A system and method for processing and detecting nucleic acids from a set of biological samples, comprising: a molecular diagnostic module configured to receive nucleic acids bound to magnetic beads, isolate nucleic acids, and analyze nucleic acids, comprising a cartridge receiving module, a heating/cooling subsystem and a magnet configured to facilitate isolation of nucleic acids, a valve actuation subsystem including an actuation substrate, and a set of pins interacting with the actuation substrate, and a spring plate configured to bias at least one pin in a configurations, the valve actuation subsystem configured to control fluid flow through a microfluidic cartridge for processing nucleic acids, and an optical subsystem for analysis of nucleic acids; and a fluid handling system configured to deliver samples and reagents to components of the system to facilitate molecular diagnostic protocols.

A microfluidic device that reads a colloidal mixture and separates the colloids based upon size and shape. and in the case of polymer colloids such as DNA, it reads patterns of markers attached to DNA. The combination of different separated fractions and DNA markers (it mapping) constitutes the physical code.

Microfluidic structures and methods for manipulating fluids, fluid components, and reactions are provided. In one aspect, such structures and methods can allow production of droplets of a precise volume, which can be stored/maintained at precise regions of the device. In another aspect, microfluidic structures and methods described herein are designed for containing and positioning components in an arrangement such that the components can be manipulated and then tracked even after manipulation. For example, cells may be constrained in an arrangement in microfluidic structures described herein to facilitate tracking during their growth and/or after they multiply.

Devices that includes a first portion, the first portion including at least one fluid channel; a fluid actuator; an analysis sensor disposed within the fluid channel; a conductivity sensor disposed within the fluid channel; and an introducer; a second portion, the second portion comprising: at least one well, the well containing at least one material, wherein one of the first or second portion is moveable with respect to the other, wherein the introducer is configured to obtain at least a portion of the material from the at least one well and deliver it to the fluid channel, and wherein the fluid actuator is configured to move at least a portion of the material in the fluid channel.

A system and method of fluid delivery for providing a surface fluid pattern, the system comprising: a fluid delivery head for fluid flow therethrough, the fluid delivery head comprising: a fluid delivery surface having surface openings defined therein and arranged across the fluid delivery surface as a two-dimensional display; wherein at least some of the surface openings are grouped as a surface opening unit having at least one aspiration opening through which fluid can be provided to the fluid delivery surface and at least one injection opening through which fluid can be moved away from the fluid delivery surface, the surface opening unit comprising at least three surface openings positioned as a two-dimensional display and outwardly of at least one other surface opening.

A microporous substrate for detection of surface bound target analyte molecules includes a microporous substrate material having opposed surfaces and tapered micropores extending through the substrate with the micropores having wider openings on one side of the substrate compared to the other side. The micropores have bound therein analyte specific receptors complementary to the target molecules. When a liquid sample containing the target analyte molecules with optical probes attached to the target molecules is flowed through the substrate, they bind to their complementary analyte specific receptors and emit light. This microporous substrate structure gives an increase in the collection efficiency of light emitted from optical probes when the light is detected by a light detector spaced from the side of the microporous substrate facing the larger micropores openings compared to a light collection efficiency of light emitted from the optical probes when the micropores are straight and not tapered.

Specimen delivery device for the delivery of a liquid sample to be analysed comprising: a proximal end, and a distal end. The distal end being longitudinally displaced from the proximal end of the device. The device comprises a base at the proximal end for releasable connection to a magnetic sample holder of a liquid sample analysis device. The device further comprises a longitudinally extending projection having a radial inner portion, the projection extending from the base towards the distal end, the projection being arranged for receiving and holding a sheath. The device comprises at least one fluidic conduit, the fluidic conduit extending at least partially longitudinally within the radial inner portion, the fluidic conduit for the delivery of a liquid sample for analysis.

A device for performing an assay comprises a tube, a cap, an insert, and a reaction container. The tube includes a lateral flow strip disposed therein. The cap is coupled to the tube and includes a hollow interior defined at least partially therethrough. The insert is configured to be at least partially received within the hollow interior of the cap. The reaction container includes a cavity configured to store one or more fluids therein, and is rotatably coupled to the cap such that rotation of the cap relative to the reaction container causes (i) mixing of the one or more fluids and (ii) at least a portion of the mixed fluids to be delivered from the reaction container to the lateral flow strip via the insert.

A tunable inertial sheathing (TIS) system and methods for particle-size-insensitive high-throughput single-stream focusing of particles suspended in a particle-carrying fluid are provided. The TIS conditions particles to distribute locally within one of compartments of inertial force field, followed by an inertial focusing to migrate it to a single foci. For the particle localization, the TIS system introduces an arbitrary form of peripheral sheathing by generating and accumulating sheath fluid from particle-carrying fluid through a combination of inertial focusing, channel bifurcation and channel confluence. Multiple forms of the TIS system are also provided, each including one main channel and at least one bypass channel. The main channel includes and cascades at least three segments, at least one bifurcating junction and at least one confluence junction.

A detection apparatus having a read head including a plurality of microfluorometers positioned to simultaneously acquire a plurality of the wide-field images in a common plane; and (b) a translation stage configured to move the read head along a substrate that is in the common plane. The substrate can be a flow cell that is included in a cartridge, the cartridge also including a housing for (i) a sample reservoir; (ii) a fluidic line between the sample reservoir and the flow cell; (iii) several reagent reservoirs in fluid communication with the flow cell, (iv) at least one valve configured to mediate fluid communication between the reservoirs and the flow cell; and (v) at least one pressure source configured to move liquids from the reservoirs to the flow cell. The detection apparatus and cartridge can be used together or independent of each other.