A cell capture system including an array, an inlet manifold, and an outlet manifold. The array includes a plurality of parallel pores, each pore including a chamber and a pore channel, an inlet channel fluidly connected to the chambers of the pores; an outlet channel fluidly connected to the pore channels of the pores. The inlet manifold is fluidly connected to the inlet channel, and the outlet channel is fluidly connected to the outlet channel. A cell removal tool is also disclosed, wherein the cell removal tool is configured to remove a captured cell from a pore chamber.

A microfluidics device has one or more bubble diversion regions. Problems associated with the generation of air bubbles are avoided in a microfluidics device such as a cartridge, for use with a point of care (POC) diagnostics device, the cartridge being able to carry out downstream processing such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or nucleic acid capture. The bubble diversion region has a lower flow resistance than the flow resistance of an area of interest.

A microfluidic chip for focussing a stream of particulate containing fluid comprises a sample microfluidic channel configured to receive the stream of particulate containing fluid, a guidance microfluidic channel having a polygonal cross-sectional area and configured to receive a stream of guidance fluid, and a common microfluidic channel having a polygonal cross sectional area formed by the merging of the sample microfluidic channel and the guidance 10 microfluidic channel at an oblique angle along only part of one or more sides of the guidance microfluidic channel, and a detection zone disposed in the common microfluidic channel having one or more sensors. The merging of the sample microfluidic channel and the guidance microfluidic channel is configured to provide a composite fluid stream containing a focussed beam of particulates that is disposed asymmetrically in the common microfluidic channel 15 adjacent a corner or side of the common microfluidic channel and wherein the one or more sensors are configured for sensing a characteristic of the focussed beam of particulates in the common channel.

This disclosure relates to an apparatus for simultaneously filling a plurality of sample chambers. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a common fluid source and a plurality of independent, continuous fluidic pathways. Each independent, continuous fluidic pathway comprises a sample chamber and a pneumatic compartment. The sample chamber is connected to the common fluid source, and the pneumatic compartment is connected to the sample chamber. The sample chamber comprises, in part, an assay chamber. The assay chamber comprises a monolithic substrate and a plug having optically transmissive properties. In some embodiments, the assay chamber contains a magnetic mixing element. In some embodiments, the assay chamber is a double tapered chamber. In some embodiments, a ratio of a volume of the sample chamber to a volume of the pneumatic compartment is substantially equivalent for each fluidic pathway of the plurality of fluidic pathways.

Some embodiments of a micro-fluidic device include at least one inlet hole located on an inlet side of the microfluidic device, the inlet hole consisting of a plurality of holes with diameters smaller in size than a diameter of the at least one inlet hole, at least one outlet hole located on an outlet side of the microfluidic device opposite the inlet side; and a micro-channel, where the plurality of holes are connected to the micro-channel.

A microfluidic device may include an inlet, an outlet, first and second channels arranged in parallel, a first sensor pair positioned along the first channel, and a second sensor pair positioned along the second channel. The first channel may include a first upstream zone, a first downstream zone, and a first constriction zone. The second channel may include a second upstream zone, a second downstream zone, and a second constriction zone. The first sensor pair may include a first entry sensor configured to detect a first cell flowing through the first upstream zone, and a first exit sensor configured to detect the first cell flowing through the first downstream zone. The second sensor pair may include a second entry sensor configured to detect a second cell flowing through the second upstream zone, and a second exit sensor configured to detect the second cell flowing through the second downstream zone.

A microfluidic device comprising: (a) a plate comprising a substrate, a plurality of electrodes, and a first layer of hydrophobic material applied over the plurality of electrodes; (b) a processing unit operably programmed to perform a method of pinning an aqueous droplet within the microfluidic device; and (c) a controller operably connected to a power source, the processing unit, and the plurality of electrodes. The method of pinning an aqueous droplet comprises: applying an electric field of a first polarity to an aqueous droplet located on the surface of the layer of hydrophobic material and having a first contact angle, to cause the droplet to maintain a second contact angle in the absence of the electric field, wherein the aqueous droplet contains a surfactant and the second contact angle is less than the first contact angle.

A fluid analysis chip according to an embodiment can be produced by a simple process of adhering upper and lower plates using OCA film. The fluid analysis chip can be used with the inner height and shape precisely controlled to conform to a variety of requirements, and can enhance reliability due to greater adhesiveness than in the conventional chip.

A microfluidic mixer, formed by two parts, a first part being a substrate having formations defining fluid channels on an outer surface that is directed towards a second part, which is a flexible layer. The flexile layer has formations defining a fluid channel which, when the flexible layer is positioned over the substrate so as to cover the fluid channels of the substrate provides a fluid communication path. A section of said communication path comprises at least first and second fluid channels for providing first and second fluids. The first and second fluid channels merge before an inlet of a mixing chamber. The mixing chamber comprises perturbation formations. An outlet of the mixing chamber is connected to an outlet fluid channel. The flexible layer comprises points for compression at the inlet and outlet of the mixing chamber for closing the merged fluid channel. The perturbation formations of the mixing chamber are vertically arranged vertically with respect to an inner surface.

Systems and methods for conducting assays on tissue fragment samples including providing a suspension maintaining pump, and a plurality of fluid reservoirs, wherein the fluid reservoirs are configured to hold a volume of fluid. The fluid reservoirs are fluidically coupled to a microfluidic assay chip, wherein the microfluidic assay chip includes a plurality of parallel assay channels, a first inlet port for introduction of a tissue fragment sample into the microfluidic assay ship, and a second inlet port coupled to the fluid reservoir. Each channel of the microfluidic assay chip also includes a retention barrier configured to trap the tissue fragment sample such that the fluid perfuses through the tissue sample, as well as an outlet port fluidically coupled to a waste receptacle.