A chemical reactor is implemented on a substrate. The chemical reactor has multiple ducts for transporting a fluid and/or gas during use of the chemical reactor, in which the ducts optionally include pillar structures and at least one connection duct connected between two of the multiple ducts for transporting the fluid and/or gas from one duct to another. In the connection duct, a series of individual pillar structures are positioned behind each other in the longitudinal direction of the connection duct.

A fluid handling device includes: a substrate including a first surface and a second surface which are opposite to each other, wherein a first recess which allows fluid to flow therethrough is formed on the first surface; a film including a third surface and a fourth surface which are opposite to each other, wherein at least a pair of second recesses is formed on the third surface; and at least a pair of electrodes whose shape is defined by the second recesses, the electrodes being disposed in the second recesses and configured to apply an electric field to an inside of the first recess, the film being joined to the substrate such that the first surface and the fourth surface face each other.

The present invention provides a fluid inspection device comprising at least one channel including a top channel surface and a bottom channel surface, and a first spacing formed therebetween; at least one chamber communicating with the at least one channel from which a fluid flows into the at least one chamber and including a top chamber surface, a bottom chamber surface and a fluid-filling area and a through opening communicating with the at least one chamber and the outside. A second spacing is formed between the top chamber surface of at least one portion of the fluid-filling area and a corresponding bottom chamber surface thereof, wherein the second spacing is smaller than the first spacing. The fluid inspection device prevents bubbles from producing in the chamber and obstructing the inspection and further allows less required fluid amount in the chamber.

A microfluidic device can have a plurality of microchambers connected to a microchannel via siphon apertures. The microfluidic device may be formed from a thermoplastic and capped by a thermoplastic thin film. The microfluidic device may be used for digital polymerase chain reactions by forcing reagent into the microchambers at low pressure via an inlet, forcing any gas trapped in the microfluidic device to outgas through the thin film by applying high pressure to the microfluidic device via inlets and outlets of the microfluidic device, and applying air at low pressure to the inlets in order to digitize the chambers such that the reagent in each chamber is isolated from the reagent in other chambers by an air gap. After digitization, the device may be used to run a digital polymerase chain reaction process.

A fluid sample collection card in one embodiment includes an absorbent strip including a sample application portion, a first absorbent strip portion extending directly from the sample application portion, and a second absorbent strip portion extending directly from the sample application portion and spaced apart from the first absorbent strip portion by the sample application portion, a non-absorbent layer positioned beneath the absorbent strip, and a sample application portion indicium configured to identify the sample application portion.

A microfluidic device (1000-1005), comprising: a semiconductor body (2) having a first side (2a) and a second side (2b) opposite to one another, and housing, at the first side, a plurality of wells (4), having a first depth; an inlet region (30) forming an entrance point for a fluid to be supplied to the wells; a main channel (6a) fluidically connected to the inlet region, and having a second depth; and a plurality of secondary channels (6b) fluidically connecting the main channel to a respective well, and having a third depth. The first depth is higher than the second depth, which in turn is higher than the third depth. According to an aspect, the microfluidic device further comprises a cover layer (8), arranged above the first side of the semiconductor body, configured for sealing the wells and provided with at least a first valve hole (54) which extends through the cover layer and overlaps, at least partially, the secondary channels; and a flexible layer (14), arranged above the cover layer and provided with at least a protrusion (74) extending through the first valve hole towards the semiconductor body and overlapping, at least partially, the secondary channels, the flexible layer being configured such that, when a pressure is applied on it, the protrusion contacts the semiconductor body and enters the secondary channels thus fluidically isolating the wells from one another.

The invention generally relates to methods for quantifying an amount of enzyme molecules. Systems and methods of the invention are provided for measuring an amount of target by forming a plurality of fluid partitions, a subset of which include the target, performing an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in the subset, and detecting the number of partitions in the subset. The amount of target can be determined based on the detected number.

In an example implementation, a method of controlling a microfluidic valve includes activating a first inertial pump at a first frequency, and a second inertial pump at a second frequency to create a first fluid flow pattern within a microfluidic valve. The method also includes adjusting at least one of the first frequency and the second frequency to change the first fluid flow pattern to a second fluid flow pattern.

Under one aspect, a device is provided for use in luminescent imaging. The device can include a photonic superlattice including a first material, the first material having a first refractive index. The first material can include first and second major surfaces and first and second pluralities of features defined though at least one of the first and second major surfaces, the features of the first plurality differing in at least one characteristic from the features of the second plurality. The photonic superlattice can support propagation of a first wavelength and a second wavelength approximately at a first angle out of the photonic superlattice, the first and second wavelengths being separated from one another by a first non-propagating wavelength that does not selectively propagate at the first angle out of the photonic superlattice. The device further can include a second material having a second refractive index that is different than the first refractive index. The second material can be disposed within, between, or over the first and second pluralities of features and can include first and second luminophores. The device further can include a first optical component disposed over one of the first and second major surfaces of the first material. The first optical component can receive luminescence emitted by the first luminophore at the first wavelength approximately at the first angle, and can receive luminescence emitted by the second luminophore at the second wavelength approximately at the first angle.

An easy to use test device for the testing of liquids comprising a primary chamber to receive an initial liquid sample and a multiplicity of secondary regions arranged to each receive an aliquot of the initial liquid sample from the primary chamber, wherein the test device is movable in use between two positions, a first position and a second position. The device is especially suitable for carrying out on-site microbial assays with a minimal requirement for user expertise and additional apparatus. The invention also provides related methods and apparatus.