A module may be provided with at least one opening, the opening being an endpoint of a microfluidic channel that passes through at least part of the module. A set of multiple such modules may be arranged into an arrangement of modules, which may be coupled together using one or more coupling mechanisms included on each module. The arrangement of modules may fit within a regular polyhedral grid, and each module within the arrangement of modules may have a form suitable for arrangement of the modules within the regular polyhedral grid. Fluid may then flow through at least a subset of the arrangement of modules via the microfluidic channel of each module of the subset of the arrangement of modules. Some modules may include sensors, actuators, or inner microfluidic channel surface coatings. The arrangement of modules may form a microfluidic circuit that can perform a microfluidic circuit function.

The current invention relates to the device and method to separate biological entities from a sample fluid by a microfluidic device. The claimed methods separate biological entities by differentiating the sizes of the biological entities with ultrasound modes. The claimed methods further utilize a multi-staged design that removes smaller size entities at earlier and wider sections and concentrates larger entities at later and narrower sections of a microfluidic channel.

The current invention relates to the method and apparatus to separate biological entities from a fluid sample. The claimed methods separate biological entities based on size of entities by using acoustic pressure nodes in a microfluidic device. The claimed methods further separate biological entities with magnetic labels and by using a magnetic device. The claimed methods further include combination of microfluidic devices and magnetic devices to separate biological entities from a fluid sample.

The current invention relates to the method and apparatus to magnetically separate biological entities with magnetic labels from a fluid sample. The claimed methods separate biological entities with magnetic labels by using a magnetic device. The claimed methods further include processes to dissociate biological entities magnetic conglomerate after magnetic separation.

The current invention relates to the method to detect early stage pre-symptom cancer with enhanced accuracy. The claimed methods use anti-tumor agent to cause lysis of any existing cancer cells in a person, and causing release of genetic material from the lysed cancer cells into the blood stream of the person. The claimed methods further utilize a PCR method to amplify cancer gene in released generic material from a blood plasma sample of the person. The claimed methods further perform genetic sequencing on the blood plasma sample after PCR to identify existence of the cancer genes, thereby confirming existence of cancer.

A biosensor using a decoupled microfluidic device, which has a capture chamber and a detection chamber separate from and in fluid communication with each other. The sensing method is based on particle aggregation via homogeneous reactions, by employing microparticles having antibodies on their surfaces which can form aggregates through antigen mediation. Either size-separation or magnetic based separation is used to separate aggregates from single microparticles; the aggregates are later dissociated and the resulting single microparticles are counted to measure the amount of the antigen. Another biosensor uses a decoupled microfluidic device with a capture chamber and a detection chamber, and a 3-D structure in the capture camber to increase immobilized antibody concentration. Immunoreaction efficiency is improved by increasing the number of antibody per reaction volume in the capture chamber.

Microfluidic devices are described that include a microfluidic channel, a first array of one or more magnets above the microfluidic channel, each magnet in the first array having a magnetic pole orientation opposite to a magnetic pole orientation of an adjacent magnet in the first array, and a second array of one or more magnets beneath the microfluidic channel, each magnet in the second array having a magnetic pole orientation opposite to a magnetic pole orientation of an adjacent magnet in the second array. The first array is aligned with respect to the second array such that magnetic fields emitted by the first array and second array generate a magnetic flux gradient profile extending through the channel. An absolute value of the profile includes a first maximum and a second maximum that bound a local minimum. The local minimum is located within the microfluidic channel or less than 5 mm away from a wall of the microfluidic channel. Methods of using the new devices are also described.

The present invention relates to the field of microfluidics and in particular to devices and methods for sorting objects in microfluidic channels. These devices and methods allow for fast and robust sorting in two-way and multi-way setups. They also enable sorting over extended periods of time.

The present disclose provides methods and systems for amplifying and quantifying nucleic acids and for detecting the presence or absence of a target in a sample. The methods and systems provided herein may utilize a device comprising a plurality of partitions separated from an external environment by a gas-permeable barrier. Certain methods disclosed herein involve subjecting nucleic acid molecules in the plurality of partitions to conditions sufficient to conduct nucleic acid amplification reactions. The nucleic acid molecules may be subjected to controlled heating in the plurality of partitions to generate data indicative of a melting point(s) of the nucleic acid molecules.

A variety of devices, systems, kits, and methods are provided for separating or enriching circulating tumor cells in a biological sample such as whole blood. In some aspects, the devices are multi-stage devices including at least a filtering stage, and two separation stages for ferrohydrodynamic separation of magnetically labelled white blood cells and for marker-independent and size-independent focusing of magnetically labeled particles so as to separate or enrich unlabeled rare cells in the biological sample. The devices and methods are, in some aspects, capable of high throughput in excess of 6 milliliters per hour while achieving high separation (>97%) of the unlabeled rare cells.