Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a pH control device. The device comprises a substrate, on which is defined a flow path adapted to receive a liquid. The device further comprises a set of electrodes, which includes a pH sensing electrode and pH generation electrodes. The electrodes are arranged along the flow path. The pH sensing electrode is arranged so as to be subjected to a change in pH of a portion of the liquid on the flow path, as caused by the pH generation electrodes. In addition, the device includes a controller, which is configured to apply a voltage across the pH generation electrodes, based on a signal obtained via the pH sensing electrode and a reference electrode. This enables local control a pH of the liquid portion. The device may further be embodied as a sensor, additionally comprising a detection electrode.

Methods for screening plant cells, particularly plant protoplasts, for disease resistant traits, and kits for performing such methods are provided. The methods are performed in a microfluidic device that includes a flow region and at least one growth chamber suitable for culturing and screening a plant protoplast. The at least one surface of the growth chamber of the microfluidic chip can include a covalently linked coating material or a surface modifying ligand. The kit can comprise a microfluidic chip in combination with a reagent for detecting the viability of the plant protoplast and, optionally, a surface conditioning reagent or a surface modification reagent.

The present invention features the use of cavity acoustic transducers (CATs) to apply mechanical stimuli on cells. CATs utilize the generated acoustic microstreaming vortices to trap cells and apply tunable shear on them. The present invention may use such a portable, automated, and high throughput device for cell transfection.

The invention provides a passive fluidics circuit for directing different fluids to a common volume, such as a reaction chamber or flow cell, without intermixing or cross contamination. The direction and rate of flow through junctions, nodes and passages of the fluidics circuit are controlled by the states of upstream valves (e.g. opened or closed), differential fluid pressures at circuit inlets or upstream reservoirs, flow path resistances, and the like. Free diffusion or leakage of fluids from unselected inlets into the common outlet or other inlets at junctions or nodes is prevented by the flow of the selected inlet fluid, a portion of which sweeps by the inlets of unselected fluids and exits the fluidics circuit by waste ports, thereby creating a barrier against undesired intermixing with the outlet flow through leakage or diffusion.

Disclosed are methods, systems, and devices for detecting biological analytes in a sample. The disclosed technology can be used to obtain readings of analyte concentration in a sample by imaging scattered light from an angled narrow beam illuminator. A fluid sample containing one or more biological, organic, and inorganic analytes including proteins, viruses, bacteria, phages, toxins, proteins, peptides, DNA, RNA, hormones, chemicals, drugs, and isotopes can be transferred to a microfluidic device having one or more channels with dimensions to generate capillary action for sample transport. The geometry of the microfluidic device may include a reservoir and sensing area, wherein an immunometric reaction can take place for the narrow beam scanning. The test particle may be coated with a specific binding member that is used to bind the binding pair member on an analyte in a sample. Test particles form the binding and the particle/analyte conjugate may be scanned.

The disclosure relates to a method for operating a microfluidic device that includes providing at least one first medium at a first location of the microfluidic device, transporting at least one first medium from a first location to a second location of the microfluidic device, the at least one first medium being surrounded by at least one second medium in such a way that the at least one first medium only borders on the at least one second medium and on fluid boundaries of the microfluidic device or only on the at least one second medium. The at least one first medium and the at least one second medium cannot be mixed with one another.

A biochemical detection device with a controlled reaction incubation time includes a substrate; a probe disposed on the substrate; a dissolvable material layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the dissolvable material layer has a first opening defined therein, wherein the probe is received in the first opening; an absorbing material layer disposed on the dissolvable material layer and having a second opening defined therein, wherein the first opening communicates with the second opening and is smaller than the second opening; and a non-dissolvable material layer disposed on an inner face of the second opening of the absorbing material layer and on an exposed top face of the dissolvable material layer.

Reservoir-based management of volumetric flow rates in fluidic systems is generally described. Inventive systems and methods for liquid-liquid separations and/or liquid-gas separations are also described.

A microfluidic device includes a substrate and a microfluidic channel, wherein the microfluidic channel is configured to form a fluid pathway for allowing a fluid sample comprising particles to flow along the microfluidic channel; and a single transducer provided on the substrate for producing an acoustic travelling wave that propagates on the substrate surface towards an interaction region associated with the microfluidic channel as the fluid sample is flowing through the microfluidic channel. The microfluidic channel comprises three channel portions having three orientations, respectively, that are different from each other with respect to a direction of the propagation path of the travelling acoustic wave in the interaction region, the three channel portions arranged to produce fluid wavefronts based on substrate-propagated acoustic waves such that the fluid wavefronts and subsequent substrate-propagated acoustic wavefronts interfere with one another to generate periodic acoustic force fields in the fluid sample for manipulating the particles.

A device and/or methodology are described that include a mechanism for separating erythrocytes from other constituents of blood and for purifying leukocytes from blood. The separation and purification aspects may be provided in separate components or within the same component. The separation aspect assists in separating erythrocytes (red blood cells) from other cells in blood, such as by aggregation of the red blood cells. A suitable aggregation device or device component uses chambers with at least one small dimension (e.g., a microfluidic chip) to control the interaction of the blood with a solution containing a high molecular weight polymer (e.g., dextran) to achieve separation.