A PCR amplification and product detection system is disclosed. The system utilizes a uniform and direct photonic heating subsystem to mediate reaction-by-reaction, high-throughput PCR amplification detectable by a fluorescence detection subsystem. Reaction-by-reaction temperature monitoring for dynamic feedback heat regulation is also disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for using the same.

1. A method of performing an acoustophoretic operation comprises the steps of: i. providing a fluid, ii. positioning the fluid in a microfluidic cavity, iii. subjecting at least one portion of the fluid, in the microfluidic cavity, to an acoustic wave, and iv. providing, in at least one first region of the at least one portion, a thermal inhomogeneity whereby the temperature of the fluid in the at least one first region differs from the temperature of the fluid in at least one second region of the remainder of the at least one portion. A microfluidic system is also disclosed.

A system for use in spectral analysis procedures can include a slide and a holder for carrying the slide. The slide includes a substrate forming a plurality of wells that are recessed relative to a surface of the substrate. Each of the wells forms a sample region that is recessed by a sample depth from the surface and a trough region that is recessed by a trough depth from the surface, the trough depth being greater than the sample depth. The holder includes a body defining a cavity between a first side and a second side of the body, a port for receiving the slide into the cavity, one or more first fenestrations on the first side, and one or more second fenestrations on the second side.

Reagent cartridges and related systems and methods for controlling reagent temperature are disclosed. In accordance with an implementation, an apparatus includes a system and a reagent cartridge. The system includes a reagent cartridge receptacle, a non-contact temperature controller, a processor operatively coupled to the temperature controller. The reagent cartridge is receivable within the reagent cartridge receptacle and includes a flow cell assembly, a plurality of reagent reservoirs, and a manifold assembly. The manifold assembly includes a common fluidic line and a plurality of reagent fluidic lines. Each of the plurality of reagent fluidic lines is adapted to be fluidically coupled to a corresponding reagent reservoir and selectively couplable to the common fluidic line. The processor is to cause the temperature controller to change a temperature of at least one of the common fluidic line or one or more of the reagent fluidic lines.

A flow control and processing cartridge used in a nucleic acid analysis apparatus includes a cartridge body and a reaction chip. The cartridge body includes plural chambers for storing at least one sample and plural biochemical reagents and buffers, and plural channels connected with the plural chambers. The reaction chip is in conjunction with the cartridge body and includes plural detection wells, at least one main fluid channel connected with the detection wells and adapted to dispense the sample into the detection wells, and at least one gas releasing channel connected with the detection wells and adapted to release gas from the detection wells.

A method and a portable diagnostic apparatus (20) for detecting at least one analyte from a sample using a microfluidic cartridge (22). The portable diagnostic apparatus (20) comprises a cartridge receiving unit, a cartridge driver unit (30) and an optical unit (32). A method and an apparatus of obtaining disease prevalence information comprising at least one of the portable diagnostic apparatus (20). A method and a system for managing a network of portable diagnostic apparatuses and obtaining disease prevalence information comprising at least one of the portable diagnostic apparatus (20). A diagnostic system with multiple automated features that is capable of providing a one-step solution to near-patient clinical evaluation and diagnosis.

A system for use in spectral analysis procedures can include a slide and a holder for carrying the slide. The slide includes a substrate forming a plurality of wells that are recessed relative to a surface of the substrate. Each of the wells forms a sample region that is recessed by a sample depth from the surface and a trough region that is recessed by a trough depth from the surface, the trough depth being greater than the sample depth. The holder includes a body defining a cavity between a first side and a second side of the body, a port for receiving the slide into the cavity, one or more first fenestrations on the first side, and one or more second fenestrations on the second side.

Methods for regulating and continuously monitoring a chemical synthesis reaction using micro-objects and electro-magnetic radiation include introducing micro-objects to a reaction mixture, determining a plasmon resonance of the micro-object based on a characteristic of the micro-object, and applying electro-magnetic radiation that is wavelength-matched to the plasmon resonance of the micro-object.

A type of microfluidic platform, photothermal bar-chart chip (PT-Chip), uses on-chip nanomaterial-mediated photothermal effect as a tunable microfluidic driving force to drive ink bar-charts in a visual quantitative readout fashion. The photothermal bar-chart pumping performance can be adjusted remotely by tuning the irradiation parameters, without the need to change any on-chip parameters. The PT-Chip enables a POC visual quantitative diagnostics, by forming nanomaterial-mediated photothermal effects-driven bar-chart microchip for visual quantitative immuno-sensing. In this immunoassay, biomolecules are visually quantified by directly reading the distance that fluids move on the PT-Chip.

The present disclosure describes an apparatus and method of improving temperature uniformity and suppressing well plate warping. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a barrier configured to be positioned above at least one well configured to contain a liquid sample, where a vessel includes the at least one well, where the vessel is transparent and is configured to be placed within a measurement chamber, where a light measurement apparatus includes the measurement chamber, where the light measurement apparatus is configured to measure light scattered from the liquid sample, where the barrier is configured to seal the at least one well from the measurement chamber, and a weighted lid configured to press a bottom surface of the vessel against a well plate retainer of the measurement chamber, thereby spreading heat among the at least one well and preventing the vessel from warping.