A microfluidic device can comprise at least one swept region that is fluidically connected to unswept regions. The fluidic connections between the swept region and the unswept regions can enable diffusion but substantially no flow of media between the swept region and the unswept regions. The capability of biological micro-objects to produce an analyte of interest can be assayed in such a microfluidic device. Biological micro-objects in sample material loaded into a microfluidic device can be selected for particular characteristics and disposed into unswept regions. The sample material can then be flowed out of the swept region and an assay material flowed into the swept region. Flows of medium in the swept region do not substantially affect the biological micro-objects in the unswept regions, but any analyte of interest produced by a biological micro-object can diffuse from an unswept region into the swept region, where the analyte can react with the assay material to produce a localized detectable reaction. Any such detected reactions can be analyzed to determine which, if any, of the biological micro-objects are producers of the analyte of interest.

An incubation device has multiple rocking platforms with each platform pivotally mounted about a respective axis. Each rocking platform has a respective receiving device for mechanically reversibly receiving a respective incubation channel. The device also has a common drive unit for common respective rocking movements of each platform from a zero position through with a specific angle range as a result of movement of the drive unit. Each rocking platform is coupled to the drive unit via a respective coupling mechanism, and each coupling mechanism elastically and resiliently couples the respective rocking platform to the drive unit, such that when the rocking platform is restrained, despite continuation of the drive movement, the rocking platform remains motionless in a fixed position. After release of the restraint on the rocking platform, the rocking platform resumes the rocking movement with the specific angle range.

A device for rapid non-destructive genetic material collection can include a multi-reservoir array (202) and a movement mechanism. The multi-reservoir array (202) can include multiple reservoirs (204). A plurality of the multiple reservoirs (204) can include an abrasive surface (210) capable of retaining a source of genetic material in a liquid carrier. The abrasive surface (210) has a roughness. The movement mechanism can be operable to move the multi-reservoir array (202) in an oscillating motion sufficient to create relative movement between the abrasive surface (210) and the source of the genetic material in order to remove a portion of genetic material from the source of the genetic material without destroying the source of the genetic material or the portion of the genetic material that is removed.

A sensor for sensing the concentration of at least one biological species in blood includes a support, at least one waveguide, and an optomechanical resonator hanging to the support. The optomechanical resonator is optically coupled to the waveguide. The optomechanical resonator is configured to vibrate in a volume mode and includes at least one face extending in the plane of the sensor and is configured to receive molecules of the given species. The optical resonator includes a body comprising an optical active area and an optical insulation layer deposited at least in line with the optical active area so as to confine at least partially an electromagnetic wave in the body.

A sample testing cartridge is usable to perform a variety of tests on a viscoelastic sample, such hemostasis testing on a whole blood or blood component sample. The cartridge includes a sample processing portion that is in fluid communication with a sample retention structure. A suspension, such as a beam, arm, cantilever or similar structure supports or suspends the sample retention portion relative to the sample processing portion in a unitary structure. In this manner, the sample retention portion may be placed into dynamic excitation responsive to excitation of the cartridge and correspondingly dynamic, resonant excitation of the sample contained within the sample retention portion, while the sample processing portion remains fixed. Observation of the excited sample yields data indicative of hemostasis. The data may correspond to hemostasis parameters such as time to initial clot formation, rate of clot formation, maximum clot strength and degree of clot lysis.

A pretreatment apparatus includes a pretreatment container placement section where a pretreatment container which is housing a specimen holding member including a microchannel for holding a specimen is placed; a carrying mechanism for carrying the pretreatment container that is placed at the pretreatment container placement section; and a pretreatment section including a port where the pretreatment container that is carried by the carrying mechanism is placed, the pretreatment section being configured to perform pretreatment including a shaking process of shaking the pretreatment container to extract the specimen from the specimen holding member in the pretreatment container that is placed in the port.

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.

In an example implementation, a method of dispensing fluid from a fluid dispensing device, includes receiving a dispense head at a receiving station, and receiving a notification that a supply slot in the dispense head has been filled with fluid. The method includes vibrating the dispense head to move fluid through a microfluidic channel from the supply slot into an ejection chamber of the dispense head, and providing a dispense signal to cause an ejection mechanism disposed within the chamber to eject an amount of the fluid from the dispense head.

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.

The invention discloses a quasi-volumetric sensing system and method. Plural short-range order (SRO) units are configured on the carrier of a quasi-volumetric device, and arranged as an array, i.e. a long-range order (LRO) unit. Protrusions, configured on the SRO units, can modify the wettability of the carrier to control the liquid volume retained thereon so that the precise volume of the liquid sample or droplets are calculated. Based on the applied force on the LRO unit and the gradient of hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity on the surface, the redundant volume of the liquid sample is removed. Macromolecules, e.g. antibodies, complements, receptor proteins, aptamers, oligosaccharides or oligonucleotides, configured on the protrusions are coupled to specific molecules in the liquid sample or droplets so as to determine characteristics of the specific molecules. Therefore, the open chip device of the invention can be used to achieve the quasi-volumetric measurement and the analysis of specific molecules.