The present disclosure relates to an optical apparatus for imaging and/or manipulating micro-objects in a microfluidic device, such as a light-actuated microfluidic (LAMF) device, and related systems and methods. The optical apparatus can comprise a structured light modulator, a first and a second tube lens, an objective lens, a dichroic beam splitter, and an image sensor. The structured light modulator can be configured to receive unstructured light beams and transmit structured light beams for illuminating micro-objects located within an enclosure of the microfluidic device and/or selectively activating one or more of a plurality of dielectrophoresis (DEP) electrodes of the microfluidic device. The image light beams received by the image sensor can be used to form an image of at least a portion of the microfluidic device.

The present invention includes methods, devices and systems for isolating, identifying, analyzing, and quantifying biological materials from fluid samples. In various aspects, the methods, devices and systems may allow for a rapid procedure that requires a minimal amount of material and/or results in high purity biological materials from complex fluids such as blood, serum, or plasma.

A microfluidic apparatus is provided having one or more sequestration pens configured to isolate one or more target micro-objects by changing the orientation of the microfluidic apparatus with respect to a globally active force, such as gravity. Methods of selectively directing the movements of micro-objects in such a microfluidic apparatus using gravitational forces are also provided. The micro-objects can be biological micro-objects, such as cells, or inanimate micro-objects, such as beads.

A microfluidic method and system for the recovery of particles; while a sample is fed along a plurality of channels, some particles of a given type are trapped at the segments of the channels; keeping a fluid flow flowing along the channels further particles of different type are moved away and unloaded through an outlet; at this point, a movement device, for example provided with a dielectrophoresis system, directly exerts a force on each particle of given type and selectively conveys it to a collection area.

This invention relates to compositions of matter, methods, modules and instruments for automated mammalian cell growth and mammalian cell transduction followed by nucleic acid-guided nuclease editing in live mammalian cells.

An apparatus for separating an analyte from a test sample, such as bacteria from blood components, based on their dielectric properties, localizing or condensing the analyte, flushing substantially all remaining waste products from the test sample, and detecting low concentrations of the analyte. The module array includes a plurality of microfluidic channels with connecting microfluidic waste channels for directing undesired material away from the analyte. An electric field is applied causing a positive dielectrophoretic force to the analyte to capture the analyte. The electric field is applied to at least one electrode having a plurality of concentric rings or concentric arcs extending radially outwards from a center point, electrically connected to a voltage source such that when voltage is applied to the at least one electrode, the concentric rings or concentric arcs alternate in voltage potential.

A fluid entrained particle separator may include an inlet passage to direct particles entrained in a fluid, a first separation passage branching from the inlet passage, a second separation passage branching from the inlet passage and electrodes to create electric field exerting a dielectrophoretic force on the particles to direct the particles to the first separation passage or the second separation passage, wherein the first separation passage, the second separation passage, the electric field and the dielectrophoretic force extend in a plane.

The present invention relates to an automatic real-time label-free holography-activated sorting of the cell's technique. The technique provides high-discriminative power on the level of the individual cell. The technique includes rapid automated cell processing during cell visualization and flow, with high discriminative power on the level of the individual cell. The technique may be useful in detection of cancer and to identify different stages of oncogenesis.

Individual biological cells can be selected in a micro-fluidic device and moved into isolation pens in the device. The cells can then be lysed in the pens, releasing nucleic acid material, which can be captured by one or more capture objects in the pens. The capture objects with the captured nucleic acid material can then be removed from the pens. The capture objects can include unique identifiers, allowing each capture object to be correlated to the individual cell from which the nucleic acid material captured by the object originated.

Methods, systems and kits are described herein for detecting the results of an assay. In particular, the methods, systems and devices of the present disclosure rely on a difference between the diffusion rates of a reporter molecule and an analyte of interest in order to quantify an amount of analyte in a microfluidic device. The analyte may be a secreted product of a biological micro-object.