The invention relates to systems and methods for studying patient cancer samples in cis-co-culture with non-cancer cells from the same patient. For example, the invention provides systems and methods for testing therapeutic agents in vitro in an environment that simulates an in vivo environment to identify agents that are therapeutically effective for the patient.

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for studying physical or chemical properties of molecules, and/or interactions between molecules such as protein-ligand interactions. The methods, systems, and devices involve transient induced molecular electronic spectroscopy (TIMES). In some configuration, a microfluidic channel having at least one inlet and at least one outlet is used for holding molecules for analyzing the molecules or interactions between molecules.

The invention features devices and methods for the deterministic separation of particles. Exemplary methods include the enrichment of a sample in a desired particle or the alteration of a desired particle in the device. The devices and methods are advantageously employed to enrich for rare cells, e.g., fetal cells, present in a sample, e.g., maternal blood and rare cell components, e.g., fetal cell nuclei. The invention further provides a method for preferentially lysing cells of interest in a sample, e.g., to extract clinical information from a cellular component, e.g., a nucleus, of the cells of interest. In general, the method employs differential lysis between the cells of interest and other cells (e.g., other nucleated cells) in the sample.

A device for analyzing biological samples comprises first, second, third, and fourth layers. The first layer comprises a sample chamber in which a sample is positioned. The second layer comprises first, second, and third channels. A third, porous layer is positioned between the first layer and the second layer. A fourth layer composed of a substantially liquid-impermeable material is positioned between the second layer and the third layer. The fourth layer includes first and second pass-through channels that are aligned with the first and second channel, respectively. Fluids that flow in the first and second channels pass through the pass-through channels and diffuse into the sample chamber, establishing a chemical concentration gradient therein. A gas in the sample chamber can diffuse through the third and fourth layers and interact with a fluid flowing in the third channel, establishing a gas concentration gradient in the sample chamber.

The invention relates to an ingestible, implantable or wearable medical device comprising a microarray which comprises a bioactive agent capable of interacting with a disease marker biological analyte; a reservoir which comprises at least one therapeutic agent and is capable of releasing the therapeutic agent(s) from the medical device; and a plurality of microchips comprising a microarray scanning device capable of obtaining physical parameter data of an interaction between the disease marker biological analyte with the bioactive agent; a biometric recognition device capable of comparing the physical parameter data with an analyte interaction profile; optionally a therapeutic agent releasing device capable of controlling release of the therapeutic agent from the reservoirs; an interface device capable of facilitating communications between the microarray scanning device, biometric recognition device and the therapeutic agent releasing device; and an energy source to power the medical device. Specifically, the invention relates to a medical device capable of detecting an analyte in a bodily fluid comprising at least one microneedle capable of obtaining a sample of a bodily fluid, a first microchannel through which the sample flows and is in fluid communication with the at least one microneedle, a second microchannel in fluid communication with the first microchannel, through which a buffer flows, wherein the second channel comprises a microarray with a bioactive agent, a microarray scanning device to detect an interaction between the bioactive agent and the analyte in the bodily fluid; and an interface device.

In certain aspects of the invention, a stackable device includes multiple elements stacked sequentially. A chamber is formed in each of the elements or between adjacent two of the elements, and each chamber is in fluid communication with an input channel and an output channel. The chambers are aligned with each other, and adjacent two chambers are separated from each other by a membrane. In certain aspects of the invention, a system includes at least one stackable device, each stackable device having multiple chambers; and at least one of a perfusion controller, a microformulator, and a microclinical analyzer in fluid communication with the at least one stackable device. In other aspects of the invention, the use of four microformulators, electrodes and an impedance analyzer can measure the impedance spectrum of each barrier in a multi-transwell plate.

The present invention relates to ellagic acid formulations for performing coagulation assays that are highly stable for long term storage and reduce assay time. Particularly, aspects of the present invention are directed to a composition and method of preparing ellagic acid in a highly soluble format for use in a coagulation assay. For example, the ellagic acid may be solubilized in one or more of sodium hydroxide, methanol, a polyether compound, particularly polyethylene glycol, polyethylene oxide, or polyoxyethylene, and a cyclodextrin guest-host complex.

A method is provided for measuring the viscosity of a fluid sample. The method comprising the steps of: (ii) providing a flow of the fluid sample; (iii) providing a component flow, wherein the component flow is a flow of the fluid sample further comprising a tracer component; (iv) generating a laminar flow of the flow (ii) with the flow (iii) in a diffusion channel, such as a microfluidic diffusion channel (2); (iv) measuring the lateral diffusion of the tracer component across the flows; and (v) determining the viscosity of the fluid from the measured diffusion profile, wherein the size of the tracer component is known or is determined.

The present invention relates to analytical testing devices including micro-environment sensors and methods for assaying coagulation in a fluid sample applied to the micro-environment sensors, and in particular, performing one or more types of coagulation assays using one or more micro-environment sensors in a single point of care combined test cartridge. For example, the present invention may be directed to test sensor including at least one transducer coated with a polymer layer. The polymer layer comprises a thrombin-cleavable peptide with a detectable moiety.

Low-cost and portable microfluidic systems are needed for cell migration research and Point of Care (POC) testing. This study introduces a low-cost and portable USB Microscope Microfluidic Chemotaxis Analysis System (UMCAS) for rapid analysis of cell chemotaxis studies. A standalone microfluidic gradient generator is also developed for rapid generation of chemical gradient in microfluidic device without need of any peripheral perfusion apparatus. A smart phone based application program was developed for the real-time remote monitoring of the migration data. This system is validated by observing the neutrophil migration in three different conditions: 1) medium control, 2) uniform IL-8 control, and 3) IL-8 gradient. The results show that neutrophils exhibit random migration in both medium and uniform IL-8 control experiments, while they show strong directional migration to the IL-8 gradient. These results successfully validated the developed UMCAS system.