A system and method for isolating and analyzing single cells, comprising: a substrate having a broad surface; a set of wells defined at the broad surface of the substrate, and a set of channels, defined by the wall, that fluidly couple each well to at least one adjacent well in the set of wells; and fluid delivery module defining an inlet and comprising a plate, removably coupled to the substrate, the plate defining a recessed region fluidly connected to the inlet and facing the broad surface of the substrate, the fluid delivery module comprising a cell capture mode.

A hand-portable test apparatus includes an in-the-field test processing assembly, and a lab-on-a-chip test cartridge having a neutralising zone, a specific reagent mixing zone, and a testing chamber. It has a convective heating loop for thermal cycling. There are two passive self-actuating valves that allow the test chamber volume to fill with solution, but then close to meter and trap the solution. The apparatus has external illumination ports, and an optical sensing port. Each cartridge is uniquely identified. It has smooth surfaces that allow adhesive membranes to be used to permit the pre-loading of reagents, prevent evaporation, and permit preservation of results. The test apparatus includes a holder for the cartridge with a heater, illumination, and optical sensor units closely positioned relative to the holder. There is a wiring circuit board, a processor, and a power supply. All of the items are contained within a unitary housing.

Disclosed is a multi-stage thermal convection apparatus such as a two-stage thermal convection apparatus and uses thereof. In one embodiment, the two-stage thermal convection apparatus includes a temperature shaping element that assists a thermal convection mediated Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The invention has a wide variety of applications including amplifying nucleic acid without cumbersome and expensive hardware associated with many prior devices. In a typical embodiment, the apparatus can fit in the palm of a user's hand for use as a portable, simple to operate, and low cost PCR amplification device.

Disclosed is a multi-stage thermal convection apparatus and uses thereof. In one embodiment, the invention features a three-stage thermal convection apparatus that includes a temperature shaping element for assisting a thermal convection mediated Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The invention has a wide variety of applications including amplifying nucleic acid without cumbersome and expensive hardware associated with many prior devices. In a typical embodiment, the apparatus can fit in the palm of a user's hand for use as a portable, simple to operate, and low cost PCR amplification device.

The invention concerns a method for spatially manipulating at least one particle in a fluid, wherein the particle or the particles is/are spatially manipulated in the fluid by hydrodynamic flows which are generated in the fluid by means of dynamic localized heating of the fluid. The method according to the invention is characterized in that at least one target spatial configuration of the particle(s) in the fluid is defined and that the following further steps are carried out: a) an actual spatial configuration of the particle(s) is captured, b) a specific dynamic localized heating event to be applied to the fluid is determined in dependence of at least one recent actual spatial configuration of the particle(s) and a target configuration of the particle(s), c) the specific dynamic localized heating as determined in step c) is applied at least once to the fluid and d) at least one or all of the steps a) to c) are repeated. The invention concerns furthermore an apparatus for spatially manipulating at least one particle in a fluid by means of hydrodynamic flows a computer program product and a computer-readable storage medium.

Microfluidic devices and methods that use massively parallel anchored picoreactors as the basis for cell and molecular diagnostics are included in this invention. Different processes such as isolation, processing, amplification and characterization of different fluids, particles, chemical compositions or biospecies are presented. These fluids include biochemical buffers or cellular products including different cells, biochemical compositions, proteins and enzymes.

The invention concerns a method for measuring a force on at least one particle in a fluid wherein an inhomogeneous field of hydrodynamic flows is generated in a fluid by specific dynamic localized heating events, the particle is spatially manipulated by the hydrodynamic flows, a spatial configuration of the particle(s) within the fluid is captured and at least one force acting on the particle(s) is determined by evaluating the captured spatial configuration of the particle(s). The invention concerns furthermore an apparatus for measuring a force on at least one particle in a fluid, a computer program product, and a computer-readable storage medium.

Disclosed are a reaction tube for nucleic acid amplification capable of controlling a liquid circulation path, a reaction apparatus for nucleic acid amplification comprising the reaction tube, and a method for amplifying nucleic acid comprising a step of using the reaction tube. Also disclosed are a kit comprising the reaction tube, and use of the reaction tube in preparation of a kit.

Disclosed is a real-time nucleic acid amplification measurement apparatus using a surface measurement technique, the apparatus including: a microfluidic chip having a closed loop shaped-microfluidic channel; a sample injecting and closing part communicating with the microfluidic channel, and operating in an injecting mode in which a reaction sample is injected to the microfluidic channel or operating in a closed mode in which the microfluidic channel forms a closed-loop in a state that the reaction sample has been injected to the microfluidic channel; a fluid movement generating part inducing the reaction sample to circulate inside the microfluidic channel; a plurality of heating parts individually heating a plurality of heating areas with different temperatures to amplify nucleic acid in the reaction sample; and a surface measurement part detecting the nucleic acid in the reaction sample at a predetermined area inside the microfluidic channel.

A convective polymerase chain reaction apparatus includes a tube, a temperature control unit, at least one light source and a sensor. The tube includes a cavity used to contain a reaction solution. The reaction solution has a liquid level measured from a bottom of the cavity to a top surface of the reaction solution. The temperature control unit is disposed adjacent to the tube for controlling the temperature of the reaction solution. The at least one light source provides a light beam passing through an incident portion of the tube to excite the reaction solution emitting a fluorescent light. The incident portion is located at a height greater than of a liquid level. The sensor is adjacent to the tube for detecting the excited fluorescence. The light beam has an incident direction forming a non-straight angle with a long axis of the tube.