An analytical toilet comprising a bowl for receiving excreta from a user; a base supporting the bowl; a supply of flush water; and a plurality of receptacles, each providing mechanical attachment, a power supply, and a data connection to an analytical device, which analytical device is adapted to provide data useful to the user is disclosed.

An apparatus includes a fluid reservoir and a laminate fluidic circuit positioned above the fluid reservoir. The laminate fluidic circuit includes two or more layers laminated together to define a substantially planar substrate and one or more channels defined within the substrate. The laminate fluidic circuit includes a flexible conduit defined by a portion of the substrate encompassing an extent of at least one of the channels that is partially separated or separable from the remainder of the substrate. The flexible conduit is deflectable with respect to the planar substrate toward the fluid reservoir such that the flexible conduit fluidly connects the at least one channel to the fluid reservoir.

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.

A microfluidic device for detection of an analyte in a fluid is described. The microfluidic device comprises a substrate having a first surface defining entrances to one or more chambers defined in the substrate, surfaces of the chambers defining a second surface of the substrate, the first surface being modified for selective targeting and capture of at least one analyte to operably effect a blocking of the entrance to at least one of the chambers, and wherein a response characteristic of the microfluidic device is operably varied by the blocking of the entrance to the at least one of the chambers, thereby providing an indication of the presence of the analyte within the fluid.

A microfluidic group includes a female connector and a male needle connector. The female connector has a connector chamber in a containment body; a duct extending in the containment body to a duct opening on a first face of the connector chamber; a needle entry hole extending from a lateral face of the containment body to a second face, not facing the first face of the connector chamber; and a gasket arranged in the connector chamber. The gasket has a side wall internally delimiting a cavity and extending in part adjacent to the second face of the connector chamber. The cavity of the gasket faces the first face of the connector chamber.

A microfluidic group includes a female connector and a male needle connector. The female connector has a connector chamber in a containment body; a duct extending in the containment body to a duct opening on a first face of the connector chamber; a needle entry hole extending from a lateral face of the containment body to a second face, not facing the first face of the connector chamber; and a gasket arranged in the connector chamber. The gasket has a side wall internally delimiting a cavity and extending in part adjacent to the second face of the connector chamber. The cavity of the gasket faces the first face of the connector chamber.

Methods and compositions for making bacteriocins are described in some embodiments herein. In some embodiments, pro-polypeptide comprising the bacteriocins in the desired ratios in cis, and separated by cleavage sited can be produced by a microbial cell comprising a nucleic acid encoding the pro-polypeptide. In some embodiments microfluidic devices and methods for making specified mixtures of antimicrobial peptides and/or bacteriocins are described.

The present invention relates to a microfluidic system (10, 20) comprising: a sample reservoir (110, 210); a first sample channel (120, 220) connected to the sample reservoir (110, 210), branching off into a second sample channel (122, 222) ending in a first valve (130, 230), and into a third sample channel (124, 224) which branches off into a fourth sample channel (126, 226) ending in a second valve (132, 232), and into a fifth sample channel (128, 228) ending in a third valve (134, 234); a buffer reservoir (140, 240); a first trigger channel (150, 250) arranged to connect the buffer reservoir (140, 240) to the second valve (132, 232); a second trigger channel (152, 252) connecting the second valve (132, 232) and the first valve (130, 230); and an exit channel (154, 254) connected to the first valve (130, 230).

The application relates to microfluidic apparatus and methods of use thereof. Provided in one example is a microfluidic device comprising: a first fluidic input and a second fluidic input; and a fluidic intersection channel to receive fluid from the first fluidic input and the second fluidic input, wherein the fluidic intersection channel opens into a first mixing chamber on an upper region of a first side of the first mixing chamber, wherein the first mixing chamber has a length, a width, and a depth, wherein the depth is greater than about 1.5 times a depth of the fluidic intersection channel; an outlet channel on an upper region of a second side of the first mixing chamber, wherein the outlet channel has a depth that is less than the depth of the first mixing chamber, and wherein an opening of the outlet channel is offset along a width of the second side of the first mixing chamber relative to the fluidic intersection.

A cartridge of the present invention is to be used in combination with a channel chip including a channel through which a liquid flows. The cartridge includes a reservoir for storing a liquid, in which a through hole configured to be connected to the channel is opened into a bottom part of the reservoir; a liquid discarding part for discarding the liquid in the reservoir; and a connection part which is disposed above the through hole, and connects the reservoir and the liquid discarding part to each other.