In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a cell analysis system is described. The cell analysis system includes at least one cell analysis device. Each cell analysis device includes a channel to serially feed individual cells from a volume of cells into a lysing chamber. The cell analysis device also includes at least one feedback-controlled lysing element in the lysing chamber to agitate a cell. The cell analysis system also includes a controller to analyze the cell. The controller includes a lysate analyzer to analyze properties of the lysate and a rupture analyzer to analyze parameters of an agitation when a cell membrane ruptures.

Disclosed herein include methods, compositions, and kits suitable for use in sorting a population of cells. In some embodiments, the method comprises flowing a fluid sample comprising a population of cells through a microfluidic channel. The population of cells can be configured to express gas vesicles (GVs) in a context-dependent manner. The expression of GVs within a cell can increase the compressibility (β) and reduce the density (ρ) of said cell, thereby modulating the acoustic contrast (Φ) of said cell relative to the fluid in the microfluidic channel. The method can comprise applying ultrasound to the microfluidic channel. Applying ultrasound can generate acoustic standing wave(s) in the microfluidic channel, thereby positioning pressure antinode(s) in the microfluidic channel.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets, according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

A microfluidic device may include a first fluid chamber, a second fluid chamber, a first microfluidic passage extending between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber, a second microfluidic passage extending from the second fluid chamber, a first fluid actuator adjacent the first microfluidic passage and proximate the first fluid chamber to inertially pump fluid away from the first fluid chamber and a second fluid actuator adjacent the first microfluidic passage and proximate the second fluid chamber to menially pump fluid towards the first fluid chamber.

A fluidic component for generating an ultrasound signal is provided. The fluidic component includes a flow chamber, which can be flowed through by a fluid flow, which enters the flow chamber through an inlet opening of the flow chamber and exits from the flow chamber through an outlet opening of the flow chamber. The fluidic component has at least one device for forming an oscillation of the fluid flow at the outlet opening, the oscillation taking place in an oscillation plane, a separation device, which is designed to separate off a part from the oscillating fluid flow. The separation device includes an inlet opening, through which the oscillating fluid flow enters the separation device, and at least one first outlet opening and at least one second outlet opening, through each of which a part of the oscillating fluid flow exits.

An example system includes an input channel to flow nucleic segments therethrough, a mixing portion coupled to the input channel, a separation chamber in fluid communication with the second end of the input channel, at least two output channels coupled to the chamber, and an integrated pump to facilitate flow through the separation chamber. The mixing portion is to include at least two different categories of beads having different sizes from each other and having a probe to attach to a corresponding nucleic acid segment. The separation chamber has a passive separation structure including an array of columns spaced apart to facilitate separation of the different categories of beads and attached corresponding nucleic acid segment into at least two flow paths based on a size of the category of the beads. Each output channel is to receive separated categories of beads and attached nucleic acid segments.

A system (1) for infectious disease screening. The system is for use with an assay device (2) which incorporates an ultrasonic transducer for generating ultrasonic waves to lyse cells in a biological sample. The system (1) comprises a frequency control module which is configured to control the ultrasonic transducer (49) to oscillate at an optimum frequency for cell lysis, a PCR arrangement (16) which is configured to receive and amplify the DNA from the sample; and a detection arrangement (70) which is configured to detect the presence of an infectious disease in the amplified DNA and to provide an output which is indicative of whether or not the detection arrangement (70) detects the presence of an infectious disease in the amplified DNA.

The present invention generally relates to the manipulation of fluids using acoustic waves such as surface acoustic waves. In some aspects, one fluid may be introduced into another fluid via application of suitable acoustic waves. For example, a fluid may be added or injected into another fluid by applying acoustic waves where, in the absence of the acoustic waves, the fluid cannot be added or injected, e.g., due to the interface or surface tension between the fluids. Thus, for example, a fluid may be injected into a droplet of another fluid. Other embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems and methods for making or using such systems, kits involving such systems, or the like.

The gene transfection system includes an acoustothermal module and a signal generating module; the acoustothermal module includes a piezoelectric substrate, an acoustothermal chip arranged on the piezoelectric substrate and N sound-absorbing vessels arranged on the acoustothermal chip and used for cultivating recipient cells, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the signal generating module is used to output basic frequency signals; the acoustothermal chip is used to convert the basic frequency signal to an acoustic wave signal, establish a temperature gradient field with the acoustic wave signal, and control the temperature of the recipient cell in the sound-absorbing vessels with the temperature gradient field, so that the pores are opened on the membranes of the recipient cell, and the nucleic acids or other substances can go into the cells through these pores.

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a cell sorting device is described. The cell sorting device includes a microfluidic channel to serially transport individual cells from a volume of cells along a flow path. A sensor disposed in the microfluidic channel distinguishes between a cell to be analyzed and waste fluid. The cell sorting device includes at least two fluid transport devices disposed within the microfluidic channel. The at least two fluid transport devices include a cell ejector to, responsive to detection of a cell to be analyzed, eject the cell to be analyzed from the cell sorting device and a waste transport device to direct the waste fluid to a waste reservoir.