The invention provides devices that improve tests for detecting specific cellular, viral, and molecular targets in clinical, industrial, or environmental samples. The invention permits efficient detection of individual microscopic targets at low magnification for highly sensitive testing. The invention does not require washing steps and thus allows sensitive and specific detection while simplifying manual operation and lowering costs and complexity in automated operation. In short, the invention provides devices that can deliver rapid, accurate, and quantitative, easy-to-use, and cost-effective tests.

A microfluidic device for processing a liquid in ludci includes at least one pneumatic substrate with a pneumatic cavity and a fluidic substrate with a fluidic cavity for accommodating the liquid. The fluidic cavity is arranged opposite the pneumatic cavity. In addition, the microfluidic device has a flexible membrane which is arranged between the pneumatic substrate and the fluidic substrate. The flexible membrane is designed to fluidically separate, from one another, a fluidic chamber extending at least in part in the fluidic cavity and a pneumatic chamber extending at least in part in the pneumatic cavity. The microfluidic device further includes a first pneumatic channel for applying a first pneumatic pressure to the pneumatic chamber and a second pneumatic channel for applying a second pneumatic pressure to the pneumatic chamber.

A module for processing fluids includes one or more collapsible fluid chambers supported on a substrate, a compression element supported on the substrate and configured to be movable with respect to the one or more chambers, and an actuating element coupled to the compression element and configured to effect movement of the compression element relative to the one or more fluid chambers to collapse each fluid chamber by compressing the fluid chamber between the compression element and the substrate as the compression element moves over the fluid chamber. A method for motivating a fluid out of a fluid chamber comprises the steps of providing a module that includes one or more collapsible fluid chambers supported on a substrate, a compression element supported on the substrate and configured to be movable with respect to the one or more chambers, and an actuating element coupled to the compression element and configured to effect movement of the compression element relative to the one or more fluid chambers and moving the actuator element to move the compression element across at least a portion of t substrate and compress the fluid chamber, thereby motivating the fluid out of the fluid chamber.

Embodiments of the current disclosure are directed to systems, methods and apparatus for evaluating single cell secretion profiles. In some embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to analyze substances expressed by a biological cell and may include a first compressible substrate, and a second substrate configured for removable sealing attachment with the first substrate. In some embodiments, upon attachment of the second substrate with the first substrate, an assembly is formed such that the open side of the plurality of chambers are covered by the second substrate, and a portion of each of the plurality of capture areas are exposed in each of the chambers.

Instrument for performing a diagnostic test on a fluidic cartridge A cartridge reader is for carrying out a diagnostic test on a sample contained in a fluidic cartridge inserted into the reader. The fluidic cartridge comprises a fluidic layer comprising at least one sample processing region, at least one collapsible blister containing a liquid reagent, a pneumatic interface, an electrical interface and at least one mechanical valve. The reader comprises a housing; an upper clamp occupying a fixed position relative to the reader, and a lower clamp, movable relative to the first clamp, wherein the upper clamp and the lower clamp define a cartridge receiving region therebetween. The reader comprises a thermal module comprised in the lower clamp, wherein the thermal module comprises at least one thermal stack for heating the at least one sample processing region of the cartridge inserted into the reader. The reader comprises at least one mechanical actuator for actuating the mechanical valve comprised in the cartridge inserted into the reader.

An apparatus for preparing a reagent solution includes an enclosure and a container disposed within the enclosure. The container defines an internal cavity having a compressible volume and defines a passage providing fluidic communication between the internal cavity and the exterior of the container. Optionally, a compressible member is disposed within the internal cavity. A reagent is disposed within the internal cavity.

Microfluidic devices and methods of quantifying fatty acids and/or specialized pro-resolving mediators and/or fatty acid metabolites present in a fluid sample on a microfluidic device are described herein. The methods include extracting fatty acid esters containing fatty acids from the fluid sample, combining the extracted fatty acid esters with a hydrolyzing agent to cleave the fatty acids from the extracted fatty acid esters and form free fatty acids, and quantifying the free fatty acids by performing a bioassay specific to the free fatty acids. Microfluidic devices and methods of quantifying fatty acid metabolites present in a fluid sample on a microfluidic device are also described herein.

The current invention generally relates to apparatus and method to analyze and separate biological entities, including cells, bacteria and molecules from human blood, body tissue, body fluid and other human related biological samples. The claimed apparatus and method analyze, or detect, biological entities based on optical signals received from said entities by using optical detectors. The claimed apparatus and method further separate biological entities with using micro-actuator activated sorting devices.

A magnetic device for processing biological objects including a soft magnetic center pole having a bottom end and a tapered tip end; first and second soft magnetic side poles disposed on opposite sides of the soft magnetic center pole and respectively having first and second bottom ends, the first and second soft magnetic side poles respectively having first and second top ends that bend inward toward the soft magnetic center pole with a first outward side of the first top end and a second outward side of the second top end being substantially coplanar; a magnetic flux source generating magnetic flux in the soft magnetic center pole and the first and second soft magnetic side poles; and a channel plate having a channel embedded therein and a first planar surface that is operable to be in contact with or in close proximity to the first and second outward sides.

Microchannels include membranes operable with magnets or other actuators to deliver samples to one or more reaction zones defined in the microchannels. Membrane flexing can direct samples to selected reaction zones and each reaction zone can be independently temperature controlled to implement a PCR-based sample analysis.