more outlets. The first and second walls can be substantially planar to each other and the first wall having can have a plurality of ridges protruding from the first wall and defining a compression gap between the ridge and a surface of the second wall. The microfluidic device can also be a cell sorting device for sorting a plurality of cells based on one or more biophysical cellular properties including size, elasticity, viscosity, and/or viscoelasticity wherein the cells are subjected to one or more compressions due to the compression gap. Also disclosed are methods for cell sorting based on a variety of biophysical cellular properties.

There is provided a microfluidic device for capturing particles comprising a particle capturing chamber (100) including at least: a particle capturing unit (101) including one of at least one well (106) or at least one through hole (108); and a particle capturing channel unit (102) used for capturing a particle in the well or with the through hole, in which the particle is captured in the well or with the through hole by being sucked, via the particle capturing channel unit, in a direction opposite to a direction (114) on which the particle settles. Such a configuration has for result that the particles that are not captured in the well or with the through hole are prevented from staying in the vicinity of the well or the through hole of the particle capturing unit when suction is stopped.