This invention relates to a method of inducing fluid flow in a passive capillarity filled microfluidic device involving the use of a dual flow control reagent system, wherein the first flow control reagent is a surfactant which reduces surface tension of an aqueous fluid sample and the second flow control reagent is a viscosity enhancer.

The present invention relates to a microfluidic device to manipulate, select, treat, or cultivate living bodies, comprising a first chamber, a second chamber and a network of guiding tracks, wherein: said network of guiding tracks comprises at least one first guiding track connecting the first chamber and the second chamber and at least one second guiding track connecting said at least one first guiding track with at least two interconnections; and said at least one second guiding track comprises a curved part; said curved part exhibiting a concavity facing the second chamber or the part of the network connected to the second chamber.

A fluid propelling apparatus, including a plastic compound, a MEMS at least partially surrounded by the compound, and a heat sink next to the MEMS, to transfer heat away from the MEMS, wherein the heat sink is at least partly surrounded by the compound.

Methods and systems are provided for isolating fetal cells from a maternal blood supply in order to perform non-invasive prenatal testing. In one example, a system for non-invasive prenatal testing includes a substrate coated with a cell-capturing surface, the cell-capturing surface including an array of pillar-like structures, each pillar-like structure including a plurality of intersecting arms.

The present invention relates to a method and system for Polymerase Chain Reaction (“PCR”), High Resolution Melt (“HRM”) analysis and microfluidics, and, more specifically, to a method and system for implementing the processes of PCR and HRM on a microscale in a microfluidics chamber for certain purposes including for purposes of DNA detection and/or extraction.

The present disclosure is drawn to temperature-cycling microfluidic devices. In one example, a temperature-cycling microfluidic device can include a driver chip having a top surface and a heat exchange substrate having a top surface coplanar with the top surface of the driver chip. A fluid chamber can be located on the top surface of the driver chip. A first and second microfluidic loop can have fluid driving ends and fluid outlet ends connected to the fluid chamber and can include portions thereof located on the top surface of the heat exchange substrate. A first and second fluid actuator can be on the driver chip. The first and second fluid actuators can be associated with the fluid driving ends of the first and second microfluidic loops, respectively, to circulate fluid through the first and second microfluidic loops.

A test device having a micro flow channel including a reaction part where a reactant that is reactive to a tested chemical dispersed in a tested fluid is fixed, and at least one actuator for actuating the tested fluid to move in at least one of two opposite sides of the micro flow channel so as to homogenize a density distribution of the tested chemical in the tested fluid. The tested fluid is sent in the micro flow channel a plurality of times.

During droplet operations in a droplet actuator, bubbles often form in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap and interrupt droplet operations. The present invention provides methods and systems for performing droplet operations on a droplet in a droplet actuator comprising maintaining substantially consistent contact between the droplet and an electrical ground while conducting multiple droplet operations on the droplet in the droplet operations gap and/or reducing the accumulation of electrical charges in the droplet operations gap during multiple droplet operations. The methods and systems reduce or eliminate bubble formation in the filler fluid of the droplet operations gap, thereby permitting completion of multiple droplet operations without interruption by bubble formation in the filler fluid in the droplet operations gap.

Microfluidic devices and methods for investigating crystallization and/or for controlling a reaction or a phase transition are disclosed. In one embodiment, the microfluidic device includes a reservoir layer; a membrane disposed on the reservoir layer; a wetting control layer disposed on the membrane; and a storage layer disposed on the wetting control layer, wherein the wetting control layer and the storage layer define a microfluidic channel comprising an upstream portion, a downstream portion, a first fluid path in communication with the upstream and the downstream portions, and a storage well positioned within the first fluid path, wherein the wetting control layer includes a fluid passageway in communication with the storage well and the membrane, and wherein the wetting control layer wets a first fluid introduced into the microfluidic channel, the first fluid comprising a hydrophilic, lipophilic, fluorophilic or gas phase as the continuous phase in the microfluidic channel.

The present invention provides systems, devices, apparatuses and methods for automated bioprocessing. Examples of protocols and bioprocessing procedures suitable for the present invention include but are not limited to immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, recombinant protein isolation, nucleic acid separation and isolation, protein labeling, separation and isolation, cell separation and isolation, food safety analysis and automatic bead based separation. In some embodiments, the invention provides automated systems, automated devices, automated cartridges and automated methods of western blot processing. Other embodiments include automated systems, automated devices, automated cartridges and automated methods for separation, preparation and purification of nucleic acids, such as DNA or RNA or fragments thereof, including plasmid DNA, genomic DNA, bacterial DNA, viral DNA and any other DNA, and for automated systems, automated devices, automated cartridges and automated methods for processing, separation and purification of proteins, peptides and the like.