High-throughput digital microfluidic (DMF) systems and methods (including devices, systems, cartridges, DMF apparatuses, etc.), are described herein. The systems, apparatuses and methods integrate liquid handling with the DMF apparatuses, providing flexible and efficient sample reactions and sample preparation. These systems, apparatuses and methods may be used with a variety of cartridge configurations and sizes.

Aniosotropic Ratchet Conveyor (“ARC”)-based biomolecule processing devices and related methods are described. The ARC-based biomolecule processing devices include (i) a substrate having an ARC track defined on or within the substrate and including a biomolecule receiving area, which is designed to receive biomolecule, and a reconstituting area, which is designed to contain dry reagents and is designed to receive a transport solution such that at the reconstituting area, dry reagents are reconstituted with transport solution; and (ii) a microheater area disposed at or near the biomolecule receiving area, fitted with a microheater, which is designed to heat biomolecule that is received through the biomolecule receiving area and designed to process heated biomolecule and dry reagents reconstituted with transport solution. The ARC track includes an arrangement of a plurality of hydrophilic rungs disposed on a hydrophobic region such that between consecutive hydrophobic rungs, a portion of the hydrophobic region is exposed.

A microchip is provided that includes a flow path through which a liquid containing a micro particle flows, an orifice through which the liquid flowing through the flow path is discharged into a space outside the microchip, and a light-irradiated portion provided at a predetermined location of the flow path and configured to be irradiated with light. A width of the flow path and a depth of the flow path at the orifice are set to be smaller than a width of the flow path and a depth of the flow path at the light-irradiated portion, and the flow path is configured to gradually decrease from upstream of the orifice in a cross-section area perpendicular to a liquid-delivering direction between the light-irradiated portion and the orifice. A cartridge including the microchip is also provided.

A kit for detection of an analyte of interest in a liquid sample, and methods of using, are provided. The kit may include a pipette and a disposable pipette tip configured to engage the pipette. The pipette tip may define an acoustic channel configured for allowing flow-through of a liquid. The kit may also include a vibratory device in communication with the acoustic channel and configured for imparting a vibratory force thereto. The impartation of the vibratory force may create standing acoustic waves, thereby separating any negative acoustic contrast particles (NACPs) from the remaining contents of the liquid sample. The NACPs may capable of biospecific recognition of the analyte of interest, thereby separating the analytes of interest, which can then be collected or analyzed accordingly.

To provide a technique capable of forming stable droplets.

There is provided a microparticle sorting device including a microchip including a main flow path through which a liquid containing a microparticle flows, a sheath liquid flow path that communicates with the main flow path and through which a sheath liquid flows, and a sheath liquid introduction portion that introduces the sheath liquid, in which the sheath liquid flowing through the sheath liquid introduction portion is vibrated. Furthermore, there is also provided a microparticle sorting method including, in a microchip including at least a main flow path through which a liquid containing a microparticle flows, a sheath liquid flow path that communicates with the main flow path and through which a sheath liquid flows, and a sheath liquid introduction portion that introduces the sheath liquid, vibrating the sheath liquid flowing through the sheath liquid introduction portion.

A liquid manipulation device has an enhanced ability to control liquid, in particular, a droplet, and offers improved fabrication efficiency. The liquid manipulation device according to the present invention includes: a substrate 1, 11 including a sheet shape or a film shape to have flexibility; a plurality of electrodes 2 located on a front surface 1b, 11b of the substrate 1, 11; and an insulating layer located over the front surface 1b, 11b of the substrate 1, 11 to cover the electrodes 2. The liquid manipulation device is configured to move liquid L on a front surface 3b of the insulating layer 3 by using an electrostatic force that is generated when voltage is applied to at least one of the electrodes 2. In the liquid manipulation device, the insulating layer 3 includes dimples 4 that are located in correspondence with the electrodes 2 and are curved concave in a concave direction directed from the front surface 3b of the insulating layer 3 toward the back surface 3a of the insulating layer 3. Each of the electrodes 2 includes a dimple-corresponding portion 5 being curved concave in the concave direction together with one of the dimples 4 that is located in correspondence with the corresponding electrode 2.

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing a droplet assembly, which apparatus comprises a droplet generator. A process for producing a droplet assembly, using an apparatus comprising a droplet generator is also described. The invention also relates to droplet assemblies comprising a plurality of droplets. Various uses of the droplet assemblies are also described.

Disclosed is a liquid discharging nozzle, including a needle stem having a hollow chamber and an outlet end located at one end of the needle stem, an angle between a normal line of an end surface of the outlet end of the liquid discharging nozzle and an extension direction of the needle stem is equal to or smaller than 90°. Further disclosed are a motion controlling mechanism, a microdroplet generating device and method, a liquid driving mechanism and method, a microdroplet generating method, and a surface processing method of a liquid discharging nozzle.

A method for preparing droplets using a microfluidic chip system is provided. The microfluidic chip system includes a droplet generation device, a power generation device, a collection bottle, a connection device, and a preparation platform, the droplet generation device includes a chip body, the chip body defines a continuous phase inlet for receiving a continuous phase and a dispersed phase inlet for receiving a dispersed phase. The power generation device is activated to form a pressure difference among the collection bottle, the connection device, and the chip body, wherein the pressure difference promotes the dispersed phase and the continuous phase to converge and flow into the collection bottle in form of the droplets.

An embodiment of a system includes a compartment-generating device, a compartment detector, and electronic computing circuitry. The device is configured to generate compartments of a digital assay, at least one of the compartments having a respective volume that is different from a respective volume of each of at least another one of the compartments. The detector is configured to determine a number of the compartments each having a respective number of a target that is greater than a threshold number of the target. And the electronic circuitry is configured to determine a bulk concentration of the target in a source of the sample in response to the determined number of compartments. Because such a system can be configured to estimate a bulk concentration of a target in a source from a polydisperse digital assay, the system can be portable, and lower-cost and faster, than conventional systems.