The methods and systems disclosed herein may relate to a testing cartridge. A system may include, a test cartridge comprising: a body comprising an upper component and a lower component, an inner cavity at least partially enclosed by the body, a sample port disposed in the upper component, a structural member disposed within the upper component relative to the sample port capable of controlling the contact between a sample and the sample pad, an assay coupled to the lower component, wherein the assay comprises a sample pad, and a membrane coupled to a portion of the structural member capable of pretreating the sample.

A blood testing device for detecting hemolysis in a blood sample is described. The blood testing device comprises an housing for containing the blood sample. The housing has a treatment window and an optical zone formed therein. The blood testing device further includes an acoustic transducer positioned to selectively generate acoustic forces directed into the treatment window of the housing and a control unit for selectively actuating and deactuating the acoustic transducer to permit colorimetric analysis of plasma within the blood sample.

The invention provides multi-function instruments for automatically and simultaneously carrying out a variety of tests including identification of targets in specimens and antimicrobial susceptibility testing thereof. Application-specific cartridges are pre-loaded with all required reagents and allow for tests to be performed in a single testing device with no specimen preparation to, for example, rapidly detect infections, identify infectious pathogens, and analyze their susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents. Instruments include various stations for carrying out test steps that can be randomly accessed in any order dictated by the computer-controlled instrument. A carousel stores and incubates cartridges and, with a mechanical conveyor arm, transfers the cartridges between the required stations to carry out the tests. A plurality of different tests may be performed on a plurality of targets within an instrument, and the plurality of targets may be disposed in a single cartridge.

A microfluidic cartridge, configured to facilitate processing and detection of nucleic acids, comprising: a top layer comprising a set of cartridge-aligning indentations, a set of sample port-reagent port pairs, a shared fluid port, a vent region, a heating region, and a set of detection chambers; an intermediate substrate, coupled to the top layer comprising a waste chamber; an elastomeric layer, partially situated on the intermediate substrate; and a set of fluidic pathways, each formed by at least a portion of the top layer and a portion of the elastomeric layer, wherein each fluidic pathway is fluidically coupled to a sample port-reagent port pair, the shared fluid port, and a detection chamber, comprises a turnabout portion passing through the heating region, and is configured to be occluded upon deformation of the elastomeric layer, to transfer a waste fluid to the waste chamber, and to pass through the vent region.

Devices, containers, and methods are provided for performing biological analysis in a closed environment. Illustrative biological analyses include nucleic acid amplification and detection and immuno-PCR.

A centrifugal microfluidic system. The centrifugal microfluidic system includes a top layer, a bottom layer, and a middle layer. The middle layer may include an inlet chamber, a radial guide channel, a moveable magnet, a first connecting channel, a sealing beam, a target chamber, a second connecting channel, and a first stationary magnet. When the middle layer rotates around the center of the middle layer with a speed less than a threshold rotational speed, the fluid sample is prevented from flowing to the target chamber from the inlet chamber. When the middle layer rotates around the center of the middle layer with a speed greater than the threshold rotational speed, the fluid sample is allowed to flow to the target chamber from the inlet chamber through the first connecting channel and the second connecting channel.

A system and method for processing and detecting nucleic acids from a set of biological samples, comprising: a capture plate and a capture plate module configured to facilitate binding of nucleic acids within the set of biological samples to magnetic beads; 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 configured to control fluid flow through a microfluidic cartridge for processing nucleic acids, and an optical subsystem for analysis of nucleic acids; a fluid handling system configured to deliver samples and reagents to components of the system to facilitate molecular diagnostic protocols; and an assay strip configured to combine nucleic acid samples with molecular diagnostic reagents for analysis of nucleic acids.

A microfluidic cartridge for detecting one nucleic acid of a sample, including a plurality of functional volumes split into functional areas and a fluidic network of microchannels. At least three functional areas are fluidly connected to a central distribution hub of fluids by one or more hub-connected microchannels, the central distribution hub being capable of pumping and injecting fluids from a first functional area to a second functional area by passing through the central distribution hub; and at least three valves of hub-connected microchannels are arranged so that the at least three valves are adapted to be actuated mechanically by a single external cam-driven actuator.

A device for use in the analysis of a biomolecule in a liquid sample, the device having at least three zones for accommodating at least part of the liquid sample, transfer means for transferring at least part of the liquid sample from a first zone to a second zone and for subsequently transferring at least part of the liquid sample from the second zone to a third zone along respective flow paths, a mechanically powered driver for operating the transfer means, a flow controller for selectively opening the flow paths between the zones, and a manually-operated common actuating member movable between a first and a second position to sequentially control both the mechanically powered driver and the flow controller to achieve transfer of at least part of the liquid sample between said zones, in which movement of the manually-operated common actuating member from the first position to the second position acts on the mechanically powered driver to achieve transfer of at least part of the liquid sample from the first zone to the second zone, and in which the mechanically powered driver effects the subsequent transfer of at least part of the liquid sample from the second zone to the third zone independently of the movement of the manually-operated common actuating member.

A device is provided comprising a receiving chamber for receiving a patient's sample, a first reagent reservoir and a second reagent reservoir. The receiving chamber may be configured for receiving at least an end portion of a sample collecting element, with the patient's sample being collected by that sample collecting element. The first reagent reservoir may generally be configured to accommodate a liquid reagent which may include a lysing agent, i.e. the liquid may be a kind of a lysis buffer. Likewise, the second reagent reservoir may generally be configured to accommodate a dry reagent which may include magnetic particles. The device may further comprise at least one of the following two actuators, a first actuator for supplying a first reagent from the first reagent reservoir to the sample and a second actuator for supplying a second reagent from the second reagent reservoir to the resulting mixture.