A rapid, low-cost, portable and reliable method for on-site detection of deoxynivalenol (DON), a representative mycotoxin predominantly occurring in grains, would be helpful to control mycotoxin contamination. Herein, a paper-based microfluidic chip capable of measuring deoxynivalenol (DON-Chip) in foods, feeds and feed ingredients was developed. As discussed herein, the DON-Chip incorporated a colorimetric competitive immunoassay into a paper microfluidic device and used gold nanoparticles as a signal indicator. Furthermore, a novel ratiometric analysis method was used to improve signal resolvability at low concentrations of DON. Detection of DON in aqueous extracts from solid foods, feeds or feed ingredients was successfully validated with a detection range from 0.01-20 ppm (using dilution factors from 10-10.sup.4). Compared with conventional methods, the novel DON-Chip greatly reduces the cost and time of mycotoxin detection in the food and feed industry.

Embodiments include systems, apparatuses, and methods to efficiently separate analytes in a sample and elute fractions of the separated analytes. In some embodiments, a method includes introducing a sample in a capillary with a first end ionically coupled to a first running buffer and a second end ionically coupled to a second running buffer to form a pH gradient. The method includes applying a voltage between the first running buffer and the second running buffer, to separate a plurality of analytes in the sample. The method includes disposing the second end of the capillary in a collection well including a chemical mobilizer and applying a voltage to elute one or more analytes from the plurality of analytes in the sample, that have been separated, into the collection well. Embodiments include detection methods to monitor separation of analytes, mobilization of analytes, and/or elution of fractions containing analytes.

Examples herein involve sorting a droplet including a biologic sample. In a particular example, sorting a droplet including a biologic sample includes generating a droplet including a biologic sample and a pH sensitive surfactant, and heating a nucleic acid molecule in the biologic sample. The pH sensitive surfactant may change the surface tension of the droplet responsive to amplification of the nucleic acid molecule. The droplet may be sorted into one of a plurality of sorting lanes based on the surface tension of the droplet, where a sorting lane among the plurality of sorting lanes is associated with droplets including the amplified nucleic acid molecule. A determination of whether the droplet includes the amplified nucleic acid molecule may be performed by detecting passage of the droplet in one of the plurality of sorting lanes.

The present invention relates to a low-cost, thermally reversible valve for paper-fluidic diagnostic devices. In particular, this invention demonstrates a tunable valve mechanism fabricated by wax-ink printing and localized heating via thin-film resistors to sequentially release liquids through a cellulose or nitrocellulose membrane. The wax-ink valve can obstruct fluid flow for a sustained time and are thermally actuated to release a controlled amount of liquid past the valve. This integrated paper-fluidic diagnostic assay device requires minimal user involvement, can be easily manufactured and tuned to meet various fluid delivery timing and incubation needs.

A cartridge has a strip that is provided with the test region and a case in which the strip is accommodated and in which an observation window for observing the test region from an outside is formed in a surface. A emission end portion, through which illumination light for illuminating a test region, is disposed at a position separated from the observation window on a rear surface of the case. A detection unit, that optically detects the color development state of the test region irradiated with the illumination light, is disposed at a position facing the observation window on a surface side of the case. The illumination light is transmitted from the rear surface of the case to an inside of the case, reaches the test region while being diffuse-reflected by an inner surface of the case, and illuminates the test region from the surface side.

A multi-module sample preparation device for use with a DNA sequencer is provided. The device includes several modules that are operatively connected in a manner such that a liquid sample containing DNA for analysis can be charged into the device and automatically prepared for sequencing with little or no user interaction. The device enables targeted amplification, purification, and library preparation for a liquid sample prior to being injected into a DNA sequencer.

A testing assembly for lateral flow assay comprising a liquid sample receiving unit arranged on a support structure defining a plane and configured to receive a liquid sample via the liquid sample receiving interface, at least one testing strip having, in a planar state, a testing strip center line length (L) in a longitudinal direction, a testing strip width in a width direction and a testing strip thickness, and comprising a capillary wick that includes a test portion that comprises a reacting material configured to react in a predetermined manner to a pre-specified analyte, wherein the width direction of the testing strip extends at an angle smaller than 90° with respect to a normal of the plane, and wherein the testing strip is curved, resulting in an effective extension being shorter than the testing strip center line length in the planar state.

Methods and devices for evaluating coagulation are described, including methods and devices for detecting an anticoagulant agent or a coagulation abnormality. In various embodiments, the methods and devices of the invention measure coagulation of a sample in response to a gradient of one or more coagulation factors. These responses can be evaluated to accurately profile coagulation impairments of the sample, including the presence of anticoagulant medication. In various embodiments, the invention provides point-of-care or bedside testing with a convenient, microfluidic device that can be used by minimally trained personnel.

The present invention discloses a microstructured discrimination device for separating hydrophobic-hydrophilic fluidic composites comprising particulate and/or fluids in a fluid flow. The discrimination is the result of surface energy gradients obtained by physically varying a textured surface and/or by varying surface chemical properties, both of which are spatially graded. Such surfaces discriminate and spatially separate particulate and/or fluids without external energy input. The device of the present invention comprises a platform having bifurcating microchannels arranged radially. The lumenal surfaces of the microchannels may have a surface energy gradient created by varying the periodicity of hierarchically arranged microstructures along a dimension. The surface energy gradient is varied in two regions. In one pre-bifurcation region the surface energy gradient generates a fluid flow. In the other post-bifurcation region, there is a difference in surface energy proximal to the bifurcation such that different flow fractions are divided into separate channels in response to different surface energy gradients in each of the post-bifurcation channels. Accordingly, fluids of different hydrophobicity and/or particulate of different hydrophobicity are driven into separate channels by a global minimization of the fluid system energy.

A biomarker detection apparatus in which a CMOS-based chip is used to generate independent detection signals from a reaction zone that receives a biological sample, where the biological sample is provided to both a test region and positive and negative control regions within the reaction zone. The independent detection signals can be processed together (i.e. as a group of input parameters for an algorithm) to identify the presence of a biomarker (or a plurality of biomarkers) in a biological sample. The use of sample-specific, independently detectable positive and negative controls facilitates improved detection accuracy.