A method of manufacturing a microfluidic system or microfluidic device having at least one channel includes providing a base sheet, providing a deformable intermediate layer, providing a cover film, and laminating the base sheet, the intermediate layer and the cover film so that a back surface of the intermediate layer is attached to a front surface of the base sheet and a back surface of the cover film is attached to a front surface of the intermediate layer opposite to the back surface thereof, thereby forming a laminate comprising the base sheet, the intermediate layer and the cover film. Further, the method includes applying pressure to the front surface of the intermediate layer through the cover film so as to deform the intermediate layer, thereby forming the at least one channel. The invention also relates to a microfluidic system or microfluidic device) manufactured by this method.

The present invention provides self-contained systems for performing an assay for determining a chemical state, the system including a stationary cartridge for performing the assay therein, at least one reagent adapted to react with a sample; and at least one reporter functionality adapted to report a reaction of the at least one reagent with said sample to report a result of the assay, wherein the at least one reagent, the sample and the at least one reporter functionality are contained within the cartridge.

This disclosure describes various reaction vessel configurations that include a housing component; a reaction chamber defined by the housing component; and a light absorbing layer conforming to a portion of an interior-facing surface of the housing component that defines the reaction chamber, the light absorbing layer comprising multiple discrete regions. An energy source may direct light at one or more of the discrete regions of the light absorbing layer so as to heat the discrete regions and ultimately heat a solution within a reaction chamber.

A method is provided to measure viscosity of an analyte using a microfluidic piezoelectric sensor including a channel on an active area of a piezoelectric resonator substrate. The microfluidic piezoelectric sensor is driven so that the active area of the piezoelectric resonator substrate generates shear motion in a direction of shear motion displacement that is parallel with respect to a first surface of the piezoelectric resonator substrate. A high shear-rate viscosity of the analyte is determined based on a shift in resonance of the microfluidic piezoelectric sensor while driving the microfluidic piezoelectric sensor with the analyte in the channel. A low shear-rate viscosity of the analyte is determined by detecting flow of the analyte through the channel based on tracking shifts in resonance of the microfluidic piezoelectric sensor. Related sensors are also discussed.

A system for nucleic acid amplification of a sample comprises partitioning the sample into partitioned sections and performing PCR on the partitioned sections of the sample. Another embodiment of the invention provides a system for nucleic acid amplification and detection of a sample comprising partitioning the sample into partitioned sections, performing PCR on the partitioned sections of the sample, and detecting and analyzing the partitioned sections of the sample.

A system or method for detecting an immune system activation state in a patient can include a sample preparation system configured to isolate white blood cells from a sample of the patient, a cytometry module configured to determine biophysical properties of the white blood cells of the sample, and an analysis module configured to analyze the biophysical properties.

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 single junction sorter for a microfluidic particle sorter, the single-junction sorter comprising: an input channel, configured to receive a fluid containing particles; an output sort channel and an output waste channel, each connected to the input channel for receiving the fluid therefrom; a bubble generator, operable to selectively displace the fluid around a particle to be sorted and thereby to create a transient flow of the fluid in the input channel; and a vortex element, configured to cause a vortex in the transient flow in order to direct the particle to be sorted into the output sort channel.

The present invention is directed to methods and devices capable of target analyte separation and analysis, in particular highly sensitive separation and detection and free-solution analyte detection assays.

The present invention provides devices and methods for generating a pulsatile fluid flow in a microchannel by means of external actuation of a thin flexible film. With the devices described herein, cycles of positive and negative actuation can be used to infuse or withdrawal fluid in a microchannel. Fluid can be recirculated over one or more microfluidic feature, such as a chemical or molecular receptor, biosensor, electrode, cell or biological material, chromatography feature, mixer, etc., in a way that would represent an advantage over the single-pass flow techniques common to most microfluidic devices. The devices and methods are particularly useful in vitro diagnostics (IVD), analytical chemistry, chromatography, and mixing applications in a variety of fields.