Devices and methods are provided for identifying individual monomeric units in sequential order as they are released or cleaved from a polymer strand via an enzyme, which acts on the polymer, and the monomeric units translocate through a transmembrane channel. Methods are also provided for identifying molecules as they translocate through a transmembrane channel.

Devices and methods generate an ordered restriction map of genomic DNA extracted from whole cells, nuclei, whole chromosomes, or other sources of long DNA molecules. The devices have a fluidic microchannel that merges into a reaction nanochannel that merges into a detection nanochannel at an interface where the nanochannel diameter decreases in size by between 50% to 99%. Intact molecules of DNA are transported to the reaction nanochannel and then fragmented in the reaction nanochannel using restriction endonuclease enzymes. The reaction nanochannel is sized and configured so that the fragments stay in an original order until they are injected into the detection nanochannel. Signal at one or more locations along the detection nanochannel is detected to map fragments in the order they occur along a long DNA molecule.

Disclosed a system comprised of at least one microfluidic chamber configured to contain a liquid containing an electrolyte; a first driving electrode and a second driving electrode arranged at the ends of the chamber and configured to generate a voltage across a fluid volume in the chamber; and a plurality of surface charges, located on a surface layer disposed within or adjacent to the liquid volume. Further disclosed are methods for using the system, e.g., for biological sample analysis.

A test device is configured for diagnostic testing and includes an optical readable medium, in turn including a pattern of spots of material arranged on a surface of the device. Several patterns may be provided. The patterns accordingly formed may be human and/or machine readable. They may notably encode security information, e.g., indicating whether the device has already been used. The spots may notably be inkjet spotted. In addition, a method is provided for decoding information encoded in a pattern of such a test device. In embodiments, liquid is introduced in the device, which comprises additional spots having a substantially different solubility than spots forming the actual pattern. Thus, the additional spots get solubilized in and flushed by the liquid as the latter wets them, and an initially hidden pattern may be read, which is formed of the remaining spots (not solubilized). Encoding methods are also provided.

A hand-held microfluidic testing device is provided that includes a housing having a cartridge receiving port, a cartridge for input to the cartridge receiving port having a sample input and a channel, where the channel includes a mixture of Raman-scattering nanoparticles and a calibration solution, where the calibration solution includes chemical compounds capable of interacting with a sample under test input to the cartridge and the Raman-scattering nanoparticles, and an optical detection system in the housing, where the optical detection system is capable of providing an illuminated electric field, where the illuminating electric field is capable of being used for Raman spectroscopy with the Raman-scattering nanoparticles and the calibration solution to analyze the sample under test input to the cartridge.

The combined value of integrating optical forces and electrokinetics allows for the pooled separation vectors of each to be applied, providing for separation based on combinations of features such as size, shape, refractive index, charge, charge distribution, charge mobility, permittivity, and deformability. The interplay of these separation vectors allow for the selective manipulation of analytes with a finer degree of variation. Embodiments include methods of method of separating particles in a microfluidic channel using a device comprising a microfluidic channel, a source of laser light focused by an optic into the microfluidic channel, and a source of electrical field operationally connected to the microfluidic channel via electrodes so that the laser light and the electrical field to act jointly on the particles in the microfluidic channel. Other devices and methods are disclosed.

Devices and methods generate an ordered restriction map of genomic DNA extracted from whole cells, nuclei, whole chromosomes, or other sources of long DNA molecules. The devices have a fluidic microchannel that merges into a reaction nanochannel that merges into a detection nanochannel at an interface where the nanochannel diameter decreases in size by between 50% to 99%. Intact molecules of DNA are transported to the reaction nanochannel and then fragmented in the reaction nanochannel using restriction endonuclease enzymes. The reaction nanochannel is sized and configured so that the fragments stay in an original order until they are injected into the detection nanochannel. Signal at one or more locations along the detection nanochannel is detected to map fragments in the order they occur along a long DNA molecule.

Methods of increasing the capture efficiency of a microfluidic device for a target reagent, without additional complications to the design of existing microfluidic devices, and more particularly methods of increasing the capture efficiency of a microfluidic device for magnetic microbeads within a microfluidic channel using sequentially switched electroosmotic flows.

Disclosed are methods, compositions, and devices for an integrated, heterogeneous ion-exchange membrane-based plastic microfluidic biochip platform that can be used to detect multiple diagnostic markers present in real samples. Its various components can be easily integrated in a modular fashion for different applications. Automated control allows sequential and dynamic activation of different components on the chip. The integrated platform consists of three units and is designed to execute the following functions: (i) separation of the target biomolecules from the real sample, (ii) localizing and concentrating the targeted molecules at a specific location in the microfluidic chip, and (iii) detection of the targeted molecules using hybridization/docking events against a complementary ssDNA oligoprobe sequence or a specific antibody.

The present exemplary embodiments provide a sample separation device which applies an electric field to a selective ion permeable layer based on origami to concentrate a target material in a specific area and concentrates a target material and separates a non-target material through a filter layer in which a paper is compressed to adjust a size of micro pore.