A method for controlling a magnetic valve and particularly a method for dispensing and/or aspirating a volume of liquid as well as a corresponding dispenser/pipetting apparatus is disclosed. The method for controlling a magnetic valve has measuring a capacitance at the magnetic valve and determining a position of a plunger based on the measured capacitance. The method for dispensing or aspirating a volume of liquid has controlling a flow of a system fluid by a magnetic valve located between a pressure source and a dispenser/pipetting tip, dispensing or aspirating a volume of liquid through an exterior opening of the tip dependent on the flow of the system fluid, wherein controlling the flow and determining a flow time in dependence of the volume of liquid to be dispensed or aspirated, and controlling the magnetic valve is held open for the duration of the flow time.

The present invention relates to a microfluidic method for analyzing a fluid containing a metal trace element, in particular arsenic, comprising the following steps of introducing a fluid sample into at least one micro-channel of a microfluidic circuit; mixing, within the micro-channel of the microfluidic circuit, the introduced fluid sample with nitric acid and L-cysteine, and measuring the quantity of metal trace element present in the sample, using an electrochemical detection method.

The present invention discloses a method for fusing or contacting reactor and reagent droplets in a three-phase microfluidic or millifluidic system with one of the phases being continuous, in which the reagent droplet is injected in the droplet train before it coalesces or contacts with the reactor droplet. More specifically, the reagent droplet detaches from the reagent inlet before being in contact with the reactor droplet. The method of the invention involves two successive but not concomitant steps: first producing in the droplet train a droplet of a reagent which breaks-up from the reagent reservoir before the second step of merging. The invention also discloses a milli/microfluidic device whose equivalent circuit is represented on FIG. 11.

A fluid dispensing device includes a dispensing cylinder, a first inlet and a second inlet. The first inlet is disposed within a first container on which the fluid dispensing device is mounted. The first inlet and the second inlet are configured to facilitate intake of only one fluid into the dispensing cylinder at a given point in time. The fluid dispensing device also includes a first outlet and a second outlet. The first outlet and the second outlet are configured to dispense only one fluid out of the dispensing cylinder at a given point in time. The fluid dispensing device further includes a valve assembly fluidically coupled to the first inlet and the second inlet, and to the first outlet and the second outlet. The valve assembly is configured to control flow of the fluids within and/or out of the dispensing cylinder.

A device for performing a microfluidic assay on a chip comprising, a microfluidics chip, one or more fluid receptacles on the chip for receiving a fluid, a plurality of pneumatic pumps arrayed on the chip, each pump having a discharge channel leading to a rectifier on the chip, and a reaction chamber in fluid communication with each of the rectifiers, wherein a pressure on the pressurized fluid source drives fluid from the fluid receptacle into the incoming fluid channel connecting the fluid receptacle to the pump, through the pump and into the discharge channel, through the discharge channel to the rectifier, and through the rectifier into the reaction chamber, wherein the pump is configured to generate droplets of a pre-determined size, wherein the rectifiers prevent backflow of the droplets, and wherein droplets are combined in the reaction chamber, the chamber facilitating an assay being performed on the chip.

The present application belongs to the technical field of mRNA preparation, and discloses a system and a method for preparing mRNA, which can shorten a preparation period, and avoid degradation of an mRNA product due to the introduction of RNase by manual pipetting. The system for preparing mRNA comprises a PCR amplification device configured to amplify DNA; a plurality of raw reagent tubes, each of which is configured to provide a single reagent; and a reaction device configured to allow reagents to react. Specifically, the reaction device comprises a test tube rack configured to support reaction tubes, a semiconductor chilling plate connected to the test tube rack, a fin type radiator disposed under the test tube rack, and a cooling fan disposed under the fin type radiator; wherein the raw reagent tubes are connected to the reaction tubes via a solenoid valve module and a peristaltic pump module, and the solenoid valve module and the peristaltic pump module are connected with a control device and are controlled by an upper computer control program.

A cartridge for sample preparation includes an inlet configured to receive a collected sample, a phase transfer assembly including a plurality of bead layers, and an outlet. The collected sample is configured to be transferred through the bead layers of the phase transfer assembly to extract a compound therefrom. The outlet is configured to transfer the extracted compound to a detector for analysis of the extracted compound.

A microfluidic chip pump is provided. The microfluidic chip pump may include: a pump housing comprising a pump cavity, a moveable member arranged in the pump cavity, separating the pump cavity into a first chamber and a second chamber; and an actuator assembly configured to drive the moveable member between a first stable position and a second stable position, changing a volume of the first chamber and a volume of the second chamber. When the moveable member is at the first stable position, the first chamber may reach a minimum volume. When the moveable member is at the second stable position, the first chamber may reach a maximum volume. The microfluidic chip pump may be configured to expel a fixed volume of fluid from the second chamber each time the moveable member is driven from the first stable position to the second stable position.

A cartridge reader controlled by processing means for carrying out a diagnostic test on a sample contained in a fluidic cartridge comprises a mechanical valve for isolating the sample with the cartridge. A system for actuating the mechanical valve comprises an actuation member configured to move the mechanical valve from an open position to a closed position and an armature connected to the actuation member. The armature is configured to engage an electromagnet, wherein the electromagnet can be switched between an active state in which it electromagnetically holds the armature and an inactive state in which it does not electromagnetically hold the armature. First biasing means arc disposed between the actuation member and a bearing surface, wherein the first biasing means is configured to bias the actuation member into a first position in which it actuates a mechanical valve in a fluidic cartridge inserted into the reader.

A fluorescent in-situ hybridization imaging system, including a flow cell to contain a sample to be exposed to fluorescent probes in a reagent; a plurality of reagent reservoirs, each reagent reservoir including a container to hold a liquid reagent; a valve system to control flow from one of a plurality of reagent reservoirs to the flow cell; a pressure source coupled to each of the plurality of reagent reservoirs to apply a positive pressure to liquid reagent in the container and urge the liquid reagent to flow toward the flow cell; and a fluorescence microscope including a variable frequency excitation light source and a camera positioned to receive fluorescently emitted light from the sample.