Active surface devices for and methods of providing dried reagents in microfluidic applications is disclosed. In one example, the active surface devices include one or more dried reagent spots in relation to an active surface in the reaction (or assay) chamber thereof. In another example, the active surface devices include a dried reagent coating on the surfaces of the reaction (or assay) chamber including the active surface. In one example, the presently disclosed active surface devices are micropost-based active surface devices for providing active mixing therein. Further, a method of forming a dried reagent spot in the active surface devices is provided. Further, a method of forming a dried reagent coating in the active surface devices is provided. Further, a method of using the active surface devices for providing dried reagents in microfluidic applications is provided.

A microfluidic device includes at least one microchannel with a plurality of micropillar arrays provided along a length of the microchannel. Each micropillar array defines a plurality microcapillaries having cross sectional area, and the cross sectional area of the microcapillaries defined by each micropillar array decreases in a direction of fluid flow through the microchannel.

The present invention discloses a microstructured discrimination device for separating hydrophobic-hydrophilic fluidic composites comprising particulate and/or fluids in a fluid flow. The discrimination is the result of surface energy gradients obtained by physically varying a textured surface and/or by varying surface chemical properties, both of which are spatially graded. Such surfaces discriminate and spatially separate particulate and/or fluids without external energy input. The device of the present invention comprises a platform having bifurcating microchannels arranged radially. The lumenal surfaces of the microchannels may have a surface energy gradient created by varying the periodicity of hierarchically arranged microstructures along a dimension. The surface energy gradient is varied in two regions. In one pre-bifurcation region the surface energy gradient generates a fluid flow. In the other post-bifurcation region, there is a difference in surface energy proximal to the bifurcation such that different flow fractions are divided into separate channels in response to different surface energy gradients in each of the post-bifurcation channels. Accordingly, fluids of different hydrophobicity and/or particulate of different hydrophobicity are driven into separate channels by a global minimization of the fluid system energy.

Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for performing a process on biological samples. An analysis of biological samples in multiple regions of interest in a microfluidic device and a timeline correlated with the analysis may be identified. One or more region-of-interest types for the multiple regions of interest may be determined; and multiple characteristics may be determined for the biological samples based at least in part upon the one or more region-of-interest types. Associated data that respectively correspond to the multiple regions of interest in a user interface for at least a portion of the biological samples in the user interface based at least in part upon the multiple identifiers and the timeline. A count of the biological samples in a region of interest may be determined based at least in part upon a class or type of data using a convolutional neural network (CNN).

The present invention provides a cartridge, a detection method, and a detection device capable of stabilizing the liquid level of a sample accommodated in a chamber in a predetermined state. A cartridge 20, that is rotated around a rotating shaft 42 for detecting a target substance, is provided with a chamber 100 in which a sample containing a target substance is stored. The chamber 100 includes a first region 110 in which a sample is stored, a second region 120 disposed at a position closer to the rotating shaft 42 than the first region 110, and a protrusion 130 protruding from a position between the first region 110 and the second region 120 to the inner side of the chamber 100.

There is provided a microfluidic chip for sensing an analyte in a sample by colorimetry. The microfluidic chip comprises: an inlet adapted to receive the sample; an incubation chamber having an incubation chamber inlet fluidly connected to the inlet downstream thereof, to incubate the analyte in the sample; a filter barrier fluidly connected to the incubation chamber, downstream of the incubation chamber inlet; a sensing chamber fluidly connected to the incubation chamber, downstream of the filter barrier, the sensing chamber having a plasmonic nanosurface, the plasmonic nanosurface including nanostructures protruding from the plasmonic nanosurface, the nanostructures having a size that is smaller than that of the diffraction limit of light, the nanostructures having a metallic layer that is plasmon-supported on top of a back reflector layer; and an outlet fluidly connected to the sensing chamber downstream thereof.

A low-voltage microfluidic valve device and system for regulating the flow of fluid. One low-voltage microfluidic valve device for regulating the low of fluid includes a nano-textured dendritic metallic filament configured to grow and retract in response to a voltage. The low-voltage microfluidic valve device also includes a microfluidic channel configured to allow fluid flow, wherein the fluid flow is selectively interrupted by the growth of the nano-textured dendritic metallic filament. The low-voltage microfluidic valve device also includes a membrane positioned proximate to the fluid and configured to alter shape in response to the growth of the nano-textured dendritic metallic filament.

A system and method for receiving and delivering a fluid, the system comprising: a body configured to interface with an opening of a reservoir and defining: a protrusion defining a set position of the body relative to the reservoir; a wall extending from the protrusion; a receiving surface coupled to the wall and sloping from an apex to a nadir along a first direction, the receiving surface comprising a vent; and an outlet positioned closer to the nadir than the apex of the receiving surface and displaced from the vent, the outlet comprising an extension from the body, the extension configured to contact an interior wall of the reservoir, wherein the body comprises: a bubble-mitigating operation mode in which the receiving surface receives and transmits the fluid along the receiving surface, and a fluid-transmitting operation mode in which the body directs the fluid along the interior wall of the reservoir.

A fluidic device for processing a fluid or species therein is described. The device comprises a 3D channel including an inlet for receiving a sample fluid and an outlet for outputting the sample fluid. The channel is adapted for guiding flow of the sample fluid in an axial direction from the inlet to the outlet. The channel includes at least two side walls. The device also has a controllable flow inducer having electrodes for inducing, when the sample fluid is flowing through the channel, a motion of the sample fluid in the channel in a plane substantially orthogonal to the axial direction. Along at least one of the side walls at least part of the electrodes are formed by alternatingly at least an electrically conducting portion, an electrically insulating portion and a further electrically conducting portion.

A technique for detection of probes in a microfluidic flow-through chamber involves a plurality of interface pinning reaction vessel formed by micro- or nano-structured relief patterning of a substrate. The relief patterning increases a surface area locally, and defines a plurality of separated interface pinning reaction vessels. The marked detection protocol may be supplied on a single layer of a stacked microfluidic chip, or the chamber may constitute a whole layer. The chip may be designed to be driven mechanically, pneumatically, hydraulically, centrifugally or by capillary action. Each vessel allows for a high density of probes, an effective region for developer-type or fluorescence-based marking, and efficient readout. Suitable probe liquids can be self-limiting to fill one vessel. Suitable developer liquids avoid dye bleeding across vessels during washing.