Cell-separation systems and methods utilizing cell-specific microbubble tags and ultrasound-based separation are described. The methods are useful for simplification of time-consuming and costly cell purification procedures and real time apoptosis detection.

The present disclosure provides for acoustofluidic centrifuge systems that can enrich and separate nanoparticles disposed in a fluid, such as liquid droplets, in a fast and efficient manner. Exemplary systems include a sound wave generator, such as a pair of slanted interdigitated transducers, and a containment boundary, such as a PDMS ring. The sound wave generator can produce surface acoustic waves that are capable of driving droplets to spin in a manner that can separate different sized particles into groups. In some embodiments, the acoustofluidic centrifuge system can include a plurality of containment boundaries in fluid communication with each other, allowing particles to separate between the containment boundaries. Methods of operating such systems, including methods of isolating different exosome subpopulations, are also disclosed.

A pipetting device for outputting amounts of a dosing fluid of less than 1 μl including a fluid volume; a pipetting plunger that can be moved along a plunger path, wherein a displacement of the pipetting plunger brings about a first pressure change in the fluid volume; a movement drive which is force-transmittingly connected to the pipetting plunger in order to drive the pipetting plunger such that it moves along the plunger path; a sound source which is designed to generate at least one sound impulse as a second pressure change in the fluid volume; and a control device which is designed to control the movement drive and the sound source, the pipetting device having a pipetting channel which extends along a channel axis and in which both the pipetting plunger is moveably accommodated along the channel axis as the plunger path and the fluid volume is accommodated, wherein the fluid volume includes a working gas which wets a plunger surface of the pipetting plunger, wherein, in addition, the sound source is designed and arranged to generate the at least one sound impulse in the working gas.

A lysis device including a sample vessel, at least one piezo element, and a controller is disclosed. The sample vessel has a microchannel formed therein. The sample vessel has at least one port extending through a surface to the microchannel. The piezo element is attached to the surface of the sample vessel. The controller has logic to cause the controller to emit a first signal including a series of frequencies to the at least one piezo element to cause the at least one piezo element to generate ultrasonic acoustic standing waves in the sample vessel, to receive a second signal indicative of measured vibration signals from the sample vessel detected by the at least one piezo element, and to determine a resonant frequency of the sample vessel using the measured vibration signals.

The current invention relates to the method and apparatus to magnetically separate biological entities with magnetic labels from a fluid sample. The claimed magnetic separation device removes biological entities with magnetic labels from its fluidic solution by using a soft-magnetic center pole with two soft-magnetic side poles. The claimed device further includes processes to dissociate entities conglomerate after magnetic separation.

Electroacoustic device that includes a body, an electrode to be electrically powered, named hot electrode, and an electrode to be electrically grounded, named ground electrode. The body includes a piezoelectric part or the electroacoustic device further including a piezoelectric part different from the body. The hot electrode includes a hot track spiraling around a spiral axis. The radial step between two consecutive coils of the hot track decreasing radially from the spiral axis. The hot electrode and the ground electrode are arranged on the piezoelectric part such as to define a wave transducer configured to generate a focalised ultrasonic vortex propagating in the body and/or, when a fluid medium is acoustically coupled with the electroacoustic device, in the fluid medium.

Improved sub-assemblies and methods of control for use in a diagnostic assay system adapted to receive an assay cartridge are provided herein. Such sub-assemblies include: a brushless DC motor, a door opening/closing mechanism and cartridge loading mechanism, a syringe and valve drive mechanism assembly, a sonication horn, a thermal control device and optical detection/excitation device. Such systems can further include a communications unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a mobile device of a user so as to receive a user input relating to functionality of the system with respect to an assay cartridge received therein and relaying a diagnostic result relating to the assay cartridge to the mobile device.

Methods are provided for separating magnetically responsive beads from a droplet in a droplet actuator. Droplet operations electrodes and a magnet are arranged in a droplet actuator to manipulate a bead-containing droplet and position it relative to a magnetic field region that attracts the magnetically responsive beads. The droplet operations electrodes are operated to control the droplet shape and transport it away from the magnetic field region to form a concentration of beads in the droplet. The continued transport of the droplet away from the magnetic field causes the concentration of beads to break away from the droplet to yield a small, concentrated bead-containing droplet immobilized by the magnet.

A method for separating cells in a biofluid includes pretreating the biofluid by introducing a predetermined amount of a cocktail of antibodies, flowing the pretreated biofluid through a microfluidic separation channel, and applying acoustic energy to the pretreated biofluid within the microfluidic separation channel. A system for microfluidic cell separation, capable of separating target cells from non-target cells in a biofluid includes at least one microfluidic separation channel, a source of biofluid, a source of an additive including the cocktail of antibodies, and at least one acoustic transducer coupled to the microfluidic separation channel. A kit for microfluidic cell separation is also disclosed. A method of facilitating separation of cells is also disclosed.

The present invention is directed to systems and devices that allow for separation of cells based on size and electric properties and for high-throughput cell sorting. The system may comprise a microfluidic platform having a main microfluidic channel and cavity acoustic transducers (CATs). The microfluidic platform may be coupled to an external acoustic source. The system may further comprise a fluid disposed through the main microfluidic channel comprising cells having different sizes and electric properties. The fluid may intersect the CATs to form one or more interfaces. The system may further comprise electrodes underneath the microfluidic platform. The CATs may oscillate the interfaces to produce one or more microstreaming vortices, such that each microstreaming vortex is capable of selectively trapping cells based on size. The set of electrodes may apply an AC to cause the cells to move relative to the set of electrodes based on electric properties.